NBA Center Mount Rushmore: Top 4 Cs of all time ranked feat. Wilt Chamberlain
Building the Mount Rushmore of NBA centers is the most challenging task among all positions. Centers have won 30 MVP awards and dominated the league across eras, starting from George Mikan and extending to current international stars Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.
Centers across eras have approached the game differently — some as defensive showstoppers and others as versatile offensive threats — but there are four players who stand above the rest.
ESPN pundit Chris Russo attempted to make this list but incurred the wrath of Shaquille O'Neal when he ranked him only fifth in his list.
"I will smack the s**t out of that dude" - Shaq upon hearing Chris "Mad Dog" Russo's Top 5 Centers
Let's take a tour of our list of the four greatest centers in NBA history.
Mount Rushmore of NBA centers
#4 Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for most points in a game, with 100, the most iconic of his many inimitable achievements.
Despite his incredible statistical accolades, the center was sometimes seen as an underachiever for his team. Many of his contemporaries believed that Chamberlain only played for individual stats rather than team success.
He won four regular season MVPs and was named a 13X All-Star. He's the all-time leader in rebounds per game, at 22.9, but won only two championships. As a physical specimen like no other, Chamberlain was often described as unstoppable.
His two titles pale compared to his individual dominance, but he played a vital part in increasing the popularity of the NBA.
Here's Oscar Robertson, one of the four players on our Mount Rushmore of NBA Point Guards, describing Wilt Chamberlain's impact:
"The year Philadelphia moved out to San Francisco and Syracuse came down to Philly, Wilt averaged 50 points a game! My good friend Bill Russell won the MVP that year, played great and won a championship. I averaged a triple-double but I'd still say Wilt carried the NBA" - Oscar Robertson on Wilt Chamberlain
Even as he has become a figure of fun in recent times with new age fans doubting the veracity of his achievements, Chamberlain remains the NBA's ultimate statistical outlier and is still revered.
#3 Shaquille O'Neal
The "Big Aristotle," "Shaqzilla," or whichever nickname you choose to call him, Shaquille O'Neal is arguably the most dominant player in NBA history. Combining incredible strength and physicality in the paint with ball-handling skills far advanced than usual big men, Shaq manhandled his opposition for over 15 years.
O'Neal averaged 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per game with a field goal percentage of 58.2%. He played 1,207 regular-season games and 216 playoff games, averaging 24.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.
He won four NBA championships (2000-2002, 2006), three Finals MVP awards (2000-2002) and one regular season MVP award (2000) and was selected as an NBA All-Star 15 times.
Shaq was in a sense, forged in the same mold as Chamberlain, his combination of skill and physicality being a cut above the competition.
O'Neal also enlivened the NBA with colorful rivalries with contemporary centers Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson. Never one to shy away from beef, Shaq also tussled with teammates throughout his career, most notably with Kobe Bryant.
#2 Bill Russell
Bill Russell is, quite simply, the greatest winner in the history of American sports. He won an astounding 11 championships in 13 seasons as the starting center of the Boston Celtics.
He was a five-time regular season MVP and made the All-Star team 12 times. Known for his defensive prowess and team-first mentality, he averaged 22 rebounds per game.
Russell played 70 games in the NBA Finals, the most by any player, showcasing his consistency of performances in the playoffs.
His rivalry with Chamberlain was intense. While they had a complicated personal relationship, Russell always maintained that Chamberlain prioritized individual accolades over team success. Despite years of cold distance, the two eventually reconciled before Chamberlain's death.
In an era when sentiments toward Black athletes were not as kind, Russell galvanized the city of Boston around the Celtics and became the first Black coach in NBA history while still being a player. He's one of three players in the history of American sports to have his jersey retired league-wide (Jackie Robinson and Wayne Gretzky are the other two).
#1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, born Lew Alcindor, was already an iconic center at UCLA before entering the NBA.
In his first few seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, he completely transformed the center position using his unstoppable 'Skyhook'. Partnering with Oscar Robertson he dominated the league and won the NBA championship. A thoughtful thinker and activist, he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and adopted Islam, joining the ranks of figures like Muhammad Ali.
Known for his disciplined lifestyle and ahead-of-its-time recovery techniques, Kareem enjoyed an extraordinarily long career, becoming a 19-time All-Star. He ranks second in NBA history in all-time points, with 38,387.
A six-time NBA champion, the reclusive center formed a legendary tandem with Magic Johnson on the LA Lakers during the "Showtime" era.
"Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the most dominant player of his era and one of the most skilled big men ever. His Skyhook was unblockable, and he had the footwork of a much smaller player." - Magic Johnson once said
Like Russell, Kareem also had a tumultuous relationship with Wilt Chamberlain. Unusually for his soft spoken demeanor, Kareem had several critical things to say about his older counterpart, even mocking him with the nickname, "Wilt Chumperlame".
"Muhammad Ali, he set the record straight on your attributes, saying to me, 'Wilt can't talk, he's ugly and he can't move!' Which says it all. So when I dropped those fifty points on you at the Forum...I was just taking advantage of your weak defensive skills" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in an "An Open Letter to Wilt Chumperlame
Kareem's defense is often underrated, but he ranks third in the all-time defensive selections without a Defensive Player of the Year award, behind only Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant.