# Who was the best NBA center of the 1980s?

> Eighties big men came in every build: skyhook royalty, shot-blocking giants, bruising enforcers and soft-handed passers who rarely made headlines. Only one gets to own the paint here.

*By YPB Team · Published October 26, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-was-the-best-nba-center-of-the-1980s*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Kareem Abdul-Jabbar** — score 1000/1000
   The skyhook master who won four of his six titles with the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s and passed Wilt as the NBA's all-time scorer in 1984.
2. **Moses Malone** — score 714/1000
   Three-time MVP (1979, 1982, 1983) and relentless rebounder who led the 1983 76ers to the title with his famous 'fo, fo, fo' prediction.
3. **Bob Lanier** — score 599/1000
   The Hall of Fame big man who gave Milwaukee's early-1980s division winners his soft lefty touch and an All-Star nod in 1982.
4. **Hakeem Olajuwon** — score 494/1000
   Houston's 1984 No. 1 pick whose footwork and shot-blocking took the Rockets to the 1986 Finals within two seasons.
5. **Mark Eaton** — score 428/1000
   Utah's 7-foot-4 shot-blocker who set the single-season record of 456 blocks in 1984-85 and won two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
6. **Bill Laimbeer** — score 350/1000
   The physical, much-hated enforcer and rebounder of Detroit's 'Bad Boys' Pistons, champions in 1989.
7. **Dan Issel** — score 350/1000
   Denver's durable scoring big man who averaged over 20 points a game into the early 1980s before retiring in 1985.
8. **Ralph Sampson** — score 350/1000
   Three-time college player of the year and 1984 Rookie of the Year who formed Houston's 'Twin Towers' with Olajuwon.
9. **Patrick Ewing** — score 257/1000
   The 1985 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year who became the Knicks' franchise cornerstone by the end of the decade.
10. **Jack Sikma** — score 257/1000
   Seven-time All-Star with Seattle and Milwaukee, known for his reverse pivot move and rare shooting range for a center.
11. **Bill Walton** — score 257/1000
   The injury-hampered former MVP who won Sixth Man of the Year and a ring with the 1986 Celtics.
12. **Brad Daugherty** — score 257/1000
   Cleveland's 1986 No. 1 pick, a skilled passing center who made his first All-Star teams in 1988 and 1989.
13. **Manute Bol** — score 257/1000
   The 7-foot-7 Sudanese rookie who led the league in blocks in 1985-86 and remains one of its most remarkable shot-swatters.
14. **Robert Parish** — score 0/1000
   'The Chief', the steady Celtics center who anchored Boston's titles in 1981, 1984 and 1986 alongside Bird and McHale.
15. **Artis Gilmore** — score 0/1000
   The towering, ultra-efficient Bulls and Spurs center who led the NBA in field-goal percentage four straight seasons from 1981 to 1984.
16. **Bill Cartwright** — score 0/1000
   The Knicks' All-Star center of 1980 who was later traded to Chicago in 1988 to help build the Bulls' first title team.

Tags: 80s, basketball, players, nba, centers