NBA All-time Player Tiers: The 20 greatest centers ever, ranked

Who are the greatest centers of all time?

Shaquille O'neal
Shaquille O'neal | G Fiume/GettyImages
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Tier 3) All-NBA level

15) Alonzo Mourning

14) Willis Reed

13) Robert Parish

12) Bob McAdoo

11) Bill Walton

10) George Mikan

9) Patrick Ewing

Seven-time all-star Alonzo Mourning was among the best centers of the 1990s and was a two-way big man. He led the NBA in blocks back-to-back seasons, resulting in him winning consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards. He also later won a championship with the Miami Heat.

New York Knicks legend Willis Reed played all of his 10 seasons there and won two championships. At his peak, he posted a terrific 21.1 points and 14 rebounds over a five-year span that resulted in him making the all-star team each of those years, winning an MVP in 1969-70 and two Finals MVPs.

NBA legend Robert Parish played more than 1600 games over 21 seasons, including 14 with the Boston Celtics. There, he was a nine-time all-star and won three championships alongside Kevin McHale and Larry Bird.

Former MVP Bob McAdoo was a dominant scorer over his relatively short NBA career. He played 14 seasons but only 852 games but still managed to lead the NBA in scoring three times by averaging at least 30 points per game each of those years.

Had it not been for a staggering amount of injuries, including missing four full seasons and most of three other seasons, Bill Walton would probably be a top-5 center all-time. His dominance in the post, rim protection, and passing made him an elite player, and he led the Portland Trail Blazers to their only championship as a result.

George Mikan was the first dominant center in league history, carrying the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in his seven-year career. While his stats may not hold up to modern comparison with him playing part of his career before the shot clock when teams only averaged 80 points, he still posted monster numbers and averaged an impressive 23.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.

Patrick Ewing might not be on the same level as some of the other great centers of the 1990s but he was still very good. He averaged at least 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks for the first 13 seasons of his career while seldom missing a game. He made the all-star team 11 of those years and turned the Knicks into contenders but they fell short of ultimately winning a championship.