Who are the greatest big men in the NBA's History of All Time?

I will say

1.Bill Russell
2.Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3.Shaquille O'Neal
4.Tim Duncan
5.Hakeem Olajuown

Maybe Kareem>Russell but since i always appreacated defense so i will go with Russell.

Hmmmm...I'm assuming you mean centers, or are you including PFs too? (I see Duncan up there, and I don't know if you see him as a PF or a C).

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. All-time leading scorer in NBA history with the most unguardable shot in NBA history (the skyhook), but also an excellent passer and defender. He's the most complete center of all time (to me), just barely ahead of Hakeem. I'll throw out the disclaimer that I'm probably biased here thanks to my Lakers upbringing. If you think so, put Hakeem ahead of him.
2. Hakeem Olajuwon. Very difficult to guard thanks to arguably the most refined post game in NBA history and an incredibly tough defender. 'Nuff said.
3. Shaquille O'Neal-The most physically dominant center of all time. Could force anyone out of his way and reject anyone going up against him, too.
4. Bill Russell-Blasphemy to some to have him so low, I know, but he played in a much smaller, weaker league where the only center of comparable size was Wilt (and you'll notice Wilt comes after). Russell was a superb leader and lockdown defender, with a solid offensive game to boot. Just not enough to overcome the guys above him, I think.
5. Wilt Chamberlain-I'd love to rank him higher, but I don't see him being better than the other four. Similar to Russell, he had the size to muscle people around, but that may have been simply because they were so much smaller (again, except for Russell). Still, you can't deny his accomplishments. Finals MVPs, ROY, top-notch scorer, underrated defender (Kareem commented that Wilt played some of the toughest defense he'd ever faced).

HM: Bill Walton (wish I could put him up there, but too many injuries; greatest passing big man ever), George Mikan, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing

Hakeem the Dream.

I'm putting awards and accomplishments aside (even thought he's got a lot).

I've just always respected Hakeem the most. His offensive game was a thing of beauty. His defense was a study of angles and timing. His leadership... never questioned, everyone followed Hakeem's lead. He was smart, fast, strong, athletic, patient, nimble, forceful, clutch... basically whatever you need Olajuwon to be he could do.

MJ was quoted saying that (during the early 90's): After a loss on his home floor at Chicago Stadium in 1993, Jordan said, "We have no answer for the big guy. It's a good thing they won't ever make it to the (NBA) Finals, because I don't think we could beat them."

Names I would consider putting in the top 5:

Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1) [9 trips to the Finals, 6 wins, a great scorer and defender, he's hands down the best big man ever]
Bill Russell (2) [Russell was a great physical defender, and the best player on the the Celtics 60s dynasty, we'll never know how good his defensive statistics were]
Hakeem Olajuwon (3) [The greatest statistical big man ever defensively, also 2-1 in the finals with never having had a healthy superstar beside him]
Wilt Chamberlain (4) [1-3 in the Finals really hurts him, especially since he lost to Bill Russell's Celtics twice]
Tim Duncan(5) [4 rings and a a consistent 20-10 as the best player on those teams]
Shaquille O' Neal (5) [In his prime, was possible the most dominant big man ever, and won 3 straight championships as Laker's best player]
Karl Malone (7)
David Robinson (8 )
Charles Barkley (9)
Moses Malone (10)
Patrick Ewing (11)
George Mikan(12)

I have a hard time deciding between Duncan and Shaq, but neither of their careers has finished yet, so I'll leave them in a tie for 5th

I've seen a number of fans make the claim that Olajuwon is the best center of all time. They're wrong, but quite a few people have said it.

It could be said that the best "teammate" Olajuwon had was Clyde Drexler, although he did play with Sampson during the best part of Sampson's career.

I would not consider the 90s to be the best era for big men... you basically had 4 or 5 HOF quality centers in the league in Shaq, Olajuwon, Ewing, Robinson and possibly Zo. Maybe Mutombo if you want to go that far. But that was IT.

In the 70s, we had Jabbar, Walton when he was healthy, Cowens, Reed, Hayes, Unseld, Thurmond, Jerry Lucas, Wilt, Walt Bellamy, Bob Lanier, Moses Malone, Bob McAdoo, plus Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel and Mel Daniels from the ABA. Not all of those guys played throughout the 70s, but they were all there during that generation.

All of the NBA guys I named are Hall of Famers, Issel is a HOF as well, but Gilmore certainly should be in there too, and even Daniels has a decent argument, although I don’t see him ever making it, unfortunately.

