# The 16 Greatest NBA Centers of All Time

> Skyhook artists, rim-protecting giants, and modern point-centers span every era of the big-man game. Where does your favorite rank?

*By YPB Team · Published August 19, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-16-greatest-nba-centers-of-all-time*

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## Current results (4 votes)

1. **Bill Russell** — 50% (2 votes · score 1000/1000)
   Eleven-time champion whose defense and winning define the Celtics dynasty.
2. **Kareem Abdul-Jabbar** — 50% (2 votes · score 944/1000)
   Six-time champion and the NBA's all-time scoring leader for decades, famous for the skyhook.
3. **Bill Walton** — 0% (0 votes · score 722/1000)
   An MVP and champion whose passing and court vision were revolutionary for a center.
4. **Patrick Ewing** — 0% (0 votes · score 625/1000)
   Eleven-time All-Star and the defensive anchor of the 1990s New York Knicks.
5. **Wilt Chamberlain** — 0% (0 votes · score 625/1000)
   The only player to score 100 points in a game and a statistical force of nature.
6. **Dwight Howard** — 0% (0 votes · score 566/1000)
   Three-time Defensive Player of the Year and an eight-time All-Star known as Superman.
7. **Alonzo Mourning** — 0% (0 votes · score 500/1000)
   A ferocious shot-blocker, seven-time All-Star and 2006 champion with the Heat.
8. **Moses Malone** — 0% (0 votes · score 423/1000)
   Three-time MVP and relentless rebounder who led the 76ers to the 1983 title.
9. **Robert Parish** — 0% (0 votes · score 333/1000)
   The Chief, a four-time champion and durable anchor of the 1980s Celtics.
10. **Shaquille O'Neal** — 0% (0 votes · score 227/1000)
   A 7'1", 325-pound force who won four titles and dominated the paint for two decades.
11. **David Robinson** — 0% (0 votes · score 227/1000)
   The Admiral, a two-time champion, MVP and Defensive Player of the Year for the Spurs.
12. **Nikola Jokic** — 0% (0 votes · score 227/1000)
   Three-time MVP and 2023 champion who redefined the position as a point-center.
13. **Tim Duncan** — 0% (0 votes · score 227/1000)
   Five-time champion whose fundamentals anchored the Spurs from center and power forward.
14. **Hakeem Olajuwon** — 0% (0 votes · score 100/1000)
   Back-to-back champion with the Rockets and the finest defensive footwork ever in the post.
15. **George Mikan** — 0% (0 votes · score 100/1000)
   The NBA's first dominant big man and a pioneer of the professional game.
16. **Joel Embiid** — 0% (0 votes · score 100/1000)
   A 2023 MVP and scoring champion who is a modern two-way force in the paint.

Tags: sports, basketball, players, nba