Who are the two greatest centers in NBA history?
November 10, 2009 | 8:35
pm
We named Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the greatest center in L.A. Lakers history, but is he one of the two greatest centers in NBA history? He has some stiff competition, including Wilt Chamberlain over his full career, not just his Lakers career.
So vote for two now and let your voice be heard, then leave a comment letting us know why you voted the way you did.
-- Houston Mitchell
Russell and Wilt.
Bill=greatest shot blocker and biggest winner ever. He not only blocked shots, he controlled where they would go so his teammates would get him to start the break. Amazing. Quickest outlet pass that I can remember seeing. (A healthy Walton was good too. Maybe better?) His will, determination and execution during crunch time made MJ look like a slacker. Yes, he was that good.
Wilt=physically the most dominant 5 every. If he wanted 50-25, he could get it without working up a sweat every night. Changed his game mid-career to emphasize dimes and ribs.
Being old has it perks. I saw both of them play against each other.
PS-I have always wondered how good Walton would have been if he could have stayed healthy for 5-10 years instead of almost 2. Bloody shame. "Breaks of the Game."
Posted by: Arizona Laker Fan | November 10, 2009 at 09:58 PM
Jabbar was the greatest high school player ever at Power Memorial in New York and won the state championship. He was the greatest center in College history at UCLA winning three National titles and would have won four if freshman had been elgible.. As a pro he won 6 championships, how many MVPs (6?) 7?). He is the all time leader in points scored. He won as a rookie in Milwaukee, he won as an old man with the Lakers. He not only won at every level, but dominated as no player before or since has. Not Jordan, not Magic, not Bird, Not Oscar or Elgin or Havliceck or Russell, no one. He invented a shot in the skyhook that was the most dominating of all time.
Chamberlain... look at the numbers beyond a 100 point game. How does anyone average, what 28 rebounds a game for a career? He had a season where he averaged over 30 a game . Completely dominated physically the way Shaq did in his prime, but had incredible touch around the basket and an ability to rebound Shaq never came close to. Not even Kareem could match him there. Only Bill Russell was in his league. Russell would have to be third choice for winning 10 championships and never losing in a finals series. A winner through and through.
Posted by: Win it already... please | November 10, 2009 at 11:02 PM
Russell over Kareem I think not Jabbar could do it all and played in the strongest era so far in NBA basketball. Heck I would even put Parrish a head of Russell
Posted by: pk-in-the-mesa | November 11, 2009 at 07:28 AM
Kareem and Russell.....I know Wilt was great but I saw him mostly in his later years (when he was with the Lakers) when his skills had diminished a bit. Also, IMO, if Walton had somehow stayed healthy, he would have been one of the true greats. In fact..he was the best college big man I ever saw.
Posted by: Paulie | November 11, 2009 at 07:58 AM
It is Russell, he wasn't 6-9, nobody
played D better, seemed like he
missed a F T during playoffs.......
Posted by: cover2 | November 11, 2009 at 08:05 AM
Kareem Abdul Jabar is the best basketball player to have ever played the game given his complete body of work from high school, college, and pro. So, it stands to reason he's the best center in NBA history. Bill Russell's teams dominated Wilt Chamberlain's when it mattered most, championship games. Thus, he's clearly the next in line.
Posted by: Tony B | November 11, 2009 at 08:09 AM
russell is by far the no. 1 center of all time. what does every player want? a Championship. How many do Wilt and Kareem have together. russell has 10!!!! there is no debate.points don't win championships as much as team play does. whats the score when player comes into game and when player comes out.
Posted by: eddie b. | November 11, 2009 at 08:09 AM
I had Bill Russell first - he won 11 championships in 13 years. He was a defensive genius and tremendous under pressure. I had Kareem 2nd because of his offensive skills and his results under pressure. I would have had Wilt 3rd - he had the most talent but did not deliver under pressure.
Posted by: Dick Farnham | November 11, 2009 at 08:11 AM
Kareem, Wilt, and Russell were so great that they could all adjust to each other and outplay each other on any given night. But if you have to pick the better two, I think you've got to give the nod to Kareem and Russell because of the intangible: winning seemed to follow in their paths---college and pro. Duly note: probably no team was more dominant than the 71-72 Laker team that won 33 in a row and Wilt was, obviously, a major part of that team's dominance.
Posted by: Chris from Burbank | November 11, 2009 at 08:13 AM
Bill Russell was the best center in NBA history. He prevailed over Wilt who was second.
Posted by: jack | November 11, 2009 at 08:16 AM
Are you kidding?.... Most people are obviously picking Kareem because of his recent health problems. Kareem is definelty the next best center NEXT to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain....Russell and Chamberlain were the two best and greatest centers that ever played!
Posted by: Celts33 | November 11, 2009 at 08:17 AM
Most will talk about the other greats mentioned here, so I'll just talk about the man that played in Houston...
Akeem put ALL of the skills together and was probably the best all-around center ever. He played in the Golden Age of pro basketball when the talent level was at the peak, and he was the best center in the league.
Lakers fans will never forget him for what he did in his second season (and he gave that great Celtics team problems in the Finals that same year). He stayed at a consistenly high level for all of his playing days (until the very end in Toronto). He won 2 rings in a row when Jordan took a vacation. It's a shame we didn't see that Rockets team go up against Jordan's Bulls those 2 years. I think those were two of the greatest Finals we never saw.
