NBA All-time Player Tiers: The 20 greatest centers ever, ranked
By Cal Durrett
Throughout most of NBA history, centers have been the centerpiece of many great teams. Having a big man who could score in the post and demand double teams, rebound, and protect the rim often meant that that team was a championship contender.
As the game has evolved, so have centers, who have had to adapt to the decreasing reliance on post-scoring with more and more big men stepping out further away from the rim. That has led to a resurgence of fives. With that being said, who are the greatest centers of all time? Let's find out.
Tier 4) All-star level
20) Dwight Howard
19) Artis Gilmore
18) Joel Embiid
17) Nate Thurmond
16) Dave Cowens
Former Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard has seemingly been forgotten in all-time player discussions in recent years. After all, he was left off the NBA 75th anniversary team list despite being the best center of his era.
Howard made eight All-Star teams, won three Defensive Player of the Year awards, scored nearly 20,000 points, grabbed over 10,000 rebounds, and even led the Magic to the NBA Finals in 2009. At the very least, that makes him a top-20 center of all time.
Former ABA and NBA star Artis Gilmore spent the first five years of his career playing with the Kentucky Colonels, putting up monster numbers. He won MVP as a rookie in the ABA and averaged 22.3 points, 17 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game during his time in that league. He was almost as good in the NBA, averaging 17.1 points and 10.1 rebounds while making six all-star teams.
Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid has a chance to climb this list, with his peak being higher than most. His winning back-to-back scoring titles and an MVP make him a top-20 center, though injuries have limited his ceiling.
Former Warriors star Nate Thurmond was dominant on both sides of the ball. He averaged at least 20 points five straight times and averaged a stagggering 15 rebounds per game over his career.
Dave Cowens isn't one of the more well-known Boston Celtics but he was terrific during the 1970s, with him averaging 18.2 points and 14 rebounds per game. He made eight all-star teams and even won MVP in just his third season, though he didn't have the longevity of others on this list.