Greatest Center Ever (Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Moses Malone, Mikan, DRob)

[kgisbigticket]

Who was the Greatest Center Ever and how would you rank them in order?

Greatest Center Ever (Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, Hakeem, Moses Malone, Mikan, DRob)

Here is mine
1. Kareem
2. Hakeem
3. Shaq
4. Russell
5. Wilt
6. Moses Malone
7. DRobinson
8. Mikan

[dejordan]

what's your criteria?

[kgisbigticket]

what's your criteria?

Accolades, Winning, Dominance, Plays Well on Both Ends

[browntown]

1. Abdul-Jabbar
2. Wilt
3. Russell
4. Hakeem
5. Shaq
6. Walton
7. Malon
8. Mikan
9. D. Robinson
10. Parish

[dejordan]

Accolades, Winning, Dominance, Plays Well on Both Ends
looks like a good list though the criteria doesn't seem too consistant with the rankings (not that it has to be necessarily). if somebody put hakeem above russell (fine with me), i'd also expect wilt to be above russell, since they have the same number of rings and both have basically the same advantages over russ - scoring / drawing doubles to open up offense for teammates. anyway it's good. i'll do a list of guys i've seen in their prime (so i'm leaving off kareem, parish, and moses who i saw but not at their best).

1. shaq
2. hakeem
3. robinson
4. ewing
5. howard
6. mourning
7. amare
8. ming
9. mutumbo
10. daugherty

i probably messed up that order pretty badly but those are the names over the last 20 years that i think ought to be on the list (only considering nba seasons - so i'm not factoring in sabonis here). i'm projecting a little for howard too, but i'm not willing to pencil him in top 3 until he shows either some versatility or the dominance to put up huge numbers against these doubles.

my basic thinking is that my top 5 guys have the size, quickness, and scoring / rebounding punch to build a contender around. everybody else is missing something as a franchise center. mourning is lacking some of the size you'd want and had trouble with one on one defense against other big centers. amare doesn't have a post game and doesn't defend the post well. ming doesn't have the foot quickness to be as defensively imposing as you'd want and is limited to playing in slow down offenses. mutumbo's got so little offense. daugherty didn't bring the shotblocking and couldn't stay healthy towards the end.

[Psileas]

Been done before, but since the center position is my favorite:

1. Wilt-MDE. Incredible offensive force and an underrated defender (his defense was evident to many when his scoring dropped, but it was there from day 1, literally: The Knicks in Wilt's debut called him a "1-man zone" and admitted finding it very tough to shoot from inside). Is there anything I haven't already told about him in the past? :D

2. Kareem-The only player in American basketball history who was top-5 and arguable GOAT in any level he's played on (Pros, College, High School). Underrated playoff and clutch performer.

3. Russell-Greatest winner and defender ever, although his scoring bars him from ranking even higher, IMO (and despite the fact that, in older days, I ranked him above Kareem).

4. Shaq-When he 3-peated, many called him the "Greatest center ever". I never bought this, knowing that, if he didn't improve his physique (and he didn't), he wouldn't last as much as the other GOAT candidates.
Unstoppable, regardless. His best playoff series rank among the best ever in the NBA history.

5. Hakeem-Incredible versatility. I recently found out an incredible stat: Hakeem had a 500+ game streak with at least 1 block or steal...Great playoff performer, although not definitely the greatest (among centers) as many say.

6. Mo Malone-A shorter Shaq, with lower FG shooting, much better FT shooting (you couldn't "hack a' Mo"), better rebounding, worse passing. Great prime, if a little short.

[Tainted Sword]

nevermind -edit

[dejordan]

Dejordan, I don't think Wilt won as many titles as russell. ;)
i was saying he won the same amount as hakeem did, but he wasn't ranked the same way as hakeem. why would hakeem with 2 rings and a massive scoring advantage rank above russ, while wilt with 2 rings and a massiver scoring advantage rank below him? i'm sure there are legit reasons, but i'm not sure what they are.

