This is insanely tough to judge. There have been a ton of great centers over the decades, and ranking them is close to impossible. But I will rank them.1. Bill Russell2. Wilt the Stilt3. Shaquille O'neal4. Kareem Abdul-Jabber5. Moses6. The Dream7. Elvin Hayes8. D-Rob9. Walt Bellamy10. Artis Gilmore/Parish/Ewing
Where's Mikan? The 1st dominant center of all-time deserves to be on that list when talking about the greatest centers of all-time. Not sure about Russell being No. 1, but he definitely was a fierce competitor on the defensive end. Also has 11 rings. I actually agree with that now, because he was the only one that could slow down and control Chamberlain's DOMINANT play under the basket. Keep in mind Russell was just 6-10 220 lbs, and Chamberlain was 7-1, 275 lbs.
1. Wilt Chamberlain2. Bill Russell3. Shaquille O'neal4. Kareem Abdul-Jabber5. Hakeem Olajuwan6. Moses Malone7. David Robinson8. Patrick Ewing9. George Mikan10. Robert Parish
Bill Russell is much better the Wilt the Stilt. They are about even, maybe Wilt is better until you look at their championships. Bill was the ultimate Celtic, leading them to several rings when Wilt didn't have half as many as Bill.
The old style of basketball was much faster giving more point and rebound oppurtunities. I believe they also didn't have the 3 second rule. I'll list the all tim greats in the modern era of basketball.1. Shaq2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar3. Hakeem Olajuwon
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (UConnHoops22 @ Apr 8 2006, 12:20 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Bill Russell is much better the Wilt the Stilt. They are about even, maybe Wilt is better until you look at their championships. Bill was the ultimate Celtic, leading them to several rings when Wilt didn't have half as many as Bill.</div>Wilt also had a much worse supporting cast.Wilt <u>dominated</u> Russell every time they played. He scored over 50 against him on numerous ocassions.
New era of basketball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaq, and HakeemOld era of basketball: Wilt and RussellOldest era of basketball: Mikan
I swear I had Mikan on my mind when I made the post. It was really tough. Between Shaq, Wilt, Russell, and KAJ, putting them in order was near impossible.
In terms of impact, Bill Russel's impact is unmatched. He intimidated guys like Shaq and led his team to... 8 Championships?However, my best center ever:1. <span style="color:#6633FF">Shaq</span><span style="color:#6600CC">uille</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">O' Neal</span> - 26 PPG, 12 RPG, and 2.5 BPG. He is one of few players to average 20 and 10 over his first 13 seasons. He is the only big man ever to win three consecutive Finals MVP awards, and has won 3 championships. Need I say more? Further however, when watching him play, this guy makes more on an impact on the offensive end than anyone in NBA History. Within a year, he turned the Lakers from dwellers to playoff competitors. Within a year, he took Miami from Eastern Conference Semifinalists to NBA Playoff contender. Within 3 years of playing with th Magic, the went from expansion team to the NBA Finals. This guy has been a winner everywhere he goes, and has the individual stats to further his accomplishments.