It's too bad that we will never know what each of the centers on this list would have done playing against each other. That would have been fun to watch.
Posted by: Vik | November 11, 2009 at 08:21 AM
Too young to have experienced Kareem and Wilt. So I'll have to go with Shaq for his 29.7 ppg and 13.7 rpg in 99-00. His best year, not just in terms of numbers and championship #1, but for his athleticism and defensive contributions as well.
Posted by: CW | November 11, 2009 at 08:44 AM
This is silly. Clearly, (in no particular order) Russell, Jabar, and Chamberlin were the three best centers of all-time. Let's leave it at that.
Posted by: Luke D | November 11, 2009 at 09:02 AM
This is silly. Clearly, Jabar, Chamberlin, and Russell (in no particular order) were the three best centers of all-time. Let's leave it at that.
Posted by: Luke D | November 11, 2009 at 09:03 AM
At 57 years old I have seen all of those in the argument, and I guess you forgot a goy named Nate Thurmond. I'm not saying he's the best but his 15 pts.- 15 reb.- and 2.7 assists are better than a few of those on your list.
The best two without a doubt are Wilt and Russell. Wilt so dominated the league that they had to invent rules to slow him down. Both played in an era when a black man in the NBA had to take twice the beating before a foul would be called along with all the rest of the racism that was going on.
And no doubt Kareem also had to endure this in his career when as a high
schooler the then Lew Alcinder was prohibited to dunk the basketball, clearly a racist move.
Posted by: JPT | November 11, 2009 at 09:14 AM
Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain
Center is the position with the greatest opportunity and reward for refining the team concept. Bill Russell did that better than anyone. However, basketball is also appreciates ability, especially dominance. That was Wilt.
Posted by: Shishir | November 11, 2009 at 09:25 AM
I pick as the best center because of his immeasurable talent that he possesses. Unlike Chamberlain who was a scoring machine and Bill Russell a defensive force; Kareem was such a fluid player, he was not recognized as a physical player rather as a versatile and smooth one.
Posted by: Karl Exantus | November 11, 2009 at 09:25 AM
Wilt and Kareem were the only 2 centers still being double and tripled team in the twilight of their careers.
Posted by: Mike Campbell | November 11, 2009 at 09:40 AM
It seems the question is greatest center. Many times discussions about greatest players include championships, which never was part of the question asked.
If you use that argument, then remember that Bart Starr won NFL championships in 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966 and 1967 including Super Bowls I and II. I love Bart Starr and I love the Packers, so when people talk about the greatest quarterbacks I point out Starr is the only five time winner. Otto Graham won some in the AAFC, which if included would also put him in the elite quarterbacks. If championships is why you play a sport, then Starr must have been the greatest quarterback ever. Hopefully I realize Starr had teammates that helped the Packers win those championships. Bill Russell had teammates that helped the Celtics win championships.
Raw talent. Ability that forced the league to change the rules. Wilt Chamberlain was freakishly talented. Everyone on the list is great. Wilt is greater.
Posted by: Never saw Mikan play | November 11, 2009 at 10:20 AM
The first pick is easy--it's Bill Russell. Everyone knows--or should know--about all the championships he won as the leader of the Boston Celtics. He was arguably the greatest defensive player in NBA history. As for the No. 2...it's a very tough choice, but I have to go with Wilt over Kareem, only because of the way he dominated (except when playing against Russell)...this is before he joined the Lakers, when he was on the downside of his career. Kareem was great...all those titles with the Lakers...he's the league's all-time leading scorer...I can see that skyhook now.
Posted by: bob cuomo | November 11, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Didn't see Kwame Brown on that list. What's up with that???
If you want the two centers who had the greatest impact upon the game, it's Mikan and Russell.
If it's the two who could dominate any opponent like no other, it's Wilt and Shaq. If they had been in the same era Wilt would have beaten Shaq like a drum.
If you go with championships you have Russell, Kareem, and Mikan; with Shaq a step behind.
Most entertaining and best all around player, I don't think anybody comes close to Kareem.
Posted by: Jerry Roberts | November 12, 2009 at 05:38 AM
The best was Bill Russell, The most dominating was The Big Dipper, The best offensive player was KAJ. Each had their own way of putting their best forward and it was very hard to choose!
Posted by: George Benekos | November 12, 2009 at 07:16 AM
Karrem is the only player in college history to have the rules changed because of his scoring ( took the slam dunk out of the game). Wilt had the lane changed in the pros, but bill russell has 11 rings!!!!!!!!
Posted by: George Benekos | November 12, 2009 at 07:20 AM
The question is best center in NBA history. I can appreciate 11 titles by Russell and 6 by Kareem. But they did not ccomplish that by themselves. Wilt averaged 50 points and 30 rebounds in a season. Over his career his averages are way above the others. Also, he once led the league in assits. Back in the day the teams would play each other sevaral times a year, Wilt would go up against Russell, Thurmond, Lanier, Bellamey, Kareem, and Reed. Talk about golden age of centers.
Posted by: laker fan in idaho | November 12, 2009 at 09:47 AM