American media ranks the top 20 centers in history: Jabbar at the top, O'Neal at 4th, Jokic at 7th, and Yao Ming not on the list.

On August 7th, Beijing time, the well-known American media HoopsHype continued to update its historical top 20 rankings for various positions. Following the top 20 point guards, shooting guards, small forwards, and power forwards, the top 20 centers were announced today. Jabbar ranks first, O'Neal is 4th, Howard is 15th, and Yao Ming did not make the list. The only two active centers listed are Jokic at 7th and Embiid at 17th.

The specific rankings are as follows—

Positions 1-5: 1. Jabbar, 2. Bill Russell, 3. Chamberlain, 4. O'Neal, 5. Olajuwon;

Positions 6-10: 6. Moses Malone, 7. Jokic, 8. David Robinson, 9. Ewing, 10. George Mikan;

Positions 11-15: 11. McAdoo, 12. Unseld, 13. Parish, 14. Willis Reed, 15. Howard;

Positions 16-20: 16. Cowens, 17. Embiid, 18. Bill Walton, 19. Gilmore, 20. Thurmond

Here is an analysis of the top 5 centers and the 2 active players—

1. Jabbar

Major honors: 6-time NBA champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 6-time regular season MVP, 10-time NBA First Team selection, 19-time All-Star, 5-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection

Regular season stats ranking: 2nd in scoring, 3rd in blocks and rebounds, 50th in assists, 112th in steals

Playoff stats ranking: 2nd in blocks, 3rd in scoring, 6th in rebounds, 32nd in assists, 36th in steals

With his iconic skyhook shot and comprehensive dominance in scoring, rebounding, and blocking, Jabbar maintained his peak performance throughout nearly 20 years of his career. This legendary big man won the Finals MVP twice, with a 14-year gap between the two awards (in 1971 and 1985). Most players' careers don't last nearly as long, yet he remained at the top level for such an extended period.

2. Bill Russell

Major honors: 11-time NBA champion, 5-time regular season MVP, 11-time NBA All-Team selection, 12-time All-Star, 1 Olympic gold medal

Regular season stats ranking: 2nd in rebounds, 121st in assists, 175th in scoring

Playoff stats ranking: 1st in rebounds, 30th in assists, 41st in scoring

Bill Russell's record of 11 NBA championships will forever remain unmatched, as no one has come close to this achievement. In fact, his resume is often "underestimated" due to the limitations of his era—many awards such as Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year were not established during his peak. Additionally, since blocks were not recorded at that time, we will never know Russell's total career blocks. He likely ranks high on the blocks list, similar to the next player on this list, which is one reason we consider him the greatest defensive player of all time.

Although Russell's career may not be the longest, the success he achieved during that time is legendary. Interestingly, his MVP count (5 times) even exceeds the number of times he was selected to the First Team (3 times).

3. Chamberlain

Major honors: 2-time NBA champion, 1-time Finals MVP, 4-time regular season MVP, 7-time NBA First Team selection, 13-time All-Star, 2-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection

Regular season stats ranking: 1st in rebounds, 7th in scoring, 86th in assists

Playoff stats ranking: 2nd in rebounds, 21st in scoring, 38th in assists

Chamberlain is the most dominant big man in NBA history offensively, although this is partly due to the competitive level of his era. However, when a player reaches the level of dominance that Chamberlain did, the identity of the opponent becomes less significant.

Nevertheless, Chamberlain's team achievements are somewhat lacking—his regular season performance usually outshines his playoff performance, and many believe this is due to his reluctance to commit fouls in crucial moments, as his free throw shooting was notoriously poor.

Chamberlain's single-season records for rebounds and scoring remain unbroken to this day. Moreover, his average scoring ranks second in history, only behind Jordan. Had Jordan played one more season with the Wizards, Chamberlain might have even become the all-time scoring leader. He is also the only player in NBA history to lead in scoring, rebounds, and assists in a single season, and he retired as the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at that time.

