NBA Centers Of All Time

Teams of the past couldn’t win championships without a dominant center. Likewise, most NBA MVPs are won by centers.

The location of the center has changed a lot since the last few decades. But a new generation of big men is trying to shift the balance of power back to center.

>> Best betting sites (2024)

• Willis Reed

Champions: 2

Honors: 1969 MVP, 2 Finals MVPs, 7 All-Stars, 5 All-NBA selections, 1 All-Defensive Team, 1964 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame
Reed won 2 Finals MVPs and 2 NBA championships with the New York Knicks. Reed is a key member of the Hall of Fame, a seven-time All-Star, and one of the top 10 greatest centers of all time.

• Wes Unseld

Champion: 1

Honors: 1968 MVP, 1977 Finals MVP, 5 All-Stars, 1 All-NBA selection, 1968 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame

Unseld won the NBA Championship and Finals MVP in 1977, and the league MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1968-1969. Clearly, Unseld is one of the top 10 centers of all time and one of the hallmarks of “old school center basketball.”

• Patrick Ewing

Champion: 0

Honors: 11 All-Stars, 7 All-NBA selections, 3 All-Defensive Team, 1985 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame

He never won a championship, but was named to 11 All-Star teams and is a Hall of Famer. Ewing is in the top 10 because of his consistent and uncontroversial performance with the New York Knicks.

• Moses Malone

Champion: 1

Honors: 3x MVP, 1982 Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 8x All-NBA selection, 2x All-Defensive Team selection, Hall of Fame

The late great Moses Malone won everything in the league, including the NBA championship and Finals MVP. He’s the epitome of an old-school center, controlling the rebound and the paint with power and finesse.

• David Robinson

Champions: 2
Honors: 1994 MVP, 10 All-Star, 10 All-NBA Draft, 8 All-Defensive Team, 1991 Defensive Player of the Year, 1993 Scoring Champion, 1991 Blocked Champion, 1989 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame
He won the MVP award, has leadership, defends the rim well, and is a defensive beast. One of the most iconic and respected Hall of Famers of all time, Robinson barely missed the top five.

• Hakeem Olajuwon

Champions: 2

Honors: 1993 MVP, 2 Finals MVP, 12 All-Star, 12 All-NBA, 9 All-Defensive, 2 Defensive Player of the Year, 3 Block Champions, Hall of Fame

Hakeem Olajuwon took advantage of Michael Jordan’s absences in 1994 and 1995 to win a two-peat and Finals MVP. Hakim has it all, winning DPOY and MVP awards. Hakim is in the top five, no doubt about it.

• Bill Russell

Champions: 11

Honors: 5-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, 1968 All-Defensive Team, Hall of Fame

The greatest winner of all time, Russell won 11 rings as part of the Boston Celtics dynasty. No one can guard the rim like Russell, and his defensive impact may be the greatest ever. A pure leader and winner, Russell is clearly a top-five center of all time.

• Wilt Chamberlain

Champions: 2

Honors: 4-time MVP, 1971 Finals MVP, 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, 2-time All-Defensive, 7-time scoring champion, 1959 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame

Wilt was bigger and more athletic than all the opponents of his era, which may have helped him achieve his greatness. But he got there anyway and is the third-best center of all time, a legend of the game.

• Shaquille O’Neal

Champions: 4

Honors: 1999 MVP, 3 Finals MVP, 15 All-Star, 14 All-NBA, 3 All-Defensive, 2 Scoring, 1992 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame

3 Finals MVPs, 4 rings, and the most dominant stamina ever. He owns the board and intimidates the team more than any big man. Even as a huge man, Shaq is extremely athletic and technical, which is why he ranks No. 2 on this list.

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Champions: 6

Honors: 6x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 19x All-Star, 15x All-NBA, 11x All-Defensive, 2x Scoring, 4x Block Champion, 1969 Rookie of the Year, Hall of Fame

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best center ever. Kareem has been a dominant player in his 40s and has been a force on both ends of the court.