[Tainted Sword]

i was saying he won the same amount as hakeem did, but he wasn't ranked the same way as hakeem. why would hakeem with 2 rings and a massive scoring advantage rank above russ, while wilt with 2 rings and a massiver scoring advantage rank below him? i'm sure there are legit reasons, but i'm not sure what they are.
Yeah, I just noticed that. :D

I agree. To be honest, I'd put Hakeem over Wilt, as I

[link]

[QUOTE=Tainted Sword]Yeah, I just noticed that. :D

I agree. To be honest, I'd put Hakeem over Wilt, as I

[plowking]

I don't understand how Shaq is not number 1 on everyones list. Wilt played against men much smaller then himself and still wasn't able to capitalize and win. While Shaq was able to win 4 championships, 3 being at a time where there were plenty of decent big men for competition. He has won the most championships bar Russel and has the best stat line bar Wilt.
Shaq could easily push top 3 player of all time IMO, I don't know what holds him back in some peoples books. Some are pushing for Duncan to be in top 5, while passing over Shaq, which is just blasphemy.

[Psileas]

I don't understand how Shaq is not number 1 on everyones list. Wilt played against men much smaller then himself and still wasn't able to capitalize and win. While Shaq was able to win 4 championships, 3 being at a time where there were plenty of decent big men for competition.

Come on now, are you trying to convince me (and others who don't have Shaq @ No1) that Shaq didn't also have a clear size and power advantage over practically any player he's ever faced? Shaq won 4 titles, 1 of which as the clearly 2nd best player on his team. Why didn't Shaq win more titles? Why was he even his team's 2nd best player in 2006? Wilt wasn't worse than West or Goodrich in 1972, especially in the playoffs, and he was as old as Shaq is now. Why did Shaq get swept so often? Why couldn't Shaq beat Detroit in 2004? There are no less things to which Shaq is to blame than Wilt.


He has won the most championships bar Russel and has the best stat line bar Wilt.

Nope. Kareem does. And probably in both categories.

[plowking]

Come on now, are you trying to convince me (and others who don't have Shaq @ No1) that Shaq didn't also have a clear size and power advantage over practically any player he's ever faced? Shaq won 4 titles, 1 of which as the clearly 2nd best player on his team. Why didn't Shaq win more titles? Why was he even his team's 2nd best player in 2006? Wilt wasn't worse than West or Goodrich in 1972, especially in the playoffs, and he was as old as Shaq is now. Why did Shaq get swept so often? Why couldn't Shaq beat Detroit in 2004? There are no less things to which Shaq is to blame than Wilt.



Nope. Kareem does. And probably in both categories.

My mistake, nice pick up.

I'm still likeing Shaq's line over Kareem. He was simply dominant in his prime and no one could stop him.

[The GM]

Awful list. Mikan isn't better than Ewing (who isn't even on your list), and Russell isn't better than Wilt, Moses, Robinson, or Ewing.

Shaq and Wilt are the two greatest centers ever (any order), followed by Hakeem, Kareem, Moses, Robinson, Ewing, and Russell.

are u smokin??

It's more like Kareem is the greatest center of all time, a top 5 player all time followed by Wilt, Russell THEN Shaq.

[Psileas]

I'm still likeing Shaq's line over Kareem. He was simply dominant in his prime and no one could stop him.

They are definitely close, so it's a matter of taste. Kareem doesn't have the power game that Shaq had, so I'll give Shaq credit here. But Kareem's all-around game was underrated: He was a 10+ rpg player up to the age of 34, he averaged 3.4 assists for his whole career, had 7 straight seasons with 3+ bpg (maybe up to 11, if we include his first years), 7 straight seasons with 1+ steal (again, even up to 11), and that's without even talking at all about his scoring...

I don't know how much you trust PER, but Kareem led the league more times than anyone ever in this category (9).

[bleedinpurpleTwo]

I'm still likeing Shaq's line over Kareem. He was simply dominant in his prime and no one could stop him.

Kareem was also dominant in his prime and no one could stop him. No one could stop him when he was the age that Shaq is now. That's one of the many reasons why Kareem has more MVPs than ANYBODY.... EVER.

[kgisbigticket]

Kareem was also dominant in his prime and no one could stop him. No one could stop him when he was the age that Shaq is now. That's one of the many reasons why Kareem has more MVPs than ANYBODY.... EVER.

