A couple of seasons ago, with Shaquille O'Neal slowing down and Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo on their last legs, the end of the big man as the centerpiece seemed to be here.
After all, you had players such as Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who would have been turned into centers years ago, defining themselves as power forwards.
But then Yao Ming came along and Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard have embraced -- not run from -- being centers.
So the demise of the big man has been greatly exaggerated. Still, until those players get more years in there will be no changes to the list of the 20 greatest centers in NBA and ABA history.
Player, years, unadjusted points
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1969-1989, 22675.9
2. Wilt Chamberlain, 1959-1973, 21728.5
3. Hakeem Olajuwon, 1984-2002, 19820.9
4. Bill Russell, 1956-1969, 19741.4
5. Shaquille O'Neal, 1992-2008, 18894.9
6. David Robinson, 1989-2003, 18417.4
7. Moses Malone, 1974-1995, 18098.5
8. George Mikan, 1948-1956, 18049
9. Artis Gilmore, 1971-1988, 17249.4
10. Pat Ewing, 1985-2002, 16568.1
11. Bob McAdoo, 1972-1986, 15283.7
12. Dave Cowens, 1970-1983, 15084.4
13. Bob Lanier, 1970-1984, 14551.1
14. Mel Daniels, 1967-1977, 14369.7
15. Robert Parish, 1976-1997, 14289.3
16. Willis Reed, 1964-1974, 14256.7
17. Alonzo Mourning, 1992-2008, 13702.7
18. Nate Thurmond, 1963-1977, 13536
19. Wes Unseld, 1968-1981, 13209
20. Dikembe Mutombo, 1991-2008, 12983.7
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