At work today, I saw an interesting article in Basketball Times. It was by the Boston Globe's Bob Ryan basically telling Dwight Howard how much of an idiot he was when he claimed he was right up there with Kareem and Wilt (I'm not exactly clear on the details of what Howard said, but I know it's something along those lines). Anyway, Ryan noted that he wouldn't even have Howard among the Top 15 guys he'd call if he needed a center. That got me thinking, and you know what that means.
Gotta say, I agree with Bob Ryan. It was pretty easy to come up with a list of the Top 10 centers in NBA history. The fact that some of the greatest players of all-time were centers certainly made it easier. Basically, though, it proves how asinine Dwight Howard's comments really were. Does he think he's in the same class as any of these guys? I'll give you a hint. He isn't.
On to the list...
10. Moses Malone: It was tough to leave off Patrick Ewing, but I also couldn't not include Moses Malone. Three-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, number retired by two different teams, ABA All-Time Team and NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Oh yeah, and Finals MVP in 1983 when the Sixers won their only championship. He also played 21 years and is seventh all-time in scoring.
9. David Robinson: The Admiral played on three U.S. Olympic teams, winning bronze with the last team of amateurs in 1988 before taking gold in 1992-96 with the original two Dream Teams. None of that has anything to do with why he's one of the greatest centers in NBA history, though. David Robinson was an exemplary player in every sense of the word. He's one of two guys (Michael Jordan's the other) to win Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and MVP, to go along with scoring, rebounding and blocked shots titles. Then, of course, there were the two NBA titles, that only came after somebody else came along...
8. Tim Duncan: The Spurs made the playoffs during the first seven years of Robinson's career, until he was hurt in 1996-97 and they ended up 20-62, which got them the No. 1 pick in the draft...and creating perhaps the greatest frontcourt tandem in history. Duncan was the missing piece for the Spurs to finally become champions, and they've won four during his remarkable career (and he's been Finals MVP three times). He's a 14-time All-Star the only player in history to be both All-NBA and on the NBA All-Defensive Team during his first 13 seasons. I could go on and on. But the main reasons for the San Antonio Spurs' consistent success over the past 25 years are David Robinson and Tim Duncan.
7. Robert Parish: Putting Robert Parish at No. 7 might seem kind of low to some, which only shows the quality of this list (and how delusional Dwight Howard is). Parish, of course, won three NBA titles alongside Larry Bird and Kevin McHale with the Celtics in the '80s, and all three were included on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players list. He then won a fourth championship with the 1996-97 Bulls, making him, at 43, the oldest player ever to win a ring. Parish played 21 seasons, and his 1,611 games played are an NBA record.
6. Hakeem Olajuwon: Sam Bowie was famously taken No. 2 by the Blazers in the 1984 NBA Draft, right before the Bulls took Michael Jordan. The other team to pass on Jordan was Houston, who took local product Hakeem Olajuwon with the No. 1 pick. The Rockets, however, weren't criticized for their selection, because it turned out to be a great one. Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson formed the original "Twin Towers," and they took the Rockets to the Finals in 1986. Later, during the two years between Jordan's two three-peats, Olajuwon's Rockets won the NBA title. Among his many accomplishments, The Dream is the NBA's all-time leader in blocks (3,830).
5. Shaquille O'Neal: How good do the guys above him have to be for Shaq to end up at No. 5? Shaq's brash and a big personality, but he had the talent to back it up. Love him or hate him, there's no disputing his place in the history of the game. Shaq was really the last of his kind--the big, bruising center. And he played that role as the anchor of the Lakers' dynasty, then won another title with the 2006 Heat. I really grew to respect Shaq much more towards the end of his career, when he was willing to take on a reduced role on teams he thought had a chance to win. And when he finally retired after the 2010-11 season, it was as one of the all-time greats.
4. George Mikan: When you're the true pioneer of a position, and a league, you deserve a place this high. Because there probably wouldn't be an NBA without George Mikan. And basketball certainly wouldn't be a sport dominated by big men. He was, without a doubt, the league's original superstar, and he has to be on the shortlist of the game's all-time greatest players. Mikan retired as a seven-time champion and is widely considered the best player of the first half of the 20th Century.
3. Wilt Chamberlain: Keeping with the Lakers theme, Wilt comes in at No. 3. Where do I start with Wilt Chamberlain's greatness? How about the 100-point game? Or the career averages of 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds? Or the seven consecutive scoring titles and 11 rebounding crowns? The fact that he scared even the best players in the NBA during his prime? Or the fact that they changed the rules simply because of how dominant he was? They doubled the width of the foul lane because of him! He only won two titles, but that's primarily Bill Russell's fault. The Celtics won seven of the eight playoff series they played against Wilt's Warriors/76ers/Lakers.
2. Bill Russell: I know this choice is going to draw some criticism, but I put Bill Russell "only" at No. 2. He won 11 championships (the last two as a player/coach), more than any other athlete in the history of North American professional sports, and the NBA Finals MVP trophy is named after him. But he was never the focal point of the Celtics' offense. I know that's nitpicking, because that dynasty was built on defense, and Russell was one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in NBA history. If you were to put Bill Russell as No. 1 on your list, I wouldn't argue with you. I think the top two are a virtual coin flip. I just happen to prefer...
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem is the NBA's all-time leading scorer (breaking Chamberlain's record), but that's not the reason I have him at No. 1. He was dominant in high school, dominant at UCLA and dominant in the NBA. He might've been the greatest player in college basketball history, and John Wooden called him "Lewis Alcindor" until the day he died. He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Bucks in 1969, won Rookie of the Year that season, then won the championship after they acquired Oscar Robertson the following year. But it was after he got traded to the Lakers that Kareem truly became Kareem. He added five more championships in LA with those great teams in the '80s. But I rank Kareem as the top center of all-time because of his longevity. He was a six-time MVP (a record), two-time Finals MVP, 19-time All-Star (a record), 15-time All-NBA choice and 11-time All-Defensive Team member. To be that great for that long requires some special talent. That's why I agree with Pat Riley, the coach of those Laker teams. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest center in NBA history.
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