He has only 2 finals MVP's though. Also Kareem won League MVP in 1976 when he didn't even make the playoffs which isn't deserved. A better indication is the TSN MVP award.

[VCMVP1551]

My list is.

1.Shaq- Deserved 3-4 MVP's. He won 2 scoring titles, he was the best statistical center of his era, he put up the best finals numbers of any player not named Jordan, he won 4 rings, 3 finals MVP's, he was unselfish and he is the most dominant center of all time. He made as big of an impact as any player in the history of the NBA. In his prime he could not be stopped. He also steped his game way up in the Finals every year in his prime.
2.Kareem- 6 MVP's, 6 Rings, 2 Finals MVP's, all time leading scorer ect. He was able to go from the best player in the league in his prime to a GREAT role player in the late 80's. Kareem was also unselfish and an amazing passer. No player has ever adjusted as well as Kareem did in his 40's.
3.Hakeem- Similar to Shaq in his prime in that you could not stop Hakeem in the mid 90's He was so skilled and versatile it was scary. Hakeem had the best footwork and post moves ever. He also stepped up his game in the finals winning 2 rings and 2 finals mvp's. Hakeem was also a dominant defender winning 2 DPOY awards, an MVP and he is the all time leader in blocks. He led the NBA in blocks 3 seasons and rebounds twice. He embarrassed David Robinson in the 1995 WCF and he shut down Ewing in the 1994 Finals.
4.Wilt- The most dominant player of his era. Like Shaq he couldn't be stopped. He was a scoring machine, a monster on the glass and an amazing passer. He won 2 rings, 2 finals MVP's and too many scoring titles to count on 1 hand. He did everything you need a center to do...dominant in the low post, pass out of the double team, anchor the defense and dominate the boards.
5.Russell- Arguably the ultimate winner. 11 rings, one of the best defenders and passing big men of all time. He would always do what was needed to win and people who saw him play claim he was the best defensive player that ever lived.
6.Duncan- He does everything you need. Dominant low post scorer, solid mid range shooter, excellent passer, unselfish, excellent defender and one of the best rebounders. He also is a 2 time MVP, 4 time champion and 3 time Finals MVP's. One of the best winners of all time.
7.Mikan- Probably the first dominant player and the leader of the first dynasty ever. Mikan was a 5 time champion and he pretty much invented the center position.
8.Moses Malone- Without a doubt one of the best rebounders of all time and a true dominant winner. Moses led the 1981 Rockets to the finals and he won a championship and finals MVP in 1983. He was a 3 time regular season MVP and a great scorer. Moses is also one of the toughest players of all time.
9.Robinson- A freak of nature. David was like a 7 foot small forward. He was a great scorer winning the 94' scoring title, he could pass, he could rebound and he could defend blocking over 4 shots per game one year and winning a DPOY trophy. The Admiral also later on won 2 titles with the Spurs accepting a lesser role and doing a lot of the dirty work.
10.Ewing- A true franchise big man who never really got the lucky breaks needed to win a title. Ewing kept the Knicks title contenders for the majority of the 90's and he anchored the defense while being one of the leagues best scorers and rebounders. Ewing also was able to stretch the defense with his consistent 15-17 foot jumper and excellent face the basket game. He was the best player on a Knicks team that took the 94' Rockets to 7 and a Knicks team that almost always made deep playoff runs. Ewing was also one of the best players in the league up until his mid 30's.

HM: Robert Parish- A great player who had the potential to be the first option on many teams but he was so unselfish he had no problem being a 3rd option and a key member of 3 championship teams. Parish was a great defender and rebounder. He also was an excellent offensive player who stretched the defense with his jumper.
HM: Alonzo Mourning- A true winner. Zo overcame so many things to get his first ring as a key role player in 2006 but prior to that he was always one of the best players scoring over 20 ppg and anchoring defenses. He is a 2 time DPOY winner and he made those 90's Heat teams respectable in the late 90's. In 1997 Miami may have won the title if not for suspensions.