Olajuwon did destroy Ewing in the 94 finals, no question about that. And while Olajuwon's footwork was great, the "Dream Shake" is the 2nd most overplayed and overrated move in NBA history (the most overrated was Jordan switching hands on an uncontested layup in the '91 finals). Olajuwon's footwork developed while playing soccer as a child.

You've already made the point yourself that blocked shots were not an official NBA stat during the careers of Russell and Chamberlain, otherwise, they'd be 1 and 2 (or 2 and 1) in that category. While blocks were not an official stat, newspaper accounts of games involving Wilt and Russell would often mention how many shots they blocked... it was not unusual for them to block 6-8 shots in a typical game. I'm not saying that's what they averaged, I'm just mentioning that it was common for them to have numbers like that. Both players and referees confirmed those numbers in subsequent interviews over the years.

Heck, Wilt blocked 17 shots in his very first NBA game (oh and btw, he also chipped in with 43 points and 28 rebounds that night).

Blocks (and steals) were not officially kept by the NBA until the 1973-74 season (the season after Wilt retired), and the NBA does not recognize ANY blocked shots by Wilt or Russell (even though they're on film).

Olajuwon would be no better than 4th on the all time blocked shot list had the stat been kept by the NBA from day one. He might even be #5, I think Nate Thurmond probably would have blocked more shots in his prime than Olajuwon.

Both Russell and Wilt would also be high up on the steals list (for a center) had that been an official stat as well during their careers.

If Pete Newell says that Olajuwon has the best footwork he'd ever seen in a big man, I'll take his at his word. Newell's been a coach/scout/consultant for a long time, and he has indeed seen them all.

However, having the best footwork doesn't automatically make you the best player. Charles Barkley, for example, had terrible footwork, but he was still a heck of a player. I wouldn't be able to name too many forwards in NBA history who were better than he was.

Olajuwon had some weaknesses in his game that were not always easy for a casual fan to spot. His passing skills were never that great, and his in-depth knowledge of the game was lacking in some areas (he did not really play basketball at all until his late teens).

His remarkable athleticism made up for his relative lack of overall knowledge. He didn’t always have a knowledge or feel for where every one of the other 9 guys were on the court.

When Olajuwon came into the league, for example, some teams used to try to play him physically by getting a strong player to lean on him. But that actually made Olajuwon’s job easier, because he could feel his man leaning on him and spin off of him (there’s that great footwork again). However, Pat Riley discovered that if you play off of him in the post, then Olajuwon would have to physically turn in order to locate the defender (because he couldn’t use the spin move). That gave a team time to double team him and take the ball out of his hands (and as a bonus, his poor passing skills could sometimes be exploited).

That’s just one example, but it’s something that not many people know about. All they ever talk about is the one move he made against David Robinson, and from that alone, they proclaim him as the best center ever.

Olajuwon did win 2 rings, but imo, probably would have only won 1 ring at most had Jordan not retired. Still, you play who you play, and it’s not his fault Jordan retired early. But Olajuwon did play great in both of those finals, and outplayed both Ewing and (a young, raw) Shaq. Still, although you say that Olajuwon didn’t have any great teammates, neither did Ewing… so it was one one-man team against another in ’94. He deserved both rings that he won. And I’m glad he won them. I always liked him and enjoyed watching him play.

In the 70s and 80s, you needed several HOF or HOF quality players in order to win a championship. The fact that Olajuwon was able to win 2 titles in the 1990s with those teammates says more about the overall weakness of the NBA and the fact that the talent was spread so thinly than it does about him being the greatest center of all time.

Btw, when Kareem was 39 years old (1986) and Olajuwon was about 23, Kareem was named first team all-NBA over Olajuwon. Kareem destroyed both Olajuwon and Sampson during those days. Don’t get me wrong, Olajuwon was great even at that age, but the fact that Kareem was first team all-NBA at age 39 tells us all we need to know about who was better. You don’t want to know what Kareem would have done to Olajuwon in his prime!

But Wilt, Russell and Kareem are (in some order) still the 3 best centers to ever play the game. Olajuwon is one of maybe 3 guys who have a legitimate claim to be #4 (along with Moses Malone and Shaq). Walton was actually a better player than Olajuwon as well, but we can’t rate him over Hakeem because Walton’s career was injury prone.

The 1990s saw a decline in the overall quality of centers. And again, don’t get me wrong, it’s not the fault of Hakeem, Ewing, Robinson or Shaq as to when they were born. They came to the NBA when they did. But the 1990s NBA was becoming loaded down with too many guys who came right out of high school and weren’t ready for the NBA (other than their potential).

