DeMarcus Cousins recently named his top five centers of all time, but the former big man’s list had a surprising omission. In a respectable yet unconventional ranking, Boogie included several legends that are always placed near the top but also added a couple of names some haven’t considered for their lists.
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The four-time All-Star notably left off two of basketball’s pioneers in Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell, who were dominant in their time but faced significantly weaker competition than those in future decades. Still, though, usually one of the 1960s icons is featured in rankings like these considering Russell’s championships and Wilt’s unbreakable records.
Cousins named Shaquille O’Neal the greatest center ever, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon, the usual suspects at the top of all-time center rankings. But he followed those three up with a current great, Nikola Jokic, and David Robinson, a legend in his own right, but someone who is rarely mentioned in top-five lists.
After playing the position for 11 years in the NBA and becoming the unanimous top center for half a decade, Cousins certainly knows what it takes to become a great big man. His list is much more realistic and uncontroversial compared to some of the rankings we’ve seen from other retired players.
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Boogie even gave his opinion on the current state of centers in the NBA. The 34-year-old may no longer be a dominant force in the NBA, but he’s still paying close attention to how big men are faring in the league today.
DeMarcus Cousins ranked his current top five centers
In another commendable list, Cousins ranked his top five centers in today’s game, notably including Victor Wembanyama despite Chandler Parsons’ insistence that he’s a power forward. Boogie put out another straightforward list filled with MVPs and defensive stalwarts.
Cousins listed Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, and Wemby, respectively, as his top five. Considering Embiid’s persisting injury woes compared to Jokic’s consistent dominance, Boogie’s placement of those two may draw some reactions. But the rest of his list is right in line with the consensus.
Adebayo has taken over as the leader of the Miami Heat this season, remaining as versatile as ever. AD, despite being injured now, was in the midst of one of his best seasons with the Lakers. Meanwhile, Wembanyama’s fifth-place ranking is likely the lowest we’ll see him for the next 15 years.
With most of his top five on the shelf for the rest of the season, it will be interesting to see if there is any movement in Cousins’ list in the next few months.