[Richie2k6]

I'll rank mine like this:

1. Kareem
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Shaq
5. Hakeem


I really want to put Hakeem even higher, but I don't see him getting higher than Shaq. Shaq was just too dominant and doubled Hakeem's rings, and Shaq hasn't even retired yet. I put Kareem first because of his all-time record, his rings, Finals MVPs, and his jaw-dropping stats. 29/14/4/52% in his rookie year. Put up 35/16/4/57% 2 years later. He was a monster in college as well. Scoring machine, (scored over 2800 once), great passer, defensive powerhouse, finess, and a smart player. Only center I believe was a better scorer was Wilt.

I take Russell over Wilt because of Russell's winning and his defensive presence. It was greater than any center ever IMO, taking into account their respective generations. He changed the game defensively, almost like a man amongst children sometimes. Plus he could run the floor like no other. Great passer, and God knows how many shots he's blocked all-time. 5 MVPs, 10 All-NBAs, 5 rebounding titles. Just a machine on the glass. He and Kareem are the only big men who guarded Wilt to the point where he didn't always dominate like he usually would. They both knew how to defend Wilt, make him take tough shots, guard him well.

Wilt is 3 simply because... he's Wilt. Need I say more? Scoring machine. That's basically two words to summarize him. Plus he was a rebounding monster as well. Averaged 24/23/8 once, I still find that mind-blowing to be able to do that. His defense could have been better though, it was good, but nothing God-like. 11 rebounding titles. Led the league in FGA 7 times though to go along with 7 scoring titles. Even lead the league in assists in '68. Extremely efficient as well. I'd probably call him the 2nd greatest player ever if he had at least 6 all-defensive selections. But he was a force on D either way.

Wilt/Russell, Russell/Wilt, meh. It all comes down to opinion like Magic/Bird, Duncan/Malone.

Shaq #4. Most physically dominant player ever in my opinion and in many other's as well. (Physically as in unguardable and overpowering). Just 3 all defensive selections though. Another player who would have jetted up my all-time rankings list if he commited to defense. A work ethic wouldn't hurt, either. At least he could block, but thats a given. I really dont think anybody could contain him. I've seen him fight through triple teams and slam it on a poor soul's head. Weird thing is, he averaged his most BPG and RPG... in his rookie year. Very Damon Stoudamire-like. And his FT% goes up and down then up and down then up and wayyyyyyy down then up again. And hes never lead the league in RPG. Was #2 in that stat 3 times though.

Hakeem to me is the most versatile bigman ever. What couldnt he do? Take you baseline, shoot the 15 footer, post you up, hookshot, up and under, slam it on you, etc. Not to mention his passing ability was great. Hakeem could pass very well, though his assists didnt always reflect that. Amazing on defense. A complete game changer. Athletic, smooth, quick, smart. And he could actually hit FTs. 2 DPOY, 2 Finals MVP, 1 regular season MVP, 2 rebounding titles, runner up in scoring twice, he could do it all. My all-time favorite center. Give him one more ring and I have no problem bumping him slightly ahead of Shaq even.

[Revelation]

1. Kareem
2. Wilt
3. Shaq
4. Russell
5. Hakeem

[Psileas]

I'd probably call him the 2nd greatest player ever if he had at least 6 all-defensive selections. But he was a force on D either way.

Well, this would be impossible, since All-D teams were introduced in 1969, so his maximum number would be 5. Take out 1970, which he missed almost entirely due to his serious leg injury and that gives him 4.

[Richie2k6]

Well, this would be impossible, since All-D teams were introduced in 1969, so his maximum number would be 5. Take out 1970, which he missed almost entirely due to his serious leg injury and that gives him 4.
Interesting; that changes my opinion towards Wilt a little bit. Well seeing as how you know a lot about Wilt, would you say he was playing all-defense level defense before the all-D teams were brought in? (I would say he pretty much was). If so, that by itself should be enough to partially fill in for all-defense teams not existing.

[L.Kizzle]

6.Duncan- He does everything you need. Dominant low post scorer, solid mid range shooter, excellent passer, unselfish, excellent defender and one of the best rebounders. He also is a 2 time MVP, 4 time champion and 3 time Finals MVP's. One of the best winners of all time.

9.Robinson- A freak of nature. David was like a 7 foot small forward. He was a great scorer winning the 94' scoring title, he could pass, he could rebound and he could defend blocking over 4 shots per game one year and winning a DPOY trophy. The Admiral also later on won 2 titles with the Spurs accepting a lesser role and doing a lot of the dirty work.