Anyway, it’s no crime to be the 4th best center in NBA history. Olajuwon was an awesome player to watch.

There Hoop Fan you finally understood my points but i have a feelings you are little using Tweety;s opinions on this one but it's ok

Anyways i have the list

Bill Russell-The greatest defender,post defender,shot blocker,center and great overall player.The guy played hard defense since his rookie years,he didn't even score at times because of playing at the defensive end.Centers like Shaq,Wilt,Gilmore,Hakeem were physical post defenders but a certain group of big men like Russell,Duncan,others were dominating post defenders with IQ.Bill came in all offense and no defensive team,played great defense and made guys around him HOFers.He averged in his era 22 RPG and over 23 RPG in his post career,blocks,offensive/defensive boards didn't count but if blocks counted Russell would have been on the top.In his era he gave you 22 RPG/8 BPG at the defensive end,in this era he could give 15 RPG/5 BPG and lots of DPOYs

He was also force on the offensive end,averged 4,7 APG and 15 PPG.Not bad in team full with scorers.His outlet passes created lots of brakes and for one great passing PG he would have lots of assists and Russell himself had like many.Bill Russell was good post scorer,in this era put him on any of the league's best teams now he would averge 20 PPG/4 APG.

#2 Kareem Abdul Jabbar,Shaquille O'Neal
Kareem-The greatest all around center,greatest sky hoop shooter,the man with the best acomplishments etc.Jabbar was preety much good defensive center duo to his fantastic scoring skills.Fancy passes,terrific mastering on the toughest shot in the league,acomplished a lot of a big man.

The most under-rated side is his defensive skills,in terms of rebounding and shot blocking.A typical Russell post defender,more IQ then physical,great rebounder.One of the most dominating rebounders in modern basketball history after the 60's.

Still,fighting back with leukemia and i hope he gets better and teaches centers in the league about the tougness of beeing a center


Shaquille O'Neal-The M.D.E,greatest power dunker and one of the most all around center.The guy was a force,recognized with power and finesse,quickness on his size and stregth,great overall center that couldn't shot...

Altrough his offensive post skills were extremly recognized(my fave all time player) still his defensive side was too much under-rated.Among current center,you have Shaq leading them in blocks and rebounds,ranks high on the all time lists and made some impact with physical presence.There's time for him to acomplish more

[b]These are the greatest NBA centers and big men in any order you put them you have them right.I have them like this,still they are infront of group of solid candidates in the name of Hakeem,Wilt etc.

Now people will ask,why did i put them over the named centers like Wilt and Hakeem,well here's the answer.

Russell,Shaq and Jabbar made guys around them better.

Bill came in all offense no defense team and helped them to win 11 rings.He played defense and made them better,he made them Hall Of Famers and Top 10 players on their respective spots.I forgot to mention that Bill is the greatest winner ever and won 2 rings AS A COACH.

Jabbar,entered the league,helped Big O winning his ring,then helped Magic to impact his game and guys around him look like beasts

Shaq,since he entered the league he made Hardaway good,then came to the Lakers,made Phill win some rings,turned Kobe and Wade into superstar players.I'm sure he would help LeBron too

There and i agree with Hoop Fan that the greatest era of centers is the 70's

Tim Duncan ranks really high on my list.The guy is a winner,he also made Manu and PArker into good players,helped the Admiral winning 2 rings and then swept for the other 2 rings.

He's the most tradtional and yet the best Power Forward of all time.Acomplishments in or not,still his effective post game,rebounding,shot blocking and clucthness along side excellent leadership are a good example.Duncan is impressive

Hakeem Olajuown is discribded decent on other guys posts

1. hakeem

2.kareem

3.shaq

4.wilt chamberlain

5. patrick ewing

You know although Patrick Ewing did have players that I grew up idolizing, like the Charles Smith's, Charles Oakley's, John Starks's, Charlie Ward's, Chris Childs's, Allan Houston's, Latrell Sprewell's, Marcus Camby's, Larry Johnson's, Herb Williams's, Kurt Thomas's, and so on and so one ecetera ecetera. I've always wondered how the already great C that could do it all on the floor how great he would have been if he had a Bernard King (who suffered a career suffering injury upon the time Ewing was drafted and forced out of NY). I mean Patrick Ewing possessed a much greater skill set than other dominating C's like Shaquille O'Neal & Wilt Chamberlain. Imagine if Ewing ever had a Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and LeBron James player alongside him? Imagine if Ewing had a Jerry West alongside him as well? Hakeem had Sam Cassell, Otis Thorpe, and Clyde the Clyde Drexler makes you wonder. No disrespect to the guys I grew up watching playing alongside Patrick Ewing, but if he just had a little bit more to work with in his supporting cast there's no doubt in my mind that he could of stood above the Chamberlain's and the Shaq's.

