In the NBA, before Jordan's Bulls dynasty, the center was dominant. The four centers that people often say are divided into broad and narrow senses, so let's talk about them separately today.
1. The four centers in a broad sense.
In the history of the NBA, there have been many legendary centers, but if you have to rank them, there are four who deserve to occupy the top. They are "The Lord of the Rings" Bill Russell, "Big Handsome" Chamberlain, "Sky Hook" Abdul-Jabbar, and "Big Shark" O'Neal.
Russell has 11 championship rings, five MVPs, three first-team titles, eight second-team titles, and one first-team defense (no previous rebounding champion, 12 All-Star, and 1 AMVP).
Chamberlain's miracle of 100 points per game has not been broken so far, and scoring machines such as Jordan, Kobe, and Durant can only be matched. And the astonishing statistics of 50 points and 25 rebounds per game this season are no longer available.
Abdul-Jabbar is the second man in history, with 6 championships, 2 FMVPs, 6 MVPs, 10 first-team teams, 5 second-team teams, 5 first-team defenses, 6 second-team defenses, 2-time scoring champions, 1 rebounding champion, 4-time block champion, and 19-time All-Star.
O'Neal is known as the most dominant center of all time, and his lethality under the basket is unmatched. The only time in the 21st century that a triple championship was completed by O'Neal with the Lakers. If the history is ranked, I would prefer to rank him ahead of Kobe.
2. The four centers in the narrow sense.
It mainly refers to the four top centers in the first decade of the last century, and their contemporaries opened the league's center forward boom. They are "Big Dream" Olajuwon, "Admiral" Robinson, "Gorilla" Ewing, and "Big Shark" O'Neill.
Olajuwon's dream footsteps topped the league, and he was truly a supergiant that could be called an offensive and defensive one, except for Jordan, who was a big dream. Considering his team role to be in the top five in history, although the visual effects are not as good as O'Neal, he has no obvious shortcomings, and believes that Olajuwon is the first of the four centers.
Robinson averaged 21 per game in his career1 point, 106 rebounds, 25 assists, 14 steals, 30 blocks, second only to Big Dream in offensive and defensive data, he and Duncan formed a twin tower, won 2 championships, and won 1 MVP and 1 DPOY, which can be regarded as an offensive and defensive existence.
Ewing is the least honored and saddest of the four centers, because he belongs to the same East as Jordan, it is difficult to reach the finals at his peak, and the only time he lost to Big Dream. But Ewing is a Predator, and the New York Knicks he led back then were not even willing to go head-to-head with Jordan.
O'Neal, yes, is still O'Neal, the youngest of the four centers and the most accomplished.