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Sports All-Time #NBArank:Top 10 Greatest Centers
2016.01.24 02:40
All-Time #NBArank continues with a countdown of the game's greatest giants -- the best centers in NBA history. To create All-Time #NBArank, we put together a ballot with the 150 greatest players ever. Then our ESPN expert panel voted on thousands of head-to-head matchups, with voting based on both peak performance and career value. The result is our all-time NBA Top 100.The Top 100 will begin to roll out Wednesday. Meanwhile, we are presenting the top 10 by position. Check out our lists of the greatest power forwards, small forwards, shooting guards and point guards.  Teams Mikwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89) Honors Six-time MVP (1970-71, 1971-72, 1973-74, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80), two-time Finals MVP, 19-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA selection, 10-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1969-70), Hall of Fame Championships 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) Career stats24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 2.6 BPG, .559 FG% The player More MVPs than anyone. More career points than anyone. More career Win Shares than anyone. Simply put, there might not be a more complete career than Abdul-Jabbar's. -- Adams His sky hook was the most unstoppable shot in NBA history. And he could play D, pass and hit his free throws, too. -- Peterson No player in NBA history has combined peak value with longevity as well as Abdul-Jabbar. It's incredible to think Abdul-Jabbar won Finals MVPs 14 years apart. -- Pelton While the public often overlooks him in discussions about the game's greatest player, league insiders and legends always mention him when considering who's the G.O.A.T. -- Broussard  Teams Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors(1959-65), Philadelphia 76ers (1965-68), Los Angeles Lakers (1968-74) Honors Four-time MVP (1959-60, 1965-66, 1966-67, 1967-68), Finals MVP (1972), 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, two-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1959-60), Hall of Fame Championships 2 (1967, 1972)Career stats30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, .540 FG% The player Chamberlain was larger than life in every sense of the word. -- Doolittle A real-life Superman who's previously unheard of combination of size, skill and athleticism took the world by storm. Statistically, the most dominant individual in the history of American sports. He set records that no one will ever come close to breaking. -- Broussard Wilt averaged 47.6 points over a two-season period and grabbed 20 or more boards per game for 12 consecutive seasons. The most awesome offensive force in basketball history. -- Peterson He was so dominant that the NBA literally changed the dimensions of the painted area to try and offset his presence on the block. -- Adams  Teams Boston Celtics (1956-69) Honors Five-time MVP (1957-58, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1964-65), 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA selection, All-D selection (1968-69), Hall of Fame Championships11 (1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969) Career stats 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, .440 FG% The player A defensive genius who epitomized the words leader, team and champion. The greatest winner in the history of American sports. -- Broussard Never an elite scorer, no player impacted the game in more ways or made more winning plays than Russell. -- Adams He stepped up when it mattered most. By my metrics, no all-time great contributed a higher percentage of his overall value in the postseason than Russell. -- Pelton Russell's career is impossible to refute at the most fundamental level of sports: winning. -- Doolittle  Teams Orlando Magic (1992-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-08), Phoenix Suns (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11) Honors MVP (1999-2000), three-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA selection, three-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1992-1993) Championships 4 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2006) Career stats23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.3 BPG, .582 FG% The player The best center of his generation and possibly the last great center in NBA history. His sheer size and strength overwhelmed opponents, but he also had a deft touch around the rim and carried the Lakers to three straight NBA titles. -- Peterson Surprisingly nimble and athletic, he is the biggest, most powerful force the game has ever known. He won four titles and some think he still underachieved; that's how good he was. -- Broussard When basketball analytics were in their infancy, the "Shaq test" was a good way to evaluate player metrics: if O'Neal wasn't best on a per-minute basis, something was wrong with your system. -- Pelton An immense force down low and perhaps an even bigger character in the locker room. He was the Wilt Chamberlain of the modern game. -- Marc Stein, ESPN.com  Teams Houston Rockets (1984-01), Toronto Raptors (2001-02) Honors MVP (1993-94), two-time Finals MVP, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, nine-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame Championships 2 (1994, 1995)Career stats21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 3.1 BPG, .512 FG% The player A groundbreaker in terms of bringing footwork and agility to post play. The first of Houston's two back-to-back championships was particularly memorable, because Hakeem was essentially the Rockets' lone star, surrounded by a clutch of quality role players. There haven't been many NBA champions over the years featuring this sort of one-star construction. -- Stein Created and mastered moves that have never been seen by a big man before or since. On top of that, he was the greatest defensive center ever not named Bill Russell. -- Broussard Olajuwon's path is truly amazing. He arrived in