- Bill Russell has won the most NBA championships in history with 11
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the most MVP awards in NBA history with six
- Wilt Chamberlain averaged the most points in NBA history with 30.1 points per game
The time has come for another series of ours to come to a close. Over the last couple of months, we have introduced you to our most accurate formula while determining the greatest players at the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions. We have even used this formula to determine who the GOAT is as well as who the greatest player of the modern era has been. As with all formulas and determinations, there are flaws, but the results always have to be respected.
With this series coming to a close, that can only mean that the final step is to come up with the greatest NBA centers of all time. While we may think we have an idea of who those players are and where they rank at their position, our formula will come up with the most accurate rankings when it comes to this highly debated topic. The centers that are universally revered as the greatest and will be used in this formula are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
When it comes to the greatest centers in NBA history, these five individuals are the only ones with a case to be called the greatest. Now it is time to see where our most accurate formula has the greatest NBA centers of all time listed.
Best Stats
1. Wilt Chamberlain – 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, 4.4 APG (5 Points)
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.6 BPG (4 Points)
3. Shaquille O’Neal – 23.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 2.3 BPG (3 Points)
4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, 3.1 BPG (2 Points)
5. Bill Russell – 15.1 PPG, 22.5 RPG, 4.3 APG (1 Point)
The battle for the first category, which is the player with the best career stats, was essentially a two-man race between Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Wilt takes the first category due to his dominance as both a scorer and rebounder. We also should consider ourselves extremely lucky that Chamberlain did not have defensive stats recorded or else the GOAT conversation may be a heck of a lot closer than it already is.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wraps up the second spot and takes home four points thanks to his incredible longevity and his reign as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Kareem’s play led to six NBA championships and six MVP awards, both of which are the most ever by a center but we will get to that later. The debate between Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon rages on with us giving the statistical edge to Shaq who was as dominant as any force has ever been during his prime in the NBA.
The player who gets the short end of the stick in this category is Bill Russell. Early on in his career, Russell conceded to the fact that his defense and rebounding would make the Celtics NBA champions rather than his offensive game. Unfortunately for him, the NBA did not record defensive stats until he was already retired thus highlighting his “shortcomings” on offense. As far as his recorded stats go, Russell fails to stack up against the field by a big margin.
Most NBA Championships
1. Bill Russell – 11 NBA Championships (5 Points)
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 6 NBA Championships (4 Points)
3. Shaquille O’Neal – 4 NBA Championships (3 Points)
T4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 2 NBA Championships (2 Points)
T4. Wilt Chamberlain – 2 NBA Championships (2 Points)
Of course, the winningest player in NBA history will take the most championships category by a landslide. Bill Russell won 11 championships as a member of the Boston Celtics which included a shocking eight in a row from 1959 through 1966. Russell’s Only loss in the NBA Finals came in 1958 at the hands of the St. Louis Hawks. Other than that outlier year, Russell was the catalyst for the greatest dynasty in NBA history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the winner of six NBA championships in his NBA career. Kareem would win one championship in just his second season with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, a year he also won MVP and Finals MVP. The other five championships would come as a part of another greatest dynasty in NBA history, the Showtime Lakers, who won five NBA titles between 1980 and 1988 led by Kareem and Magic Johnson.
Shaquille O’Neal led the Los Angeles Lakers to the only three-peat in NBA history by a team not named the Celtics or Bulls from 200-2002. O’Neal dominated the league in a way that had not been seen before during that stretch, collecting all three Finals MVP awards along the way. Rounding out the NBA championships category are Hakeem Olajuwon and Wilt Chamberlain each with two NBA titles. Chamberlain would win in 1967 with the 76ers and in 1972 with the Lakers while Olajuwon led the Rockets to back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995.
Most MVP Awards
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 6 MVP Awards (5 Points)
2. Bill Russell – 5 MVP Awards (4 Points)
3. Wilt Chamberlain – 4 MVP Awards (3 Points)
T4. Shaquille O’Neal – 1 MVP Award (2 Points)
T4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 1 MVP Award (2 Points)
The winner of the most MVPs category is not only the leading award winner among centers but is the NBA’s all-time leader in MVP awards with six. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won more MVP awards than any other player in history. He won three MVP awards between 1971 and 1974 with the Milwaukee Bucks and three more with the Lakers from 1976 through 1980. Two of his MVP seasons would result in NBA championships in 1971 with Milwaukee and 1980 with Los Angeles.
Bill Russell was the winner of five MVP awards during his career just one behind Kareem for the most all-time. Russell earned his MVPs during a time in which his fellow peers voted on the award rather than the media. Wilt Chamberlain secured four MVP awards in his career as well including one of the greatest rookie seasons ever in 1960. Chamberlain and Russell accounted for nine of 11 MVP awards between 1958 and 1968.
