The Big Man Alliance is an exclusive club that ranks the best centers in NBA history, from admiral to captain

Who are the best centers in NBA history?

In an era of positionless basketball, it can be difficult to remember the days when a powerful center looked like he was going back to the basket.

The times when the biggest man on the court manhandled his smaller opponents, leading him to the basket and dispatching him with ease.

These days it seems like every lineup needs to have a stretch five, as the game has become more of a shooting and spacing equation and less of a brutal, bare-knuckle fist fight.

That’s not to say that the centers of today’s game can’t keep up with those of the past. In fact, there is a current big man on this list who has become one of the most dominant and efficient players the NBA has ever seen.

It just looks different now.

For the purposes of this exercise, Tim Duncan is classified as a power forward and is therefore not on the list.

Honorable Mentions: Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, Bob McAdoo, George Mikan, Robert Parish

Without further ado, here are the top 10 centers in NBA history.

10. Bill Walton

Averages and Awards: 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks, two-time champion, 1978 MVP, two-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive, 1986 6MOY

The late Walton was one of a kind, both on and off the field. Known for his bubbly personality, Walton was dominant when he stepped on the hardwood. He led the Portland Trailblazers to their only championship in franchise history.

Unfortunately, Walton’s career was marred by injuries, leaving everyone wondering how much more he would have accomplished if he had stayed healthy.

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9. Patrick Ewing

Averages and awards: 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive

Ewing led the New York Knicks to great success during his time with the legendary franchise. Unfortunately, he played in the era and conference in which Michael Jordan played.

Ewing is the only player on the list who does not have a championship.

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8. Moses Malone

Averages and Awards: 20.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.3 blocks, one-time champion, three-time MVP, 13-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA, two-time All-Defensive

Malone was the most dominant player of the 70s and 80s. Malone originally came from the ABA and dominated the association alongside his teammate Julius Erving.

In his prime, Malone averaged 26.8 points and 15.4 rebounds per game while winning three MVPs and the Philadelphia 76’ers’ final championship in 1983.

Malone’s number was retired by both the Houston Rockets and the 76’ers.

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7. David Robinson

Averages and Awards: 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.0 blocks, two-time champion, 1995 MVP, 10-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA, eight-time All-Defensive, 1992 DPOY

The Admiral was the big man in San Antonio before it was cool.

Before the Tim Duncans and Victor Wembanyamas, it was Robinson.

He led San Antonio to great success in the ’90s before winning two titles after Duncan’s draft, which proved to be a perfect pairing.

Robinson remains the last player to record a quadruple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 blocks in a game against the Detroit Pistons in 1994.

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6. Nikola Jokic

Averages and awards (through 2023-24 season): 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 8.1 assists, one-time champion, three-time MVP, six-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA

Jokic is the only current player on this list and has proven himself to be the perfect modern big man. He can handle the ball, he is considered the greatest passer of all time and can score when he needs to.

Jokic has the fourth-most triple-doubles of all time, behind only Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and his current teammate Russell Westbrook.

He makes the game look effortless and, most importantly, makes everyone around him infinitely better.

There’s a reason the big man from Serbia has three MVPs and a Finals MVP in his trophy case.

Oh yes, he’s only 29 years old, which gives him plenty of time to climb up the list.

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5. Hakeem Olajuwon

Averages and Awards: 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.1 blocks, two-time champion, 1994 MVP, 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive, two-time DPOY

Olajuwon patented one of the most unstoppable plays in league history: “The Dream Shake.”

He was a nightmare on both ends of the floor.

When Jordan briefly retired in the mid-’90s, it was Olajuwon and his Houston Rockets who pounced on the power vacuum, winning back-to-back titles and cementing his legacy as one of the greatest big men of all time.

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4. Bill Russell

Averages and Awards: 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 11-time champion, five-time MVP, 12-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA

The ultimate winner.

If winning was the only criteria, Russell would be number one and it wouldn’t be anywhere near that.

Russell has eleven He won the most World Championships in NBA history, nearly doubling Jordan’s six.

He was as dominant as he was a winner.

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3. Shaquille O’Neal

Averages and Awards: 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, four-time champion, 2000 MVP, 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA, three-time All-Defensive

The great Diesel, the great Aristotle, Superman, call O’Neal whatever you want, but make sure you call him dominant.

O’Neal is considered to be the most physically imposing force an NBA court has ever seen. He entered the league and immediately wreaked havoc on everyone in front of him.

But it wasn’t until he left the Orland Magic and moved to the Los Angeles Lakers that he rose to the top league of NBA greats.

Together with a young Kobe Bryant, O’Neal and the Lakers scored the last three-point shot in the NBA, where the big man simply destroyed everything in his path.

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2. Wilt Chamberlain

Averages and Awards: 30.1 points, 22.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, two-time champion, four-time MVP, 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA

If you ever really examined Chamberlain’s stats, you wouldn’t believe them.

You would have to do a double take.

Chamberlain performed bright, video game-like numbers.

Not to mention his legendary 100-point performance, if there is a record or list of points and rebounds, Chamberlain’s name is probably at or near the top.

The only blemish on Chamberlain’s career would be that he lost to Russell seven out of eight times in the playoffs.

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1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Averages and Awards: 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.6 blocks, six-time champion, six-time MVP, 19-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA, 11-time All-Defensive

Abdul-Jabbar is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, regardless of position, and number three at worst. When it comes to centers, Abdul-Jabbar is in a class of his own.

His signature skyhook gave defenses nightmares as he dominated the league for nearly two decades.

Not to mention the three consecutive NCAA championships he won at UCLA, where he was so dominant that the skyhook actually had to be banned at the college level.

Abdul-Jabbar was the all-time leading scorer when he retired in 1989, leaving the crown to LeBron James just last season.

The championships, the MVPs, the All-Star appearances, All-NBA nods, there was no one like the Captain and never will be again.

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There you have it.

The 10 best centers of all time.

It’s a mountain of a list filled with men the size of mountains.

As the game continues to evolve and move further away from the traditional big man, this list is an important reminder of what the game used to be.