The Greatest Centers In NBA History
It’s a shame that Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing never won a championship because he certainly gave it all he had every night in the playoffs. In fact, Ewing averaged 20.2 points per playoff game in his career, which is the eighth-best mark among all centers. In the regular season, Ewing’s numbers were just as ridiculous, with him averaging 21 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. From 1986 to 1997, Ewing made the NBA All-Star team every year but one. Somehow, he was only named to the All-NBA first team once in his career but the 7-footer was certainly one of the most feared centers in league history.
Arguably the best center in the game today, “Boogie” Cousins has averaged 12.1 defensive rebounds per 48 minutes played so far in his career, a mark that’s sixth best of all-time among centers. He’s also one of the most gifted and versatile scoring threats in the history of the position, averaging 31.9 points per 48 minutes played, which is the third-best mark ever at the position.
And don’t sleep on Cousins’ defensive talents, either, as his average of 2.1 steals per 48 minutes played is good enough for third-best among all centers. The only thing that hurts his standing is an issue with turning the ball over and a lack of rings but, now that he’s a member of the Golden State Warriors, the latter is likely to change soon.
The “A-Train” is the greatest rebounder in college basketball history and would continue to torch other teams as a star in the ABA before joining the NBA when the two leagues merged in 1976. The definition of a high-percentage shooter, Gilmore was the NBA’s all-time leader in shooting percentage when he retired, sinking nearly 60 percent of his career shots. He averaged 18.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in a Hall-of-Fame career that included an MVP season, 11 All-Star Game appearances and four selections on the All-Defensive first team. Put simply, Gilmore would score a ton of easy buckets and keep your opponents from doing anything in the paint themselves, which is exactly what a center should do.
In the 1960s, Walt Bellamy towered over others at 6 feet 11 inches tall, but he ended up stuck in the shadows of contemporaries like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. A bit of a journeyman, Bellamy played for five different franchises but never had the fortune of winning a championship. He was 1963’s Rookie of the Year, setting the all-time mark for field goals made by a first-year player, and would live up to that brilliant season with a career that landed him in the Hall of Fame. Bellamy averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds per game over the course of his career but somehow was never selected for the All-NBA first team.
Toward the end of his career, Bob McAdoo won two titles with the “Showtime” Lakers, but he had already cemented himself as a legendary center before that. McAdoo’s average of 31.8 points per 48 minutes played is fourth-best among all centers and tops even Wilt Chamberlain’s, while his average of 22.1 points per game is good enough for fifth-best at the position. McAdoo also averaged 9.4 rebounds per game, helping him land MVP honors in 1975 and five All-Star selections.
You know you’re a dominant player when the league has to create rules just to even the playing field for your opponents. George Mikan is the guy who turned NBA hoops into a game dominated by big men, ushering in everyone else on this list after his short career ended in 1956. Mikan was an offensive machine who took a ridiculous 50.5 shots per every 48 minutes of play, by far the highest average of any center in NBA history. He also averaged 24 rebounds per 48 minutes played and 23.1 points per game, the latter of which is the fourth-best among all centers. In just seven career NBA seasons, Mikan won five championships, an MVP award and was named to the All-NBA first team five times. He basically invented the position.
The only NBA player who ever played his college ball at the U.S. Naval Academy, “The Admiral” averaged more than 4 blocks per every 48 minutes played in his career, good enough for eighth-best at the position, in addition to his 3 blocks per game being the third-best mark ever. But in addition to being a fierce defender around the rim, Robinson averaged a double-double for his career, with 21.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He played his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, winning two titles, an MVP honor and being named to the All-Star Game in 10 of his 14 seasons.
The nature of being a center means going to the free throw line often and there was arguably no big man you’d rather have going to the line than Moses Malone. He averaged the most free throws made per 48 minutes played of any center in NBA history, averaging 9.1 for his career. He also had the second-highest average of offensive rebounds per 48 minutes played, with 7.2.
And if you needed a center to take over in the playoffs, few were ever better than Malone, as his career average of 22.1 points per game in the postseason is among the best ever at the position. In his storied career, Malone won league MVP honors three times, was a 13-time All-Star and was a member of the All-NBA first team four times.
“The Dream” not only has arguably the best nickname in NBA history, he also more than lived up to it. He averaged the most steals per 48 minutes of any center in NBA history, with 2.3. He also averaged 3.1 blocks per game, which is second-best among all centers and that number rose to 3.3 blocks per game in the playoffs, which is the best ever.
In the playoffs, Olajuwon was as reliable a scorer as any center ever, averaging 25.9 points per game in the postseason, which is the best among all centers with more than nine playoff games under their belts. Combine all those insane numbers with the fact that he won two championships, was a former MVP, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and 12-time All-Star and you’ve got one of the best resumés in the history of the position.
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