Houston for college with one developed skill: The ability to play volleyball with opponents' shots. Three decades later, All-Star-caliber players go to Hakeem to learn the fundamentals of post play. -- Doolittle It's a testament to his athletic abilities that Olajuwon himself declared that "The Dream Shake" was actually something he came up with while playing soccer, not basketball. -- Adams  Teams Utah Stars (1974-75), Spirits of St. Louis (1975-76), Buffalo Braves (1976), Houston Rockets (1976-82), Philadelphia 76ers (1982-86, 1993-94), Washington Bullets (1986-88), Atlanta Hawks (1988-91), Milwaukee Bucks (1991-93), San Antonio Spurs (1994-95) Honors Three-time MVP (1978-79, 1981-82, 1982-83), Finals MVP (1983), 12-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA selection, two-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame Championships 1 (1983) Career stats 20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 1.3 BPG, .495 FG% The player You know you're good when you become synonymous with an adjective, which for Malone was "relentless." He outworked opponents on his way to the Hall of Fame and was the best player in the NBA for a good two to three years. -- Doolittle The king of lunch-bucket basketball, he was an incomparable force on the offensive glass and teamed with Dr. J to make the '83 Sixers one of the greatest teams of all time. -- Broussard Malone might be the only superstar player who identifies as an NBA vagabond of sorts. Including his time in the ABA, Malone played for nine different franchises, making him the most traveled Hall of Famer. -- Adams Of the eight players to win three MVP awards, Malone is probably the least appreciated. -- Peterson  Teams San Antonio Spurs (1989-2003) Honors MVP (1994-95), 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, 8-time All-D selection, Defensive Player of the Year (1991-92), Rookie of the Year (1989-90), Hall of Fame Championships 2 (1999, 2003)Career stats21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG, .518 FG% The player A lefty who excelled at both ends and could run the floor like a small forward. The Admiral was the centerpiece for a small-market team that badly needed one and later a sidekick to Tim Duncan who willingly bequeathed his role as face of the franchise with uncommon grace. -- Marc Stein, ESPN.com Skilled enough to lead the league in scoring and one of the best defenders in the league, Robinson was a consummate team player and leader. -- Doolittle While he wasn't as productive in the playoffs, Robinson consistently outrated Hakeem Olajuwon in the regular season thanks to his efficient style of play. -- Pelton The foundation of a Spurs dynasty that continues to this day. -- Broussard  Teams New York Knicks (1985-2000) Seattle SuperSonics (2000-01), Orlando Magic (2001-02) Honors11-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA selection, 3-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1985-86), Hall of Fame Championships None Career stats 21.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 BPG, .504 FG% The player A force on both ends of the floor. Ewing is often slighted and underrated because he never delivered New York a title, but he never had a healthy perennial All-Star teammate during his prime. -- Broussard His toughness and defensive presence were the foundation of everything New York accomplished in the '90s. -- Doolittle Ewing had the misfortune of being stuck in the same conference as Michael Jordan and playing at the same time as David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. -- Adams Had he come along 10 years later, Ewing might have been the league's best center. -- Pelton  Teams Minneapolis Lakers (1947-56), also played in the NBL and the BAA Honors 4-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA selection, Hall of Fame Championships 7 (1947-NBL, 1948-NBL, 1949-BAA, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954) Career stats 23.1 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 2.8 APG, .404 FG% The player The first great center, Mikan brought glory to the Lakers franchise long before Wilt, Kareem and Shaq ever put on purple and gold. -- Adams The single most difficult player to rank in NBA history. Dominant in his era, but because of physical advantages that quickly dissipated as the league became more athletic. -- Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider We don't have the tools to truly measure Mikan's on-court impact, but it's visible more than a half-century after he quit playing: the 24-second clock came into being because of him. -- Doolittle He has a shooting drill named after him. The league widened the lane because of him. Teams stalled to blunt his effectiveness on offense. No man had a greater impact on the early NBA than George Mikan. -- Peterson  Teams Portland Trail Blazers (1974-79), San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1979-84), Boston Celtics (1985-87) HonorsMVP (1977-78), Finals MVP (1977), Sixth Man of the Year (1985-86), 2-time All-Star, 2-time All-NBA selection, 2-time All-D selection, Hall of Fame Championships 2 (1977, 1986)Career stats13.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.2 BPG The player A passer without peer at the center position. No player ever stopped him, only injuries. Had he been healthy, he probably would have built a dynasty in Portland. -- Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine One of the best team players ever; the prototypical John Wooden player. -- Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider Few, if any, centers threw the outlet pass as well as Walton. When he was healthy in the '70s, he challenged Kareem as the best center. -- Rob Peterson, ESPN.com MVP, Finals MVP, Sixth Man of the Year and two-time champion. Not bad for someone who essentially never had a prime due to lingering foot injuries. -- Micah Adams, ESPN Stats & Info |
Comment 3
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황규정*65
2016.01.24 02:41
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An artificial superstar to sell the tickets ??
