10 Best NBA Centers

The best NBA centers of all time remain the anchors that NBA teams relied on to win the big games. The giants in the paint blocked the important shots, pulled down the necessary rebounds and drained points to help their teams remain on the top of the NBA.

1. Wilt Chamberlain - The man nicknamed “The Stilt” is a thirteen-time All-Star with two NBA titles under his belt. Chamberlain is one of the best NBA centers of all time, averaging 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds a game throughout his career. He is the only man to score over 100 points in a single game.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is not only one of the best NBA centers of all time, but one of the best overall players to ever play basketball. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 24.6 points and 11.2 rebounds a game. He also averaged over two blocked shots a game and won six NBA titles over his career, five with the Lakers.
3. Bill Russell - The former Boston Celtics great won eleven NBA titles in his career as remains one of the best NBA centers to play the game. He is a twelve-time All-Star and ended his career averaging 15.1 points and 22.5 rebounds a game. He was the first player in NBA history to average over twenty rebounds a game for an entire season.
4. Hakeem Olajuwon - The twelve-time All-Star won back-to-back NBA titles while a member of the Houston Rockets franchise. He remains one of the best NBA centers to play the game, averaging 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds and an amazing 3.1 blocked shots per game over his career.
5. Shaquille O'Neal - Shaq came into the league and, at 7’1” and 325 pounds, dominated the game like no one else. He led the Orlando Magic to the playoffs as a rookie and won four NBA titles as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He is one of the best NBA centers of all time, winning three NBA Finals MVP awards and the NBA MVP in 2000.
6. Moses Malone - Moses Malone played for nine teams over his illustrious career, winning one NBA title while at the Philadelphia 76ers. He won three MVP awards and was named to the NBA All-Star team eleven times. He also established the NBA offensive rebounds record with 587, cementing his status as one of the best NBA centers.
7. David Robinson - “The Admiral” teamed with big-time forward Tim Duncan to lead the San Antonio Spurs to two NBA titles (1999, 2003). He played his entire career at San Antonio, playing in ten All-Star games as one of the best NBA centers of his era. He averaged 21 points, 10.6 rebounds and three blocks a game during his career.
8. Partick Ewing - Patrick Ewing played most of his career for the New York Knicks and retired without ever winning an NBA title, yet remains one of the best NBA centers of all time. Despite his lack of a title, he was an eleven-time All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. He was in the top ten for blocks for thirteen years in his career.
9. Bill Walton - Bill Walton remains one of the best passers of any center to ever play the game and remains one of the best NBA centers of all time. While his career was shortened due to injuries, Walton proved when he played he was one of the best, averaging a double-double over his career.
10. Robert Parish - Robert Parish played for four teams over his nineteen year career, winning four NBA titles while playing for the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. He was a nine-time All-Star and the Celtics retired his #00 jersey number in 1998. He reached the NBA Hall of Fame in 2003, one of the best NBA centers to play the game.