Los Angeles Lakers: The Top 5 Centers in Franchise History

With the recent acquisition of Dwight Howard, the Lakers have added another dominant center to their illustrious list of magnificent big men over the decades.

All of the best big men in Lakers' history have, at one point in each of their careers, been considered one of the top centers in the league during their respective primes.

However, the one thing that makes the list of dominant centers who have graced a Lakers squad special is that all the big men that are worth anything in the annals of Lakers history have aided in bringing championships to the franchise. In fact, the very best centers in the league are known for not just winning titles, but leading the teams they played on to those titles, and the Lakers have produced and cultivated multiple of these.

There is no franchise in the league's history with as a large collection of dominant, championship-winning big men as the Lakers. In fact, at least four of the centers that have played for the Lakers, and who grace this list, are Hall of Fame caliber players.

The following five centers all fit at least two of the following criteria:

• Won at least one championship with the franchise.
• Considered one of the top centers in the league during their tenure with the Lakers.
• Awarded a regular season MVP award.

5. Andrew Bynum

Although Andrew Bynum isn't in the same class as the next four centers on this list, there is no doubt that his abilities merit him a spot in the top five centers in the history of the Lakers' franchise.

These days, Andrew Bynum is heralded as one of the top two centers in the league and has contributed to two championship runs in the past few years.

Graced with a huge, physical frame and both the power to finish strong at the rim as well as the soft touch to develop proficient low post moves, Andrew Bynum has all the tools to be one of the most dominant big men in the league for years to come.

Averaging close to 12 points and eight rebounds for his career, Bynum's stats from last year are closer indicators to the type of dominance he has always been capable of.

Except for a slight bump in the road in the 2010-2011 NBA season, Bynum's stats have gradually improved every season he has been in the league and his swan song with the Lakers last season was his finest yet.

Averaging close to 19 points and 12 rebounds last season as perhaps the third option, Bynum has shown that he is one of the most dangerous offensive forces in the paint this side of Dwight Howard.

With the ability to finish with both hands via a soft touch, Bynum is a consistent low post weapon. On the defensive end, Bynum has become very competent at rebounding and is a proficient shot blocker as well, averaging 1.9 blocks a game.

Bynum's game hearkens back to the low post players of years past, and his old school style appeals to big men such as Shaquille O'Neal, who praise him for his physicality and authority in the paint.

His effective, powerful game and the two championships he has brought to the franchise qualify him for fifth spot on the list.

4. Wilt Chamberlain

When examining the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, his career as a whole was a synonym for dominance and pioneered the way for power centers of his ilk such as Shaquille O'Neal.

Without a doubt, Chamberlain's years of dominance would put him in the debate for top center of all time; however, his years with the Lakers were his final years. Thus, he had already lost multiple steps and was in the twilight of his career.

But in retrospect, Chamberlain's ability was so pronounced that even in his final five seasons with the Lakers, he was able to average almost 20 points and 20 rebounds while leading the Lakers to their first NBA championship as well as the heralded 33 game winning streak that still holds in the history of the NBA today.

However, the transition wasn't easy, and that's what makes Wilt's legacy as a Laker so interesting.

When Wilt was traded in a huge, blockbuster deal to the Los Angeles Lakers, his effort and ability given his age were questioned. Despite gaining muscle along with mass to the tune of 300 pounds, Chamberlain's age seemed to have finally caught up with him.

He had developed issues with Elgin Baylor and the coach, Butch van Breda Kolff, while being criticized for being a locker room cancer with a huge ego. His performance in games were becoming inconsistent and his poor relationship with his coach resulted in various situations where he was benched for prolonged periods that he had never experienced in his career.

It was clear that at this point in his career, he couldn't dominate the game on the offensive end as a powerful juggernaut as well as he could during his younger years.

What was amazing about this was that he transformed his game to mirror his long time rival, Bill Russell, and developed a defensive focus.

He continued to rebound at a prolific clip and focused more on the defensive end, as well as getting his teammates involved more on the fast break using his outlet passing.

Although he had averaged much higher assist numbers on his previous teams as the number one option, Chamberlain consistently averaged over four assists in each of his seasons with the Lakers and had his career high field goal percentage of 73 percent in his final year.

His eventual adaptation to a new role and his ability to help Jerry West and his teammates to a title encases him as one of the greatest Lakers in the history of the franchise.

3. Shaquille O'Neal

One regular season MVP award, three Finals' MVP awards, an All-Star MVP award, and two scoring titles were several of the numerous accolades the legendary Shaquille O'Neal accumulated during his tenure with the Lakers.

His accomplishments alone should warrant his inclusion on the list, but his true value was the manner in which he accumulated the championships and wins that the Lakers garnered during his tenure.

Playing in his prime during his time with the Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal was, without a doubt, the most dominant force in the NBA.

Averaging well over the benchmark 20 points and 10 rebounds that mark the greatness of a big man, Shaquille O'Neal's dominance on offense was to the tune of seven straight seasons with over 26 points a game and eight straight seasons with over over 21 points a game.