How much do we stress the fact that the game of basketball is a "team effort"
rather than an individual excellence. The truth is that winning is by the team effort, not by an individual effort.
A heroic performance is nothing but a cooperative effort by the team members according to the pre-planned game plan.
However, for example, golf or tennis are an individual game where "a superstar can truly exist alone all by himself."
So called "greatest player (the center, here)" in basketball can be nothing if there are no teammates
who pass the ball to him and the particular coaching plan based on the particular player as the main shooter.
The buck has to stop at the particular player by the design of the game plan.
Without that, there can not be any single superstars. Actually, all 5 players are heroes, not any less or more.I do not agree very much on the singling-out a heroic superstar, artificially inflated.
The commercial dealers create a superstar hero to sell the game tickets and we are the suckers.
I am sure they are talented but, without the team, they don't mean anything.
Don't you think that if any players of out the starting 5 might be a superstar if they are given the chance
by the coaching plan at the particular evening?Probably, all the heroes of the world may be artificial products created by shrewd commercial or political plans.
And, then, we get sucked in like idiots.* * * * * *
So, there is going to be a play-off game today at the mile-high Stadium in Denver.
My(??) Broncos plays against Patriots.
The commercial says:
Currently the team plays home games at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
The Stadium is named in honor of the original Mile High Stadium, and continues the tradition of selling out
every home Broncos game since it opened in 2001.
The original Mile High Stadium had been selling out games since 1970.
Buy your Broncos tickets now to gallop into this incredible NFL experience!The tickets sell from $223 up to $3000 each. They will get sold out in no time.
A lot of suckers.... I am one of them but will be watching the game in front of a TV in California.
I wish they go to the Superbowl and, for all that money, not to lose like fools (or are they super heroes?) like the last time. -
황규정*65
2016.01.24 04:28
You are right! All 4 major sports are team sports and team works are very important to prevail.However
You need superstar(s) to get the ring by sure. Basketball and maybe Ice Hockey are probably need
more superstar(s) out of 4 major sports to win,because only five players are playing in these games.In that regards, I don't think I agree with you about followings.
"Don't you think that if any players of out the starting 5 might be a superstar if they are given the chance
by the coaching plan at the particular evening?"I don't think any other than MJ or possibly Scottie Pippen to lead that team to get ring in example!
LastlyMoney is important for professional players,but that is not all,I don't think!
They have prides and passions for their games and without those they could not be who they are now anyhow.Thanks for your comment. KJ
Before basketball game was diversified after introduction of 3 points
shooting and emphasizing defense,center position of NBA was the nucleus
and foundation of succeeding team and leading to dynasty of the team.
Above top 4 centers were so dominant during their eras,it is tough to
judge who is better. Chamberlain-Russell rival era was before most our
time,but they were on the tops offensively as well as defensively.
Wilt Chamberlain was so dominant at paint area,his offense stats were
unbelievable. He was the only player ever scoring more than 50 goals
average a year and 100 points in one game.
In other hand,Bill Russell was not as tall and strong as Chamberlain,
but his defensive skills like rebouding and shot blocking skill were
so good enough to leading his Boston Celtics 11 championships out of
13 years span.He was the one to introduce to league that "DEFENSE"
is the key for winning championship.
It was somewhat unfair that games between these 2 giants,winning by
Russell team most of time because Russell had better supporting casts
compare to Chamberlain.Anyhow these 2 great players left big foot
prints in NBA history.
As Bill Russell retired,another outstanding center by the name of
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar(previous Lew Alcindor) entered NBA from UCLA.
He led 3 NCAA championships during UCLA day under the legendary John
Wooden and in NBA,he was unstoppable at paint area with his famous
'sky hook' using his amazing wingspan. He led not only championship
at Milwakee Bucks with legendary Oscar Robertson,but also had developped
Lakers dynasty with another superstar,by the name of Magic Johnson(5
championship rings).
Shaquille O'Neal,center of Lakers should be mentioned for excellency
of NBA center.He was one of most fearsome center during his era and
led 4 championship for Los Angeles with Kobe Bryant and under legendary
coach Phil jackson.
It was fun for me to review and digging out old memories with these
NBA superstars.It is in a sense insulting to these superstars numbering
their superiorities.
As far as I am concerned,all these 50 superstars in NBA were heroes
in their own ways and own eras to their fans!
God Bless to all of them! Thanks, KJ