4. O'Neal

Major honors: 4-time NBA champion, 3-time Finals MVP, 1-time regular season MVP, 8-time NBA First Team selection, 15-time All-Star, 3-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, 1 Olympic gold medal, 1 World Cup gold medal

Regular season stats ranking: 8th in blocks, 9th in scoring, 15th in rebounds, 235th in assists, 355th in steals

Playoff stats ranking: 4th in blocks, 5th in scoring and rebounds, 53rd in assists, 92nd in steals

Since the era of Chamberlain, O'Neal has been the most dominant force in the NBA—combining a massive physique, incredible strength, and explosive athleticism. During O'Neal's peak, opposing teams' strategies were almost entirely focused on how to contain him. Many previously mediocre centers (like Eric Dampier) benefited greatly simply because they could serve as another "meat shield" to wear down O'Neal.

Looking back now, it seems somewhat absurd that O'Neal only won 1 regular season MVP throughout his career—he was the most dominant player in the league for multiple seasons. Although O'Neal's off-court pursuit of stardom may have slightly affected his on-court focus, his career remained incredibly destructive, even with his poor free throw shooting.

5. Olajuwon

Major honors: 2-time NBA champion, 2-time Finals MVP, 1-time regular season MVP, 6-time NBA First Team selection, 12-time All-Star, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, 5-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, 1 Olympic gold medal

Regular season stats ranking: 1st in blocks, 10th in steals, 14th in scoring and rebounds, 231st in assists

Playoff stats ranking: 3rd in blocks, 13th in rebounds, 16th in scoring, 21st in steals, 73rd in assists

Olajuwon is one of the greatest big men in history, maintaining elite performance on both ends of the court—his exquisite footwork in the post and top-tier defensive skills complement each other perfectly. Olajuwon is known for having the most career blocks in history (though it should be noted that blocks were not recorded before the 1973-74 season). Additionally, he is the only player in NBA history to rank in the top 15 in scoring, rebounds, blocks, and steals across four major statistics.

7. Jokic

Major honors: 1-time NBA champion, 1-time Finals MVP, 3-time regular season MVP, 1-time Conference Finals MVP, 5-time NBA First Team selection, 7-time All-Star, 1 Olympic silver medal, 1 Olympic bronze medal

Regular season stats ranking: 59th in assists, 75th in rebounds, 124th in scoring, 212th in steals, 263rd in blocks

Playoff stats ranking: 35th in assists, 38th in rebounds, 44th in scoring, 94th in steals, 107th in blocks

Jokic is the most skilled passing big man in history (this conclusion is now indisputable), and his legend continues to grow year by year. In the 2023-24 season, this Serbian superstar became the ninth player in NBA history to win three regular season MVPs; he then led the Serbian team to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, becoming the first player in Olympic basketball history to lead in scoring, rebounds, and assists simultaneously. In the 2024-25 season, he maintained MVP-level performance, once again being selected as an All-Star and to the First Team.

As a center, Jokic is almost capable of anything: creating opportunities for teammates like a point guard, executing low-post plays with high efficiency, shooting threes to stretch the floor, and his signature floaters are nearly always on target. His defense is also improving, with rebounding skills comparable to a beast, and he has accumulated numerous steals through agile and intelligent judgments.

17. Embiid

Major honors: 1-time regular season MVP, 5-time NBA All-Team selection, 7-time All-Star, 3-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection, 1 Olympic gold medal

Regular season stats ranking: 178th in blocks, 258th in scoring, 285th in rebounds

Playoff stats ranking: 77th in blocks, 131st in rebounds, 136th in scoring, 293rd in assists, 329th in steals

When calculating data per minute, very few players in NBA history can match Joel Embiid's efficiency. When healthy, he becomes one of the most unstoppable big men with his massive frame, agile movement, and diverse offensive arsenal.

However, the issue lies in his limited playing time—frequently missing games due to health problems. Additionally, his playoff performances can be inconsistent. If he can stay healthy and lead the 76ers deeper into the playoffs, there is potential for him to rise in this ranking.