Didn't both of these guys play for the same team? I think one of them had to have been a power forward...

[Make It Rain]

Why's Mikan in there? He was only good for his time.

[L.Kizzle]

Why's Mikan in there? He was only good for his time.
Wasn't Wilt & Russ only good for their time? Mikan never played in the 90's just like Wilt and Bill never played in the 90s/

[evinecz]

shaq is the best center of all time.. and has an argument to be the goat of the nba

[Make It Rain]

Wasn't Wilt & Russ only good for their time? Mikan never played in the 90's just like Wilt and Bill never played in the 90s/
No. Wilt and Russ would be similar players in the 90s too. Just not the same stats because of the pace in their era. But Mikan has no business being in this thread. Wilt was still pretty quick for such a big guy. He wouldn't put up 50 and 22 for a season, but he'd still put up HOF numbers. Russ and Wilt also dominated in a stronger era than Mikan and for a longer period of time than Mikan. Longevity should be taken into account when ranking players' greatness.

[24/7]

2. Kareem-The only player in American basketball history who was top-5 and arguable GOAT in any level he's played on (Pros, College, High School). Underrated playoff and clutch performer.




:cheers:


IMO Kareem is the best basketball player of all time. Kareem is arguable for the greatest NBA player of all time but both Jordan and Wilt probably have more convincing arguments for the NBA GOAT.



1. Kareem
2. Russell
3. Wilt
4. Shaq
5. Hakeem

I love this list. Wilt is a fantastic individual talent but it takes more than one man to get you the chip. Russell and Kareem are obviously proven team players as well as superb individual talents.

[Psileas]

Interesting; that changes my opinion towards Wilt a little bit. Well seeing as how you know a lot about Wilt, would you say he was playing all-defense level defense before the all-D teams were brought in? (I would say he pretty much was). If so, that by itself should be enough to partially fill in for all-defense teams not existing.

By most accounts, Wilt's number of blocked shots rivaled Russell's. Wilt believed he blocked many more shots than Bill, but I'll assume he just exaggerated, as he often did.

Maybe Wilt didn't have as much of a defensive instinct as Russell, at least in his first years. And he possibly didn't care as much as Bill. But even with a "so-so" dedication, his length, strength and athleticism, make it impossible to say he was anything less than intimidating. I'll say he was a top-3 defensive center throughout his whole career. Russell might be the only better from 1960 to 1965, Thurmond and Kareem might rival him later, but Russell and Kareem never played at the same time. Therefore, I think he was steadily top-3 for sure. I believe he would win at least one DPOY during his 1966-68 MVP seasons, as well as during the 1972-73 seasons (esp. 1972).

[KWALI]

No I am pretty sure Wilt blocked atleast as many shots as Russell....if not more..He may have exaggerated by saying 'many' more but its discernible...even in games they played against each other... Atl least by 67 he was blocking more shots I seen a possesion where he blocks like three attempts and catches the fourth ....lol

People just so enamored by his scoring they forget all the other things he did..the assists..I mean who decides they want to leas the league in assists and just goes out and does it?

Kareem is the only guy I'll take over Wilt and that's a maybe....only becuz of longevity......Shaq is close but I don't know

[Psileas]

Yeah, in the mid-60's he was a monster defensively. Blocks' stats were not kept, but there were many playoff (and regular season) games where his total was abnormal. In 1967 alone, unofficial keepers gave him 12 blocks in Game 1 vs Celtics, 15 blocks in Game 4 vs Warriors, 6 blocks in Game 6 vs Warriors (all in the 4h quarter!), while I counted 4 blocks in just one '67 half against the Celtics (Game 4, which was by no means his best). Harvey Pollack kept track of such numbers in some games and said that young Wilt had even small streaks of games with more than the official record of 17.

[ForceOfNature]

None of us can really judge this, because most of us haven't seen Russell and Wilt play but I can tell you this much -
Shaq sure as hell is not the top center of all time like some of you guys are saying.

