< Back to front page Text size – +

How I rank centers

Print | Comments () Posted by Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff June 3, 2011 01:14 PM

Tweet
E-mail

By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist

Apropos my ranking of Shaquille O'Neal vying for the fourth spot on the all-time roster of NBA centers along with Moses Malone, and my assertion that no one could reasonably argue against Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-jabbar being the top three (in that order), a few people have asked about my well-known belief that Bill Walton was the greatest center we've ever had.

For those who don't know, here is my premise:

If Planet Earth were involved in a winner-take-all one-game basketball playoff against an alien invader, the loser to go into servitude for all eternity, my first pick of anyone who has ever played basketball in our known world would be a healthy Bill Walton. He was the most complete center ever, the perfect control tower through which to run both your offense and your defense.

But a career? Well, of course not. Injury prevented him from having the career he deserved. But for one game, I think he's the most important player who has ever laced up a sneaker.

So when I name the all-time centers I put him over on the side.

This blog is not written or edited by Boston.com or the Boston Globe.
The author is solely responsible for the content.