xray

My skill ranking would be:

1) Hakeem
2) Kareem
3) Osama (sorry, got on a Muslim trip)
3) Wilt
4) Shaq
5) Russell

Shaq didn't have the moves - even in his prime - that those above him did, imo.

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Minstrel

I thought I already convinced you in a debate over the two of them?!

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1. Wilt
2. Kareem
3. Shaq
4. Moses
5. Hakeem
6. Russel

Knick_Killer31

Wilt Chamberlain is not only the greatest Centre of all time but in my in the greatest player.

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roux2dope

Wilt dominated his peers in the same fashion that Gretzky and Tiger Woods did. The only knock on Wilt was for as dominant he was he didnt win more championships....oh yeah 100 points in a game, nifty.

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MAS RipCity

1-Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon
No one could gaurd him and he was a monster on defense.
2-Kareem Abdul-Jabar
All-time scoring leader..nuff said.
3-Arvydas Sabonis
If he would have came over when drafted, he would have lit the league on fire
4-Shaquille O'Neal
5-Bill Russell
6-Moses Malone
7-David Robinson
8-Wilt Chamberlain
9-Patrick Ewing
10-Yao Ming...for now

Sorry, I jsut don't think Wilt was that great. He was simply taller than everyone else. At least guys like Shaq had some atheltic ability.

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1 Penny

1a. Hakeem Olajuwon (I got to watch him, and never seen someone dominated both ends night in and night out... technically the most gifted/skilled center I've ever seen.)

1b. Wilt Chamberlain (havent seen him.. so based on his accomplishment/reputation)

1c. Bill Russell (havent seen him... so based on his acomplishment/reputation)

4. Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Just look at his accomplishments)

5a. Shaquille O'Neal (too lazy and didnt really face much elite big men during his prime)

5b. David Robinson (if it wasnt for his injuries, he would of been better than Shaq... Prototype Elite Center)

7a. Moses Malone (Machine, only got to see bits and pieces..)

mysterio

Good picks, B-Scott, I have pretty much the same order.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He passed Wilt's scoring production in less time than Wilt took to score his career total, the 12-foot sky-hook was the most unguardable move in the history of the game, he was everything a dominant center was supposed to be.

2. Hakeem Olajuwon. The the quickest bigman ever to play the game. Completely destroyed Shaq and the MVP D-Rob (proving who the real MVP was). Unreal on defense, greatest assortment of offensive moves.

3. Wilt Chamberlain. The second strongest big after Shaq. Put up absurd numbers. Say what you will about generation differences, but toward at the end of his career in the late 60s/early 70s, where the over-all talent in the NBA greatly increased, he was still putting up respectable numbers in scoring (especially fg %), and dominating the boards.

4. Shaq. As great as Shaq was he doesn't belong in the top 3. He peaked by his second season and stayed about as valuable for several years. He developed a few deceptive post moves when he started winning championships with Kobe, but he was not as athletic as he was when he was on the Magic when he was literally sent home crying when the dream put him away with ease. When he left the Lakers, they still continue to do well.

5. Bill Russell. He could gaurd Wilt, which is saying a lot. Integral part of the greatest dynasty in NBA history, but he was surrounded by a number of hall of famers.

My personal favorites are 1. Hakeem, 2. Kareem, 3. Walton, 4. Robinson, 5. Russell.

BadBaronRudigor

Hakeem may be the most underrated center of all time somewhere but it sure isn't here. While he was playing, it was an open question whether he was better than David Robinson or Patrick Ewing . . . or than Shaq once Shaq came into the league. Robinson actually outplayed Hakeem by a bit over their careers during the regular season; Hakeem's one series where he just used and abused Robinson was the start of this "Hakeem is one of the top 5 centers of all time" stuff and his playoff heroics throughout his career do make him one of the top 5 for me.

That said, putting him higher than 5th is a stretch. Shaq has accomplished more, both in championships, in regular season, and in dominance (maybe there was a giant talent void at center during the second half of Shaq's career; maybe all the rule changes designed to create more Miohael Jordans made it impossible for any less of a center than Shaq to dominate in his era, either way, Shaq dominated like no center since Wilt and Kareem, possibly since Wilt). I may buy the idea that he was the most skilled of all time, but Shaq was more dominant due to his much greater size (you could make an argument that Dirk Nowitski is the most skilled center of all time too, you couldn't make a good one that he was the greatest, there is a difference).

My top five:

Bill Russell (can't argue with results. Every year Chamberlain dominated the stats and Russell won the championship. He had some great teammates, Havlicek, maybe Cousy . . . and some good ones whose reputations were built on being Russell's teammates: Sam Jones, KC Jones, Heinsohn, Ramsey . . . and a great coach but he won, more than ANYONE, ever. Cousy never won anything even with a HOF center in Ed McCauley before Russell, Russell won it all 11 times in 13 years . . . as unbelievable as Wilt's 50.2 ppg over a season.

2. Wilt . . . if he didn't face Russell, he might have won more championships but there is no question that he dominated the league like no one before or since. He deliberately chose to stop being a dominant scorer because his coaches convinced him that would let him win championships or Kareem would never have caught him in points and he was also the greatest rebounder of all time. Heck, he even led the league in assists one year. And hard to claim he played in an era of weak centers with guys like Russell, Thurmond, Reed, even Kareem (who he outplayed face to face), etc. and a pre-expansion league that didn't have a lot of teams playing stiffs at center like many modern centers faced.

3. Kareem -- my choice for most skilled center of all time. Dominant, championships, longevity, class . . . great great player.

4. Shaq -- peak years better than Hakeem's peak years. Dominated the league despite rule changes, with Wilt the most physically unstoppable player ever to play in the league.

5. Hakeem -- a wonderful player but closer to the next 5 guys below him than the 4 above him. His playoff heroics elevate him over Moses, etc.

Mikan and Moses would be the other challengers to the top five. Mikan for his dominance but not on my list because of his slowball, white only era; Moses not on my list for his lack of passing and defensive intimidation (relative to the top guys).

For more discussion, there's a GOAT center thread somewhere in here that went on for about a month of excellent discussions if anyone wants to reference it.

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lw32

Anyone that doesn't have Wilt at the top...
I'm going with:
1. Wilt
2. Russell
3. Kareem
4. Hakeem
5. Shaq

I have new found respect for Russell's abilities. While he wasn't a force on the offensive end, after reading The Inside Game by Embry and the respect Russell had from his peers I have to put him second. I've never heard a single person from that era say Russell wasn't the first or second best center ever. Embry did play with/manage both Russell and Kareem by the way.

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mysterio