It is a travesty that Shaquille O’Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon were each only awarded one MVP award in their careers. O’Neal not earning more than one during his time with the Lakers is an issue all on its own, especially considering the havoc he wreaked over the NBA at the time. Olajuwon probably should have been at least a two-time MVP award in 1994 and 1995 but he eventually got his revenge by bringing home two championships and two Finals MVP awards.
Most Finals MVPs
1. Shaquille O’Neal – 3 Finals MVPs (5 Points)
T2. Hakeem Olajuwon – 2 Finals MVPs (4 Points)
T2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2 Finals MVPs (4 Points)
4. Wilt Chamberlain – 1 Finals MVP (2 Points)
5. Bill Russell – 0 Finals MVPs (1 Point)
Shaquille O’Neal’s reign as the NBA’s best player during the early 2000s resulted in three straight NBA championships and three straight Finals MVP awards from 2000 through 2002. There was simply no NBA player more dominant at any point in their careers than O’Neal who embarrassed the best centers in basketball on a nightly basis. O’Neal’s three Finals MVPs rank the most among centers in NBA history and are also high up when it comes to where he stands from a tier-like perspective.
Both Hakeem Olajuwon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won two Finals MVP awards in their careers as well. Hakeem earned both of his in 1994 and 1995 when he led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships. His more impressive run would come in 1994 when he led Houston to the title without the help of another All-Star. Kareem won a Finals MVP award with each of the Bucks and Lakers in his career including 1985 when he became the oldest Finals MVP in NBA history.
Most Defensive Player Of The Year Awards
1. Hakeem Olajuwon – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (5 Points)
T2. Bill Russell – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T2. Wilt Chamberlain – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T2. Shaquille O’Neal – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
T2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 0 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards (4 Points)
Of the five NBA centers that we are evaluating today, only one has won the Defensive Player of the Year award in their careers. Hakeem Olajuwon won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and is arguably the greatest defender in NBA history. He holds the all-time record for blocks and is one of few NBA players to average at least 1.5 steals per game and over 3.0 blocks per game in their careers.
To be fair, both Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell did not have the luxury of the Defensive Player of the Year award even existing during their careers. The same issue could be applied to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s prime. With the award not being introduced until the 1982-83 season, this category may be a bit skewed but at the same time, Olajuwon deserves the category win for being the only one to achieve this feat.
Most All-NBA Team Selections
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 15 All-NBA Team Selections (5 Points)
2. Shaquille O’Neal – 14 All-NBA Team Selections (4 Points)
3. Hakeem Olajuwon – 12 All-NBA Team Selections (3 Points)
4. Bill Russell – 11 All-NBA Team Selections (2 Points)
5. Wilt Chamberlain – 10 All-NBA Team Selections (1 Point)
Making an All-NBA Team in your career is almost as high of an honor as a player can receive. It means that a player was one of the three best players at their position for a specific season. For centers, No player has had more selections at the center spot than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during his 20-year career. Of his 19 selections, Kareem earned 10 First Team selections and nine Second Team selections. Shaquille O’Neal comes in second with 14 career selections to the All-NBA Team. Of those 14 selections, O’Neal earned eight selections to the First Team, two to the Second Team, and four to the Third Team.
The next three players are separated by just one All-NBA Team selection. Hakeem Olajuwon’s 12 selections came with six to the First Team while Wilt Chamberlain earned seven First Team selections out of 10 total. Bill Russell’s 11 selections came with just three to the First Team and eight to the Second Team as well. If we were to judge these five players on strictly selections to the First Team, only Wilt Chamberlain and Hakeem Olajuwon would switch spots for this category.
Most All-Defensive Team Selections
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 11 All-Defensive Team Selections (5 Points)
2. Hakeem Olajuwon – 9 All-Defensive Team Selections (4 Points)
3. Shaquille O’Neal – 3 All-Defensive Team Selections (3 Points)
4. Wilt Chamberlain – 2 All-Defensive Team Selections (2 Points)
5. Bill Russell – 1 All-Defensive Team Selections (1 Point)
The introduction of the All-Defensive Team in the 1968-69 season leaves two of these all-time great centers at a disadvantage in this category as well. If the All-Defensive Team had been introduced before Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain made their NBA debuts, there is no doubt that both would have combined for more than three selections in their careers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was underrated as a defender which is crazy for someone who averaged over 2.5 blocks per game for his career. Kareem earned 11 All-Defensive Team selections in 20 seasons in his career. Hakeem Olajuwon should arguably have more All-Defensive Team selections than anyone else on this list but instead, earned nine in his career which is enough for four points awarded toward his total in our formula. Shaquille O’Neal earning three in his career is a bit of a shock as well but as dominant as he was on offense, it is easy to see how his defense got overlooked for most of his career.