1.Hakeem

Might not have the accomplishments of the other guys but he is just better. He has the best post moves for a center and arguably the best for any big man (only one who could challenge would be McHale ) He also is arguably the best defensive center being able to defend and humiliate the great centers of the 90's (Ewing,Shaq and Robinson all got humiliated by this guy!) Also his leadership has been proven by winning 2 rings in the 90's and other than maybe drexler one year (who was past prime) he didnt have a whole lot of star help. Kareem played with someone who was better than him,shaq had a partner in kobe who was young but still great.

2.Kareem

Great center overall. He is the most accomplished player in the history of the NBA. He was a great rebounder and one of the greatest scorers ever. He also was one of the most consistent superstars being a great player even at his final years and of course who could forget the sky hook. Only thing that sets him apart from one to me is just the fact that magic kinda shadows kareems accomplishments a little and his defence isnt AS GOOD AS HAKEEM not to say he wasnt a good defender.

3.Shaq

Ouch this one was tough to decide. Shaq was......undoubtably the most phisically dominant player to have ever played. Other than hakeem no one really slowed him down at all in his prime. He could literally back down any one and score possesion after possesion and was also a presence inside who could block shots and get the boards.

4.Russel

Indivisually he doesnt bring much but his cohessiveness with his teammates was amazing. As a center he doesnt try to overacheive but he does his job and does it well. Arguably the greatest defensive center ever and he also won 11 rings with the celtics and before he came the celtics werent even that good :O

5.Wilt

I think the whole 60's situation whih who he was guarded by was one of the reason he is 5th on my list but if he would average that many points if he was guarded by a real center he should still be a stud. And of course Russel always contained him.....and wilt took out his frustrations on women.......

Hakeem "The Dream" Olajuwon is the most skilled C on the face of the earth to have ever played in the NBA. I stand by this in absolute terms.

Chosen One wrote:

2.Kareem

Great center overall. He is the most accomplished player in the history of the NBA. He was a great rebounder and one of the greatest scorers ever. He also was one of the most consistent superstars being a great player even at his final years and of course who could forget the sky hook. Only thing that sets him apart from one to me is just the fact that magic kinda shadows kareems accomplishments a little and his defence isnt AS GOOD AS HAKEEM not to say he wasnt a good defender.

How isn;t Kareem>Hakeem?At the age of 38,Kareem made the All-NBA First Team ahead of 23 years old Hakeem back then.Also,Jabbar maneged to beat every great center of the 70's and 80's,btw,the 70's=best era for centers.How's that not recognized?

TonyEM wrote:

You know although Patrick Ewing did have players that I grew up idolizing, like the Charles Smith's, Charles Oakley's, John Starks's, Charlie Ward's, Chris Childs's, Allan Houston's, Latrell Sprewell's, Marcus Camby's, Larry Johnson's, Herb Williams's, Kurt Thomas's, and so on and so one ecetera ecetera. I've always wondered how the already great C that could do it all on the floor how great he would have been if he had a Bernard King (who suffered a career suffering injury upon the time Ewing was drafted and forced out of NY). I mean Patrick Ewing possessed a much greater skill set than other dominating C's like Shaquille O'Neal & Wilt Chamberlain. Imagine if Ewing ever had a Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash, and LeBron James player alongside him? Imagine if Ewing had a Jerry West alongside him as well? Hakeem had Sam Cassell, Otis Thorpe, and Clyde the Clyde Drexler makes you wonder. No disrespect to the guys I grew up watching playing alongside Patrick Ewing, but if he just had a little bit more to work with in his supporting cast there's no doubt in my mind that he could of stood above the Chamberlain's and the Shaq's.

Tony,do you know why has Ewing lost in the Finals vs Olajuown and the Rockets

I will tell you a good reason.Allan Houston or somebody else had 0-11 FG which costed him a ring

John Starks

lol


Allan Houston was still a rookie on the Detroit Pistons w. Grant Hill & Joe Dumars when the Knicks played the Rockets in the Finals.

