When you scroll through the NBA record books and try to compare who was the greatest center of all time, the same four names keep coming to the top: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Shaquille O’Neal. Each of these titans of the game was dominant in their own way. Kareem had the Sky Hook. Wilt had the “dipper” shot. Russell was the defensive stopper and the consummate team player. Shaq aka “The Big Diesel” had raw power that would wear down an opponent. Each had strengths and each had weaknesses but they represented NBA royalty at the elite position on the floor. Let’s take a look at which one of these legends earns the title of GREATEST NBA CENTER OF ALL TIME.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly Lew Alcindor) played twenty seasons in the NBA from 1969 to 1989. His list of achievements include: Rookie of the Year, six NBA titles (one with Milwaukee and five with the Lakers), two Finals MVPs, six season MVPs, two scoring titles, one rebounding title, All NBA First Team, five All Defensive First Team honors, and 19 All Star games to name a few. He owns the record for most points scored in the NBA with 38,387. He played 1,560 games and averaged 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. His career FG and FT percentages were 55.9% and 72.1% respectively. Kareem played with such great players as Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo, Byron Scott and Elgin Baylor. He had the lethal weapon called the “Sky Hook” which was impossible to defend and a source of offensive potency late in games.
Wilton Norman Chamberlain played fourteen seasons in the NBA (1959-1973). His list of achievements include: Rookie of the Year, two NBA titles (One with the Sixers and one with the Lakers), four season MVPs, one Finals MVP, seven all NBA First Team honors, two All Defensive First Team honors, seven scoring titles, eleven rebounding titles, one assists title, and 13 All Star games. He scored 31,419 points in his career and grabbed 23,924 rebounds in 1,045 games. He averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds per game. His FG percentage was 54% and his FT% was an anemic 51.1%. He scored 100 points in one epic game against the New York Knicks. The Big Dipper dominated both ends of the floor. Wilt played with Jerry West (aka the Logo), Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Pat Riley, Billy Cunningham and Jim Cleamons.
William Felton Russell played fourteen seasons in the NBA for the Boston Celtics (1956-1969). His list of achievements include: Eleven NBA titles, twelve All Star Games, five season MVPs, three All NBA First Team honors, four rebounding titles, and one All Defensive First Team honor. He scored 14,522 points in his career and collected 21,620 rebounds in 963 games. He averaged 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds per game. He shot 44% from the field and 56.1% from the line. Bill played with some of the greatest players of all time including Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, John Havlicek, Sam and KC Jones, and Don Nelson. His ferocious defense and shot blocking made him a legend.
Shaquille Rashaun O’Neal played nineteen seasons in the NBA from 1992 to 2011. He won four NBA titles (three in a row with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat). He played in fifteen All Star Games. He won the Finals MVP three times and one season MVP. He made the All NBA First Team eight times. He was Rookie of the Year and scoring leader two times. He scored 28,596 points and grabbed 13,099 rebounds. In 1,207 games he averaged 23.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. His career FG and FT percentages were 58.2 and 52.7 respectively. The Big Shaqtus / Superman / The Big Aristotle was a force in the paint and his punishing drives to the basket left his opponents worn out by game’s end. Shaq played with Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Derek Fisher, Penny Hardaway, Brian Shaw, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.
You have digested the numbers by now and your head is spinning. How do you pick the best NBA Center of all time? While you are thinking about that let me share with you my criteria. Who dominated in their era given the opponents? Who had raw scoring prowess? Who provided a defensive presence that intimidated the league? Who led the NBA in assists one season when he was told he shot too much? Who garnered more NBA rule changes because of his style of play (lane widened from 12 to 16 feet, shooters could not cross the FT line during a FT, and the ball can’t be inbounded over the backboard)? Who played for the Harlem Globetrotters because he left college early and was waiting to be eligible for the NBA draft? Are you getting there yet? Who averaged 50.4 points in one season? Who was a rebounding vacuum cleaner? The answer in three, two, one….. WILT CHAMBERLAIN FROM OVERBROOK HIGH SCHOOL IS THE BEST NBA CENTER OF ALL TIME!!!! Was there any doubt?
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