With the recent retirements of Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming, we continue looking back at great centers with this installation of the best centers of the 1990’s.

Drafted 1984

5x Playoffs All-Star 1991-1992
All-time 23rd in Rebounds

Willis’ best years in the NBA were from about 1991-1995, during which time he became an All-Star. By the time he won the NBA championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs in 2003, Willis was a senior member of the squad.

Career – 1991-1992 (Best Season)
18.3 ppg 15.5 rpg 50.6% FG

Drafted in 1988

1997-1998 All-Star Played 1989-2000

Smits played all twelve of his years with the Indiana Pacers, during which time he made one trip to the NBA Finals with Reggie Miller and Jalen Rose in 2000.

Career
14.8 ppg 6.1 rpg 1.3 bpg 50.7%

Drafted 1989

16 years 1x All-Star

In the 1990 NBA Finals, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Divac lost to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Then, in the 2002 Western Conference Finals while playing for the Sacramento Kings, he lost to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers in 7 games.

Year PPG RPG APG SPG BPG FG’s FT’s
Career 11.8 8.2 3.1 1.1 1.4 49.5% 69.2%
1994-1995 16.0 10.4 4.1 1.4 2.2 50.7% 77.7%

Drafted 1986

4x playoffs 4x All-Star (also in 1988)

Daugherty played from 1987-1994 all with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Career
19.0 ppg 9.5 rpg 3.7 apg 53% FG

Drafted 1992

11x playoffs 7x All-Star
2x DPY 1998-1999, 1999-2000
2006 NBA Title Led league in blocks (2x)

Career
17.1 ppg 8.5 rpg 1.1 apg 2.8 bpg 52% FG

Drafted 1991

4x Defensive Player of the Year 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
2x 1st team All-NBA 5x All-Star (8 career)
5x playoffs (13 career)
1996 Career-high 4.5 bpg
1992 Career-high 16.6 ppg
1993-1994 Avg. 5.75 bpg in playoffs
1993-1998 (6 seasons) Avg. 3.3 or more bpg

Mutombo played from 1991 to 2009, and he will always be remembered for his post-block finger wags.

Career
9.8 ppg 10.3 rpg 2.8 bpg 51.8% FG’s

Drafted 1985

11x All-Star ROY 1985-1986
2 NBA Finals 24th All-time in Rebounds
1992-1994 Best Defensive Rating in NBA

In his NBA Finals’ series, which both went seven games, Ewing had to match up against Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 and David Robinson (and Tim Duncan) in 1999.

Career
21 ppg 9.8 rpg 2.4 bpg 1.0 spg 50% FG

Drafted 1987

1995 MVP 2 NBA Titles (1999, 2003)
10x All-Star 10/14 yrs made playoffs
1991-1992 DPY Avg. 4.5 blocks, ’91-‘92
1989-1990 ROY 29th All-time in Rebounds
Led the NBA in Rebounds 2x, blocks 2x, ppg 2x, defensive rating 5x

One of Robinson’s most epic moments was the scoring title he won over Shaquille O’Neal.

Career
21.1 10.6 3.0 bpg 1.4 spg 2.5 apg 51.8% FG

Drafted 1992

1999-2000 MVP 6x All-Star (15 career)
1992-1993 ROY 4 Titles (0 in 1990’s)
3x led NBA in points 1998-2002 #1 in PER
5th All-time in Points 7th All-time in Blocks
12th All-time in Rebounds 3rd All-time in PER
2nd All-time in FG% (1st in FG Artis Gilmore)

Although Shaq may not have been the most-skilled center, his size and physical dominance as a young player were impossible to defend.

Shaq had so many great seasons that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. Basically, from 1993 ‘til 2003, he was the most physically dominant center in the NBA.
http://youtu.be/P4Rb_scbotw

Lastly, Shaq accumulated his big awards, his 4 championships, 3 Finals MVP’s and 4 All-Star MVP’s in the 2000’s. His best playoff years were 1999-2003, which is why he’s ranked number 1 on our top centers of the 2000’s list.

Career
23.7 ppg 10.9 rpg 2.3 bpg 2.5 apg 58% FG

Drafted 1984

1994 MVP 2 NBA Titles (’94, ’95)
7x All-Star (12 career) 2 NBA Finals MVP’s
2x DPY (1992-1994) 16th All-time in PER
Avg. over 4 bpg (3x) Avg. 2.1 spg & 4.6 bpg, 1990

In his 18 seasons, Olajuwon was not only an amazing defensive player, but he also developed an offensive game, so smooth and so precise that it was virtually un-guardable. During the Houston Rockets’ run to back-to-back NBA titles, Olajuwon led the charge, averaging about 30 ppg, over 10 rpg, over 4 apg, and 4.0 bpg.

To add to his credentials as the first pick, Olajuwon beat every other top center of his generation in a crucial playoff series.

Olajuwon’s Rockets beat Patrick Ewing’s Knicks in the 1994 Finals in seven games.

Olajuwon dominated David Robinson as the Rockets swept the Spurs in the 1995 Western Conference Finals.

Then, in the 1995, Olajuwon’s Rockets became the only team to sweep Shaquille O’Neal in the NBA Finals.

Career
PPG RPG BPG SPG APG FG FT
21.8 11.1 3.1 1.7 2.5 51.2% 71.2%

Honorable Mention

Arvydas Sabonis
Rony Seikaly
Elden Campbell

Rob S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition living in Los Angeles. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. De France has played, coached, and officiated competitive high school basketball in California for many years. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.