Sorry but if he had atleast 40-50% FG then they would have won a championship

I know the Knicks had a very good team, like the rest of the 90's that season. John Starks was on fire throughout that entire season & post-season he picked the wrong time for the fire to run out. He was an All-star that season averaging 19+ a game I always liked his hustle, but that game he needed to stop shooting & Riley messed up not putting in sub-in Renaldo Blackman. To this day Riley said, that's the biggest mistake he's made in his coaching career. There was more than a great chance that if Riley sat down Starks who didn't have the hand that night that Ewing would have gotten his ring.

Well,atleast he made the HOF

Why do people in these days think the 60's era was weak era?

Back in 1980 where there 23 teams during the NBA's 35th anniversary when Russell was voted by basketball writers , experts and pundits as the Greatest Player of All Time, the argument that Russell played in a "weak era" because he played in an 8 team league or there were plenty of white guy back then etc. was NEVER brought up.

Maybe because it was a STUPID argument to begin with. Boohoo. Russell played in an era with white men a plenty. If this isnt one of the most prime examples of Black racism. Attributing basketball talent (on which athleticism plays but a small part) with race is stupid and embarrasing. For shame . . . . we're supposed to be better than this.

On Russell playing in a weak era . . . .

The level of competition in Russell's era in the 60's is exceptionally tougher. Why? Because the level of competition is dependent on the quality of players on the League NOT on the quantity. And during that time, the talent is concentrated into just 8-9 teams.

The top talent in the 90's are diluted into 30 teams which makes for weak competition.

The NCAA and NIT (when it still mattered) was concentrated in only 8-9 teams. The 24th pick of the 1st round today would be the final pick of the 3rd round in the 60's. Only the cream of the crop get to play in the NBA in the 60's. To cite an example, Russell would face off Wilt Chamberlain 8-9 times a season. When he is not fighting Wilt, he is fending off other Hall of Famers 8-9x again like Nate Thurmond, Jerry Lucas, Willis Reed etc. you get the drift. They have to work their butts off almost everytime.

In contrast, Shaq only facedoff with Ewing in the East 4x and faces-off with Hakeem and Robinson in the West 2x. The top centers spend most of their time fending off middling talent like Ilgauskas. Where is the challenge in that? You consider this a competitive era?

Russell and Wilt dueled 142x during a ten year period. Compared that to Bird and Magic who for close to eleven years, only dueled 37x. The top players in the 60's face an opponent worthy of his abilities MORE OFTEN.

During the 90's, there were 6 teams that were added into the League. Thats 72 slots for less talented players to fill. Players who wouldve been cutoff at training camp in the 80's got their chance in the 90's.


And oh, the average height of centers back then in the 60's is 6'10, the same as Russell's height. The sixties having 6'6 centers is an urban legend.

On Russell having great teammates . . . .

The Celtics are loaded with Hall of Famers because almost every other team in the League in the 60's are LOADED also with Hall of Famers.

Like i mentioned before, talent are concentrated in the 60's. Multiple Hall Of Famers are the norm unlike in the 90's were the top teams only got 1 or two Hall of Famers in the roster.

The St. Louis Hawks have:
Bob Petit
Ed Macauley
Slater Martin
Cliff Hagan
*Clyde Lovellete
and Lenny Wilkens in later years

San Francisco/ Philadelphia Warriors
Neil Johnston
Paul Azirin
Tom Gola
*Wilt
Nate Thurmond
Rick Barry

Syracuse Nationals/ Philadelphia 76ers
Red Kerr
Dolph Schayes
Hal Greer
Frank(?) Costello
Billy Cunningham
*Wilt

Minneapolis/LA Lakers
Vern Mikkelsen
Baylor
West
Gail Goodrich

Rochester Royals (Sac Kings)
Jack Twyman
Oscar Robertson
Jerry Lucas

To debunk the myth that Bill Russell only won championships because of his talented teammates . . . . .

The Celtics NEVER went to the NBA Finals before Russell even with Hall Of Famers like Coach Auerbach and players like Macauley, Cousy, Sharman, and Ramsey.

When Russell retired after the '69 season, the Celtics went down from 48 wins to 34 and they MISSED the Playoffs even with HoF's such as Havlicek, Sanders, Jo Jo White and Howell. A huge 14 game drop.

Russell has 5 rings w/o Cousy. He also has 5 rings
without Havlicek. He also has 2 rings without Red Auerbach as coach.

