The seven-footer is the only player in history to record a 100-point game and has the highest scoring average for a season in NBA history (50.4 points during the 1961-62 season). Ewing finished 23rd all-time in scoring and is enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. The greatest winner in the history of American sports. Retired American basketball player Shaquille O'Neal is widely considered as one of the best centers in NBA history for his 6th all-time ranking in points scored, 5th ranking in field goals and 13th rank in rebounds. Between 1948 and 1951, this gentle giant led the league in scoring with averages of at least 27 points per game. The undisputed leader of stacked ball clubs, which included the likes of Bob Cousy, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek. A six-time All-Star, Johnston won a championship in 1956 with the Warriors, averaging 20.3 points, 14.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists during the title run. Ewing is often slighted and underrated because he never delivered New York a title, but he never had a healthy perennial All-Star teammate during his prime. -- Marc Stein, ESPN.com, Teams Shaq spent the twilight of his career as an unabashed ring chaser, spending time in Phoenix, Cleveland, and Boston. Russell and his stoic demeanor were the perfect contrast to the flash of prolific scorer Wilt Chamberlain. Here’s our list of the best NBA centers of all-time: Throughout Dikembe Mutombo’s 18 seasons in the league he built a legend as the most prolific shot blocker in NBA history. Superman also has career averages of 16.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Mourning, known more for his days in a Miami Heat uniform than in Charlotte, delivered Miami its first title in franchise history during the 2005-06 season. -- Adams, The single most difficult player to rank in NBA history. With the Los Angeles Lakers, O’Neal joined forces with Phil Jackson and sidekick du jour Kobe Bryant to claim three consecutive titles and Finals MVP trophies between 2000 and 2002. He finished his career 10th on the all-time scoring lists and is 4th in career rebounds. -- Micah Adams, ESPN Stats & Info, His sky hook was the most unstoppable shot in NBA history. New York qualified for the postseason in eight of Reed’s 10 NBA seasons. A man amongst boys, the opposition had no answer for Shaq other than to double team, flop, scratch, claw, put him on the line, and hope for the best. With back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, Hakeem Olajuwon helped put the “clutch” in Clutch City for the Rockets. Honorable Mentions: Centers like George Mikan and Bill Walton certainly deserve to be on this list, but we had to limit our list to 10! Laimbeer played on one of the most iconic teams of all-time, the “Bad Boy” Detroit Pistons, and is regarded as one of the toughest players to ever play in the NBA. In his 8 seasons in the NBA, Yao Ming made the All-Star game each year. From there, the Portland Trailblazers selected Walton as the first overall pick in the 1974 NBA Draft. With career averages of 30 points and 23 rebounds per game, he’s second all-time in points per game, first in rebounds per game and total rebounds, and second in total win-shares. In 1998, the San Antonio Spurs found Robinson some help when they brought in power forward Tim Duncan from Wake Forest. 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), Career stats He was responsible for doling out minutes, plotting strategy, and managing a group of headstrong personalities. Jordan’s expertise on the defensive end has also earned him a spot on the All-Defensive team two times. Unseld led the NBA in rebounding in 1974 and averaged 14 boards per game in his career. 1, Top 50 Greatest Boston Celtics Players of All-Time, Top 50 Greatest Chicago Bulls Players of All-Time, Top 50 Greatest Los Angeles Lakers Players of All-Time, Top 25 Greatest Miami Heat Players of All-Time, Top 25 Greatest Detroit Pistons Players of All-Time, Top 25 Greatest Washington Wizards Players of All-Time. Though much has been made of the disappointments in Howard’s career, there’s no doubt that at his peak, he was a dominant defensive force and one of the best pick-and-roll threats in NBA history. He’s a 2-time All-Star and 3-time All-Defensive member. Not bad for someone who essentially never had a prime due to lingering foot injuries. Hakeem Olajuwon, however, thoroughly exposed Robinson’s lack of a killer instinct during the 1995 Western Conference Finals. What Kareem was able to do as a player year-after-year (even into his late 30’s and early 40’s) is nearly unmatched. Cowens was also one of the better free-throw shooters at his position and holds a lifetime percentage of 78.3 percent. Kareem is the second best center of all time, mainly because he stands first all-time in scoring at 38,387, which is not an easy feat considering the number of great players that have played in the NBA. Plus, he’s one of the funniest and most entertaining color commentators ever. One of the best defensive players in league history, Ben Wallace, made a considerable impact on the game despite only averaging only 5.7 points per game in his 17-year career. -- Doolittle, Few, if any, centers threw the outlet pass as well as Walton. Statistically, the numbers were staggering. Offensively, Olajuwon finished 11th on the all-time scoring list while averaging 21.8 points per game on 51.2 percent shooting during his career. He made the All-Star game 4 times and won two championships with the Pistons. The 6’11” big man won a championship with Portland in 1977 and took home the NBA Finals MVP. His best rebounding season came in 1965, where he averaged 21.1 boards per game. With four NBA Championship rings, three NBA Finals MVP’s and one regular season MVP, his place in history is pretty much indisputable. Terms of Use | The Captain, as he was called, is one of the best players in Knicks franchise history. -- Adams, Teams Malone also finished his career as the league’s 9th leading scorer of all-time (27,409 points). Do Not Sell My Personal Information | He wasn’t just an elite scorer and rebounder, as Cowens made the All-Defensive team three times. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Abdul-Jabbar, is also in the discussion for the greatest player of all-time. No portion of NBA.com may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form. Mikwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89), Honors One of the most dominant players we’ve ever seen, Shaquille O’Neal was a force in the NBA even as a rookie. Schayes is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Featuring some of the most productive and talented players in basketball history, the position is central to the success of many NBA teams. He was a dominant rebounder, averaging 13 or more rebounds nine times during his career. A two-time All-Star and a two-time NBA champion, Walton’s brief success in the league makes him one of the greatest “what if” cases in NBA history. Hakeem was a complete player, as he was a top defender, rebounder, and scorer. -- Pelton, An immense force down low and perhaps an even bigger character in the locker room. His lifetime averages include 17 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Walton doesn’t have the longevity in his career than most of his peers on this list have. 11-time All-Star, 7-time All-NBA selection, 3-time All-D selection, Rookie of the Year (1985-86), Hall of Fame, Career stats -- Doolittle, The king of lunch-bucket basketball, he was an incomparable force on the offensive glass and teamed with Dr. J to make the '83 Sixers one of the greatest teams of all time. He was the Wilt Chamberlain of the modern game. Chamberlain could undoubtedly be higher on my list if he had more championships, as Russell (11) and Abdul-Jabbar (6) both have more in that department than Chamberlain. He’s also the brother of Pau Gasol, who is also on this list. Classic Kareem would receive the post-entry pass from Magic Johnson on the left block. New NBA Coaching Hire: Is Billy Donavan the Spark the Bulls need? Second on the NBA’s career blocks list (3,289), Mutombo made eight All-Star teams and won Defensive Player of the Year an astonishing four times.
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