[lakers_forever]

Been done before, but since the center position is my favorite:

1. Wilt-MDE. Incredible offensive force and an underrated defender (his defense was evident to many when his scoring dropped, but it was there from day 1, literally: The Knicks in Wilt's debut called him a "1-man zone" and admitted finding it very tough to shoot from inside). Is there anything I haven't already told about him in the past? :D

2. Kareem-The only player in American basketball history who was top-5 and arguable GOAT in any level he's played on (Pros, College, High School). Underrated playoff and clutch performer.

3. Russell-Greatest winner and defender ever, although his scoring bars him from ranking even higher, IMO (and despite the fact that, in older days, I ranked him above Kareem).

4. Shaq-When he 3-peated, many called him the "Greatest center ever". I never bought this, knowing that, if he didn't improve his physique (and he didn't), he wouldn't last as much as the other GOAT candidates.
Unstoppable, regardless. His best playoff series rank among the best ever in the NBA history.

5. Hakeem-Incredible versatility. I recently found out an incredible stat: Hakeem had a 500+ game streak with at least 1 block or steal...Great playoff performer, although not definitely the greatest (among centers) as many say.

6. Mo Malone-A shorter Shaq, with lower FG shooting, much better FT shooting (you couldn't "hack a' Mo"), better rebounding, worse passing. Great prime, if a little short.


Perfect List.

I would add for my top 10

7. Robinson
8. Mikan
9. Ewing
10. Walton

[ThaRegul8r]

None of us can really judge this, because most of us haven't seen Russell and Wilt play

So it's impossible to do the requisite research and to form an educated opinion from what you've found? How are historians able to assess historical figures when they weren't alive during that particular time in history then?

[L.Kizzle]

Yeah, in the mid-60's he was a monster defensively. Blocks' stats were not kept, but there were many playoff (and regular season) games where his total was abnormal. In 1967 alone, unofficial keepers gave him 12 blocks in Game 1 vs Celtics, 15 blocks in Game 4 vs Warriors, 6 blocks in Game 6 vs Warriors (all in the 4h quarter!), while I counted 4 blocks in just one '67 half against the Celtics (Game 4, which was by no means his best). Harvey Pollack kept track of such numbers in some games and said that young Wilt had even small streaks of games with more than the official record of 17.
In Hall of Famer Walt Bellamy's first game, Wilt blocked his first 9 shots of the first half, because he wanted too! He finally let his shot in the second half.

[Lebron23]

My list is.

1.Shaq- Deserved 3-4 MVP's. He won 2 scoring titles, he was the best statistical center of his era, he put up the best finals numbers of any player not named Jordan, he won 4 rings, 3 finals MVP's, he was unselfish and he is the most dominant center of all time. He made as big of an impact as any player in the history of the NBA. In his prime he could not be stopped. He also steped his game way up in the Finals every year in his prime.
2.Kareem- 6 MVP's, 6 Rings, 2 Finals MVP's, all time leading scorer ect. He was able to go from the best player in the league in his prime to a GREAT role player in the late 80's. Kareem was also unselfish and an amazing passer. No player has ever adjusted as well as Kareem did in his 40's.
3.Hakeem- Similar to Shaq in his prime in that you could not stop Hakeem in the mid 90's He was so skilled and versatile it was scary. Hakeem had the best footwork and post moves ever. He also stepped up his game in the finals winning 2 rings and 2 finals mvp's. Hakeem was also a dominant defender winning 2 DPOY awards, an MVP and he is the all time leader in blocks. He led the NBA in blocks 3 seasons and rebounds twice. He embarrassed David Robinson in the 1995 WCF and he shut down Ewing in the 1994 Finals.
4.Wilt- The most dominant player of his era. Like Shaq he couldn't be stopped. He was a scoring machine, a monster on the glass and an amazing passer. He won 2 rings, 2 finals MVP's and too many scoring titles to count on 1 hand. He did everything you need a center to do...dominant in the low post, pass out of the double team, anchor the defense and dominate the boards.
5.Russell- Arguably the ultimate winner. 11 rings, one of the best defenders and passing big men of all time. He would always do what was needed to win and people who saw him play claim he was the best defensive player that ever lived.
6.Duncan- He does everything you need. Dominant low post scorer, solid mid range shooter, excellent passer, unselfish, excellent defender and one of the best rebounders. He also is a 2 time MVP, 4 time champion and 3 time Finals MVP's. One of the best winners of all time.
7.Mikan- Probably the first dominant player and the leader of the first dynasty ever. Mikan was a 5 time champion and he pretty much invented the center position.
8.Moses Malone- Without a doubt one of the best rebounders of all time and a true dominant winner. Moses led the 1981 Rockets to the finals and he won a championship and finals MVP in 1983. He was a 3 time regular season MVP and a great scorer. Moses is also one of the toughest players of all time.
9.Robinson- A freak of nature. David was like a 7 foot small forward. He was a great scorer winning the 94' scoring title, he could pass, he could rebound and he could defend blocking over 4 shots per game one year and winning a DPOY trophy. The Admiral also later on won 2 titles with the Spurs accepting a lesser role and doing a lot of the dirty work.
10.Ewing- A true franchise big man who never really got the lucky breaks needed to win a title. Ewing kept the Knicks title contenders for the majority of the 90's and he anchored the defense while being one of the leagues best scorers and rebounders. Ewing also was able to stretch the defense with his consistent 15-17 foot jumper and excellent face the basket game. He was the best player on a Knicks team that took the 94' Rockets to 7 and a Knicks team that almost always made deep playoff runs. Ewing was also one of the best players in the league up until his mid 30's.

