The center position has historically featured some of the most productive, tall, and talented players in basketball history, making it central to the success of many NBA teams. Defensively, the best NBA centers of all time have been responsible for protecting the rim and rebounding. From the seven-footers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain that towered over their peers and dominated, to the smaller fives like Dave Cowens and Wes Unseld that used their speed and quickness to make an impact, centers comes in all shapes and sizes.
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The newcomer to this list, Nikola Jokić, earned himself a spot having dominated at the rim particularly during the last five seasons, and most recently having lead the Denver Nuggets to their first NBA Championship in 2023. A few players such as Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan were considered but left off of this list due to their time playing primarily outside of the center position. Both played center for huge portions of the latter stages of their careers, but at their peak, they were power forwards. Join us as we take a look at the greatest centers of all time, ranked.
*All Stats are taken from Basketball-Reference*
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