How many rings does Jordan have without Pippen and Phil Jackson? How come that Chicago only suffered a 2 point deficit in the Win-loss column when Jordan first retired in 1994? How come Pippen was able to lead a Jordan-less Bulls to the eastern Conference Finals?

This is what Wilt thinks whenever people say that Russell only won because of his HoF teammates:

"That team (the Celtics) wasn't so great until he got there. Once he got there, he (Bill Russell) was the piece that they were looking for. A lot of people have said to me, "Wilt, what if you had that team? Boy, you would never have lost!" NOT TRUE. If I was on their team, I would be taking away from some of what the other guys were doing. Everybody had a role on that team. (Tom) Heinsohn wouldn't be getting the same number of shots, nor would (Bill) Sharman, nor would (Bob) Cousy because I'd be shooting the ball a whole lot more. Bill Russell gave them just what they needed. I would've given them a little bit more in certain things, which I think would have made the team NOT AS GOOD. I've always believed that he made that team exactly what it was supposed to be. And you couldn't get any better."

- Wilt Chamberlain - third paragaraph from, Q: Can you talk more about Bill?

http://www.nba.com/history/chamberlain_5…

TonyEM wrote:

I know the Knicks had a very good team, like the rest of the 90's that season. John Starks was on fire throughout that entire season & post-season he picked the wrong time for the fire to run out. He was an All-star that season averaging 19+ a game I always liked his hustle, but that game he needed to stop shooting & Riley messed up not putting in sub-in Renaldo Blackman. To this day Riley said, that's the biggest mistake he's made in his coaching career. There was more than a great chance that if Riley sat down Starks who didn't have the hand that night that Ewing would have gotten his ring.

UGH!!!!...

That was painful to watch... 2-for-18 from the field, including 0-for-11 in the fourth quarter...

Yeah at such a young age I was so mad at Starks it took me awhile to forgive him. I was sad when they traded him to GS though. Although, Sprewell after his little fiasco @ Oakland with PJ was very good for NY.

Nice facts Hoop Fan

I will just add you on Russell.

I like history classes about NBA so i will say that before Bill Russell came to the Celtics they were all offensive team with no defense at all and full with such talented yet not fully proven players like Cousy,Sharman later Hondo,Jones etc.In 1956 Bill was drafted as third pick and changed the Celtics for ever

The guy was dominating defensive player who dominated there and was great but yet under-rated offensive center.He's the first ever to averge 20/20 in the NCAA so that means in this era he could averge easily double-double like 20/14/5

Also,he faced lots of great centers who were HOF caliber players like
-Wilt Chamberlain
-Nate Thurmond((HOF)
-Willis Reed(HOF)
-Jerry Lucas(HOF)
-Walt Belamy(HOF)
-Bob Petit(PF)(HOF)

Also in this era,there were other great centers who were in their stages of development like from college Gilmore,Jabbar

etc.Not to mention the HOF guards,forwards etc.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There were also other great centers/power forwards

Nate Thurmond is one of the best centers yet under-rated.He in his prime could block more shots then Hakeem,was awsome at the defensive end with the most skilled rebounding and great shot blocker with short jump shot and left handed moves.

Jerry Lucas,one of the most toughest rebounders and decent scorer

Walt Belamy,original 20/10 guy under-rated and undersized like with 6'9

Willis Reed,18/12 guy throghout his career,led the Knicks to championships

Bob Petit,a PF guy who faced Russell in the Finals twice

This era has more HOF big men then the 90's or it's really about tie

Bottomline, Wilt and Russell are not overrated.

In fact, they're 1-2 greatest centers in NBA...

HoopFan wrote:

Bottomline, Wilt and Russell are not overrated.

In fact, they're 1-2 greatest centers in NBA...

They were awsome,but this is just who understands the game in diffrent way he would have diffrent call.I still have Wilt behind my Top 3,Russell,Shaq,Jabbar but he isn't far away

I just for many reasons don;t have Wilt and Hakeem in the top 3

TonyEM wrote:

Yeah at such a young age I was so mad at Starks it took me awhile to forgive him. I was sad when they traded him to GS though. Although, Sprewell after his little fiasco @ Oakland with PJ was very good for NY.

Me too...

I mean I wasn't young...but I was mad... but I got over it eventually. I do remember loudly yelling at my TV. Hoping Starks could eventually hear me yell "PASS THE BALL JOHN!!!!"

I felt like that night effected the rest of his career. He was never the same player after that... much like Nick Anderson after missing those free-throws in the Finals vs. Houston a year later.

Muggsy Bogues fosho.