Top 10 NBA Centers of All Time

Marcel  Mansour by Senior Analyst Written on October 06, 2008
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10. Bill Walton

Walton would have been higher on this list had he had a healthy career. However, he could never stay healthy, as he only played in 468 career games. The fact that he still made the list shows you how great he really was. He had career averages of 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 0.8 steals in only 28 minutes per game.

He also shot a fantastic 52.1 percent from the field and 66 percent from the free-throw line. He is generally considered as the greatest passing big man of all time, and one of the best defensive centers as well.

He won a rebounding title in the 1976-17 season. He was also one of the greatest college basketball players, as he won three NCAA Player of the Year Awards, and led the UCLA Bruins to three NCAA championships.

He was also selected to two All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams, with one of the latter as a member of the first team, as well as two All-NBA defensive first teams. He also won the MVP Award in his only healthy season, 1977-78. 

Walton led the Blazers to their only championship in 1977, winning the Finals MVP Award.  He also helped the Celtics win a title in 1986 as a reserve.

 

9. Willis Reed

Reed was one of the first dominant big men in the league's history. In his ten-year career, Reed had averages of 18.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists along with 47.6 percent from the field and an excellent 74.7 percent from the free-throw line. He was selected to seven All-Star teams, and he also won the Rookie of the Year Award in 1965.

He also was selected to the All NBA team five times, with one of those on the first team.  Reed also won the MVP Award in the 1969-1970 season and an All-Star game MVP in that same season.

He led the Knicks to their only two championships in 1970 and 1973, winning the Finals MVP in each series.

 

8. George Mikan

Mikan was the first dominant big man in the history of the league. As a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, he led them to five championships in a short seven-year career. He had career averages of 22.3 points, 13.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists along with 40.1 percent from the field and a fantastic 78.4 percent from the free-throw line.

He won three consecutive scoring titles, and back-to-back rebounding titles. He was also selected to the All-Star game four times, winning the All-Star MVP in 1953. He was selected to the All-NBA team six times, with all of the selections as a member of the first team.

 

7. David "The Admiral" Robinson

Robinson was one of the best offensive and defensive centers of all time. In a 14-year career, he had averages of 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and three blocks per game. He also shot a very good 51.8 percent from the field, and an excellent 73.6 percent from the free-throw line. 

Robinson was selected to ten All-Star games. He also won Rookie of the Year in 1990 and the Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.

He was selected to the All-NBA team ten times, with four of the selections as a member of the first team. He was also a great defender, as he was selected to the All-NBA Defensive team eight times, with four of the selections as a member of the first team.

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Vote Now! - Author Poll

Who was the best of all time?

  • Kareem Abdul Jabbar
  • Wilt Chamberlain
  • Bill Russell
  • Hakeem Olajuwon
  • Shaquille O'Neal
vote to see results
Results - Author Poll

Who was the best of all time?

  • Kareem Abdul Jabbar

    24.4%
  • Wilt Chamberlain

    21.8%
  • Bill Russell

    10.3%
  • Hakeem Olajuwon

    26.3%
  • Shaquille O'Neal

    17.2%
  • Total votes: 680
(3)
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written on October 06, 2008 Rankings/List

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