HM: Robert Parish- A great player who had the potential to be the first option on many teams but he was so unselfish he had no problem being a 3rd option and a key member of 3 championship teams. Parish was a great defender and rebounder. He also was an excellent offensive player who stretched the defense with his jumper.
HM: Alonzo Mourning- A true winner. Zo overcame so many things to get his first ring as a key role player in 2006 but prior to that he was always one of the best players scoring over 20 ppg and anchoring defenses. He is a 2 time DPOY winner and he made those 90's Heat teams respectable in the late 90's. In 1997 Miami may have won the title if not for suspensions.


http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAFQ014~Moses-Malone-Posters.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8KI5tGCMtQ&fmt=18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4GTOO6wvVE&feature=related&fmt=18

I completely agree with this posts, but i think you should rank Moses Malone as the 6th greatest Center in the NBA because of his longevity, and He is a 3X NBA Most Valuable Player Of the Year, and He led the NBA in rebounding six times in seven years (1979-85).

Moses Malone was also acknowledge as the greatest basketball player to jump straight from high school into the professional leagues. When he played for the Utah Stars in the now defunct American Basketball Association.

During the 1983 NBA Finals Moses Malone averaged 26.0 points and 15.8 rebounds in 13 playoffs games, and he also outplayed and outrebounded Abdul-Jabbar, 72-30, in the NBA Finals, and winning his first NBA Finals MVP Trophy.

Great Rebounder
Great Scorer
The Heart and Soul of the 1982-83 Philly Team.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR STATS

1978-79 NBA Season ( age 23)

24.3 ppg, 17.6 rpg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 bpg, 1.8 apg, .540 FG %, .739 FT %


1981-82 NBA Season ( age 26)

31.1 ppg, 14.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.5 bpg, .519 FG %, .762 FT %


1982-83 NBA Season ( Age 27)

24.5 ppg, 15.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg, 2.0 bpg, .501 FG %, .761 FT %

CAREER STATISTICS

Regular Season

Games: 1,329
Points: 27,409
PPG: 20.6
RPG: 12.2
APG: 1.4
BPG: 1,733
FG%: .491
FT%: .769

Playoffs

Games: 94
Points: 2077
PPG: 22.1
RPG: 13.8
APG: 1.4
BPG: 1.7
FG %: .479
FT %: .762

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/m/malonmo01.html

Honors: NBA champion (1983); NBA Finals MVP (1983); NBA MVP (1979, '82, '83); All-NBA First Team (1979, '82, '83, '85); All-NBA Second Team (1980, '81, '84, '87); All-Defensive First Team (1983); All-Defensive Second Team (1979); 12-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).