However, he managed to average those incredible scoring numbers for a center of the modern era despite constant double and triple teaming and was one of the many reasons the illegal defenses rule was abolished in the 2001-2002 season. 

Using his power, strength, and mobility, Shaquille O'Neal was like a powerful freight train. It was impossible to deny him position, and his massive girth made it near impossible to stop him from putting up a shot attempt no matter how hard the foul or how many bodies were on him.

Furthermore, Shaquille O'Neal's passing ability made it difficult for teams to double and triple him consistently, as he had a good feel for the game and would, more often than not, make the correct pass.

Averaging over three assists for many of his seasons with the Lakers, Shaquille O'Neal averaged very impressive assist numbers for a big man.

In terms of defense and rebounding, O'Neal was always top five in the league in rebounding every season during his tenure with the Lakers and managed to make the All-Defensive second team three times in the early 2000's.

Though he is often criticized for never leading the league in rebounding despite his massive physical attributes, he always saved his best performances for the playoffs. In fact, his rebounding numbers seem to always shoot up in the playoffs, and three of his playoff runs have resulted in averages of approximately 15 rebounds a game.

He knew how to dominate the league while always ensuring there was enough in the tank for the playoffs to turn his game up a notch.

His tandem with Kobe Bryant was perhaps the best one-two punch in the history of the league, and his legacy with the Lakers is cemented due to his dominance and the three championships he won for the Lakers' organization.

2. George Mikan

Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain may be synonyms for dominance, but George Mikan was the definition of the word.

The reason for the creation of the 24 second shot clock and the widening of the foul lane, George Mikan was 6'10" and 250 pounds of man.

With the ability to utilize his hook shot with both hands as well as his dominance on the boards and the defensive end, George Mikan used his skills to accumulate five championships for the Lakers' franchise.

A lot of big men are given the label of trail blazers that have paved the way for other big men, but George Mikan truly established the NBA as a game dominated by big men.

For years afterwards, his dominance led to a premium on big men that have lead to the Shaquille O'Neal's and Patrick Ewing's, but may have also caused some oversights, such as the picking of centers such as Sam Bowie, Greg Oden, Kwame Brown, and others of their ilk who were chosen because they appeared to be the most skilled big men rather than the clear-cut, most talented players in their draft class.

Nonetheless, his impact on the game via his offensive and defensive dominance changed the perception of big men, and that's probably his biggest legacy.

Even to this day, franchises are always looking to build around big men. Of course, when there are star talents at other positions, teams are forced to build around them.

However, every franchise is always looking for dominant big men to build around because it is a proven formula. Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan are all centers and power forwards that have been built around and lead their team to championships in recent years. This formula started with George Mikan.

In terms of championships, George Mikan lead the Lakers to five championships and started the dominant and winning culture the Lakers have cultivated through other stars.

Though to the modern era, he may not be as big a name as a Bill Russell or a Wilt Chamberlain, he is every bit as important in building a foundation from which big men of future generations build their game around.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

There is no question that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest center that has ever played in a Lakers uniform. In fact, merely by looking at the five championships he won with the Lakers and the stats he has accumulated over his illustrious career, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is definitely a proverbial favorite for any debate regarding the best center of all time.

In terms of scoring, he is the most prolific scorer in the history of the NBA. Only Michael Jordan belongs in the same sentence as Kareem in terms of scoring prowess. The man leads the NBA in points scored during a career and did so with both power and finesse.

Possessing the famed sky hook technique, Kareem was a horror on the low post and in his prime, he could not be stopped.

In terms of his defense, Kareem is third all-time in blocks, but played his first few seasons without the block statistic even being recorded. He could have easily competed for the number two or even the number one spot if blocks had been recorded from the very start of his career.

Like his blocks, he is third all-time in total rebounds and averaged 0.75 steals per game during his career.

Kareem was the total package, and his huge frame and high basketball IQ made him one of those rare big men who truly made the players around him better.

Averaging almost four assists a game for his career, Kareem knew how to use the weapons around him.

Furthermore, few superstars know how to gracefully accept changes in their role according to their age. Kareem led the Lakers proudly, but humbly stepped aside as the franchise player when Magic Johnson was drafted, and together, they built a strong tandem that probably surpasses Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant for the best tandem in the history of the NBA.

His leadership as the franchise player as well as his mentoring and proverbial passing-of-the-torch to Magic Johnson, all while accumulating five championships with the Lakers, are notches under his belt that were actually acquired after the first portion of his career in Milwaukee, where he was equally as dominant.

Winning three of his six regular season MVP's with the Lakers, Kareem was a proven winner. Any critic who points out that Kareem only won championships with Magic Johnson should note that Kareem had already proven himself a champion by winning a championship and several regular season MVP awards as Lew Alcindor in Milwaukee.

Surpassed only by Robert Parish in total games played in a career, Kareem's longevity and ability to perform at a high level for the majority of his career is a testament to his greatness. His ability to dominate the league for approximately two decades while accumulating the awards he has puts him not only at the top of this list, but most definitely in the debate for the greatest player of all time.

Of course, his Airness may have an objection with the final point.