ESPN Top 10 Centers all time

[Huskybass]

He also had a bad field goal percentage for a post player

Agreed, 44% fg for a center isnt exactly great. He was a tremendous defender and rebounder and won championships routinely.

 

[boog204]

Wish we would have Sabonis in his prime as well, what an immense talent. To change sports, it's amazing in a similar vein what we were able to witness from Ichiro after he played 10 years in Japan. Guy is approaching 3000 hits starting at least 5 years later than most MLB players.

Sabonis was fantastic. There's quite a few clips/games of him playing for the Soviets in the mid 80s and he was basically Walton. Passing, touch, dunking on ppl. Amazing basketball player. Even when he came to the NBA and could barely move, you could tell that he was just a better pure basketball player than most.

 

[James]

The three best centers of all time are shaq ,Olajuwon, and KAJ. In no particular order. You have to take into account level of competition pre aba merger... Really can't sit here and say wilt or Russell were better basketball players than dream

 

[Palatine]

Basketball is a team game, chemistry means more in that sport than anywhere else. Wilt was notoriously a "me-first" guy, Russell was one of the best teammates ever. As a kicker, Russell was by far the best player on a team that beat Wilt, Oscar, West, and Baylor every single year.

Every time he stepped on the court Wilt was the best option for his team. It wasn't so much "me first" as he just flat out dominated.

Both Wilt and Russ averaged over 4 assists a game and over 20 rebounds a game for their careers. But Wilt scored 30 a game.

Russ had a slightly better high jump going 6'9" while Wilt's best high jump was 6'6". Both were amazing athletes.

Poor Russell had to play with Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones, John Havlicek and Tommy Heinsohn. Poor guy.

 

[superjohn]

The three best centers of all time are shaq ,Olajuwon, and KAJ. In no particular order. You have to take into account level of competition pre aba merger... Really can't sit here and say wilt or Russell were better basketball players than dream

Yup and Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio are nowhere near as good as Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Mr. Russell was probably the best leader in the history of team sports. He is also the greatest winner...by a country mile. But as just a Center, i would take Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, Dream, Duncan (always a Center in my book), and Moses ahead of him. But i have no beef with their list.

The man was eligible to win 17 titles from high school to the pros and he won 15 of them...just sick!

 

[Huskybass]

The three best centers of all time are shaq ,Olajuwon, and KAJ. In no particular order. You have to take into account level of competition pre aba merger... Really can't sit here and say wilt or Russell were better basketball players than dream

Possibly the stupidest post I have ever seen on The Boneyard, and that's saying something. Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons, and Wilt averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds for his career. To put Shaq ahead of them is just plain ridiculous.

 

[Huskybass]

Mr. Russell was probably the best leader in the history of team sports. He is also the greatest winner...by a country mile. But as just a Center, i would take Kareem, Wilt, Shaq, Dream, Duncan (always a Center in my book), and Moses ahead of him. But i have no beef with their list.

The man was eligible to win 17 titles from high school to the pros and he won 15 of them...just sick!

He also won an Olympic Gold Medal during that stretch.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Gotta be Russell, Kareem and Wilt at the top of that list.

 

[Dogbreath2U]

I would support Kareem for #1. I saw Wilt in the latter part of his career and some of Russell. Kareem was so much more skilled than any other center and did everything well. His skyhook was a thing of beauty. That no one else has developed it is a testament to Kareem.

 

[superjohn]

Gotta be Russell, Kareem and Wilt at the top of that list.

Of course, just not in that order.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

He also won an Olympic Gold Medal during that stretch.

Yep, i forgot about that. His resume is simply sick.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

The three best centers of all time are shaq ,Olajuwon, and KAJ. In no particular order. You have to take into account level of competition pre aba merger... Really can't sit here and say wilt or Russell were better basketball players than dream

Hard to leave out Wilt, but there is a logic to your post. Wilt had no physical rival during his era.

 

[Danzz]

• Hard to argue with that list of ten. I would rank them a little differently though.

Could Andre crack that list one day?

Sure he could. Wilt couldn't make FTs either.

 

[Danzz]

Hard to leave out Wilt, but there is a logic to your post. Wilt had no physical rival during his era.

Yeah, Russell stunk.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

Yeah, Russell stunk.

PHYSICAL EQUAL.....which Mr. Russell wasn't. I didn't say he didn't have a rival. By the way, Wilt averaged 38 and 22 against Mr. Russell.

My point was there were no other athletic 7 footers in his day. Mr. Russell was 6'9", but just as good an athlete.

 

[Palatine]

To everyone on this thread.

 

[James]

Possibly the stupidest post I have ever seen on The Boneyard, and that's saying something. Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons, and Wilt averaged 30 points and 23 rebounds for his career. To put Shaq ahead of them is just plain ridiculous.

If my post is so dumb why is Jordan considered the goat and not russell? The game before the merger was simply not the same IMO . I also tend to value peaks rather than longevity when ranking players , 2000 shaq is greatest statistical season a center has put together. Nothing was inflated about it.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

Wilt led the league in assists one year. Name me ONE other center who ever did that?

You've never heard the story about him going out of his way to do that? He didn't care about winning, only about stats.

Every time he stepped on the court Wilt was the best option for his team. It wasn't so much "me first" as he just flat out dominated.

Both Wilt and Russ averaged over 4 assists a game and over 20 rebounds a game for their careers. But Wilt scored 30 a game.

Russ had a slightly better high jump going 6'9" while Wilt's best high jump was 6'6". Both were amazing athletes.

Poor Russell had to play with Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones, John Havlicek and Tommy Heinsohn. Poor guy.

You act like any of those guys besides Havlicek and Cousy would have been anything without Russell. If Russell wanted to play selfish basketball he could have averaged a lot more PPG than he did, but greatness in the NBA is judged on winning moreso than stats, and Russell understood that. You sound like you're the type of person who'd say Manning is better than Brady.

 

[Huskybass]

Wilt set his mind to leading the league in assists and he did. How many other centers could do that? Not saying he was the consummate teammate, but an extraordinary talent nonetheless.