Most All-Star Selections
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 19 All-Star Selections (5 Points)
2. Shaquille O’Neal – 15 All-Star Selections (4 Points)
3. Wilt Chamberlain – 13 All-Star Selections (3 Points)
T4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 12 All-Star Selections (2 Points)
T4. Bill Russell – 12 All-Star Selections (2 Points)
Although they have begun to lose their value over the years in the eyes of NBA experts everywhere, the All-Star selection still holds weight for many players in today’s game. For centers of years past, it was a sense of honor and pride with all of our players here today grabbing numerous selections in their careers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would earn 19 All-Star selections in 20 seasons which is tied for the most in NBA history with LeBron James. Even with all of those selections, he was never named All-Star Game MVP. Shaq takes home four points for his 15 All-Star selections. He would win the All-Star Game MVP three times which is tied for second in NBA history. Wilt Chamberlain is one of two players here to only miss one All-Star game in their careers and won All-Star Game MVP once as a rookie. Both Bill Russell and Hakeem Olajuwon were able to salvage two points for this category with 12 All-Star selections each.
Total Win Shares
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 273.4 Win Shares (5 Points)
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 247.3 Win Shares (4 Points)
3. Shaquille O’Neal – 181.7 Win Shares (3 Points)
4. Bill Russell – 163.5 Win Shares (2 Points)
5. Hakeem Olajuwon – 162.8 Win Shares (1 Point)
Only two centers on today’s evaluation have ever earned over 200 win shares in their careers. In what is starting to become a clear runaway for him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leads the way again and takes home his fourth consecutive category with 273.4 total win shares in his career. What makes Wilt Chamberlain’s 247.3 win shares impressive is the fact that he earned his in just 13 seasons compared to Kareem who needed 20 seasons to tally just 26.1 more win shares than Wilt.
Each of the other three players today has earned over 160.0 win shares in their careers as well. Shaq will take home three points as the only other center with at least 180 total win shares. Bill Russell takes the fourth spot by just 0.7 win shares over Hakeem Olajuwon. Russell took just 13 years to earn 163.5 win shares while it took 18 seasons to earn 162.8. If the 1960seras had more advanced technology to further players’ careers, this one would have been a runaway for Russell and Chamberlain.
PER
1. Shaquille O’Neal – 26.4 PER (5 Points)
2. Wilt Chamberlain – 26.2 PER (4 Points)
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 24.6 PER (3 Points)
4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 23.6 PER (2 Points)
5. Bill Russell – 18.9 PER (1 Point)
Finally, Kareem’s streak has been broken with Shaquille O’Neal winning the PER category and taking home another five points. O’Neal would lead the NBA in PER every season from 1998 through 2002 which coincidentally happened to be the peak of his career and when he led the Lakers to three NBA titles. Just behind him is Wilt Chamberlain with a 26.2 PER, leading the NBA eight times in 13 seasons as one of the most efficient players ever.
Kareem ends up with a third-place finish for this category with a 24.6 PER. He led the NBA nine times in 12 seasons from 1970 through 1981 and finished with a PER less than 20.0 in just three of his 20 seasons. Hakeem Olajuwon would never lead the NBA in PER but only finished with a rating of less than 20 twice in 18 years of NBA service. As for Bill Russell, he only finished with a PER over 20.0 four times in 13 seasons. Then again, nobody ever labeled him Mr. Efficient in his career either.
Who Is The Greatest Center Of All Time?
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 44 Points (5 Categories Won)
2. Shaquille O’Neal – 36 Points (2 Categories Won)
3. Wilt Chamberlain – 30 Points (1 Category Won)
4. Hakeem Olajuwon – 27 Points (1 Category Won)
5. Bill Russell – 20 Points Won (1 Category Won)
When it comes to our perfect formula, it revealed what most believe to be the truth pertaining to NBA centers. As far as greatness goes, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the GOAT center by a pretty wide margin in the grand scheme of things. With the most MVP awards, All-Star selections, All-NBA Team selections, and total win shares, it is a hard fact to dispute him coming out on top. Another non-surprise is Shaq coming in at second considering many believe him to be the greatest center in NBA history simply because of how special he was at his peak.
Even with the odds stacked against him for his era not favoring more than one of these categories, Wilt Chamberlain still managed to finish in third with 30 total points and a win in the best stats category. Rounding out the list are Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Russell in the fourth and fifth spots respectively. This could be used as ammo to the “Bill Russell only won because his era was weak” argument, or for real basketball fans, it will drive home the fact that accolades do not tell the entire story.
When it comes to these five great centers in their careers, Kareem stands out above the rest even before we concluded our discussion today. Let’s hope more NBA fans can get on board with the fact that he is far and away the greatest center in NBA history. Let us also hope that more NBA fans begin to appreciate just how great all five of them were during their careers.
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