Player Efficiency Rating

1981-82 NBA 26.8 (1)
1982-83 NBA 25.1 (1)

Rebounds Per Game

1974-75 ABA 14.6 (4)
1976-77 NBA 13.1 (3)
1977-78 NBA 15.0 (2)
1978-79 NBA 17.6 (1)
1979-80 NBA 14.5 (2)
1980-81 NBA 14.8 (1)
1981-82 NBA 14.7 (1)
1982-83 NBA 15.3 (1)
1983-84 NBA 13.4 (1)
1984-85 NBA 13.1 (1)
1985-86 NBA 11.8 (4)
1986-87 NBA 11.3 (9)
1987-88 NBA 11.2 (8)
1988-89 NBA 11.8 (4)
1989-90 NBA 10.0 (8)

[D-Fence]

A good argument could be made for any of the top five centers I list as being the greatest. Those with large era biases could probably just switch my top five upside down and be content with it.
1. Bill Russell
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Hakeem Olajuwon
5. Shaquille O'Neal

6. George Mikan
I couldn't take Mikan any lower than #6 partly because nobody below him on this list dominated the league in a comparable way for a significant length of time. At least the five above him were inarguably the best player in the league for a good stretch. If all eras were considered equal, Mikan was the GOAT.

For the next tier and after, I could (and have) switch the players around even more so.
7. Moses Malone
8. David Robinson
9. Willis Reed
10. Nate Thurmond
11. Patrick Ewing
12. Wes Unseld
13. Dave Cowens
14. Bill Walton
15. Neil Johnston

Something similar to that, at least. After that, there's the great centers who either didn't win too much or didn't win much as the best player, or even second best, like Walt Bellamy, Artis Gilmore, Bob McAdoo, Bob Lanier, Robert Parish, Alonzo Mourning, etc. If you included the ABA, I couldn't put Mel Daniels in that group, so he might belong within the top 15.

[feyki]

• Bill Russell

http://i.hizliresim.com/kv8B4y.gif

• Kareem Abdul Jabbar

http://i.hizliresim.com/VYzYnV.gif

• Wilt Chamberlain

http://i.hizliresim.com/1dZdRp.gif

• Hakeem Olajuwon

http://i.hizliresim.com/y4pVdN.gif

• Shaquille O'Neal

http://i.hizliresim.com/goYXnZ.gif

• George Mikan

http://i.hizliresim.com/qBNGXB.gif

[Asukal]

Russell>Shaq>KAJ>Hakeem>Wilt :pimp:

[aj1987]

KAJ > Shaq > Russell > Wilt/Hakeem

[ArbitraryWater]

My mistake, nice pick up.

I'm still likeing Shaq's line over Kareem. He was simply dominant in his prime and no one could stop him.

plowking with that knowledge in hea :lol young plow

[hateraid]

Wow. Memories of when you can go days on a thread of ACTUAL basketball discussion. No trolling. No BS. No emojis. Just basketball talk. Even with the new posts in this thread you can see how much posting has regressed. I pray no idiot comes and taints this thread.

[Round Mound]

1-Wilt
2-Kareem
3-Shaq or Hakeem
4-Hakeem or Shaq
5-Moses
6-Russell
7-Robinson
8-Walton
9-Ewing
10-Mikan (although he would have played more like a PF or CF today, ala Duncan)

[Big164]

1. Wilt

2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Shaq

5. Hakeem
6. Duncan

7. Moses
8. Mikan
9. Robinson
10. Walton

[feyki]

[ArbitraryWater]

My mistake, nice pick up.

I'm still likeing Shaq's line over Kareem. He was simply dominant in his prime and no one could stop him.

I admit I was split on this, but plowking just convinced me here

[Asukal]

KAJ is 2/6 FMVP's in the finals, he would be a career loser if Magic didn't come around yet you put him #2 all time? You've cat to be kitten me.... :facepalm

[soots]

1. Russel - GOAT Defensive pillar.
2. Wilt - athletic freak had to tone it down to not kill anyone
3. Shaq - unstoppable peak
4. Kareem - Constant consistency
5. Hakeem - great complete package.

[NBAGOAT]

1. Kareem
2. Wilt
3. Shaq
4. Russell
5. Hakeem

[Rocketswin2013]

Russell
Shaq
Kareem
Wilt
Hakeem


That's my top 5.