“Centers Now or Centers Then?” Dwight Howard posted an intriguing IG reel showcasing big men from different eras of the NBA. The ‘Centers Now’ shot opens with Nikola Jokic wiping off his sweat, Joel Embiid celebrating, Draymond Green roaring, and Anthony Davis thumping his chest. The ‘Centers Then’ shot opens with a mean Shaquille O’Neal face, Chamberlain working on the post, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone reflecting on the game with stern expressions.
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Army-built David Robinson can also be seen in a face-off while a ripped Bill Russell is heading to the locker room. In the extended version of the comparison, ‘Centers Now’ begins with 2X MVP Nikola Jokic, Chet Holmgren, and Victor Wembanyama draining triples. Meanwhile, at 7’3” Bol Bol is performing multiple dribbling maneuvers and jamming it hard after fooling the entire defense.
In the “old school” Center segment, the shot starts with Shaquille O’Neal dominating at the rim. It includes one of Shaq’s signature dunks when he renders the rim too fragile to hold his thunderous power. In the next shots, Dwight Howard’s athleticism steals the show with his vertical-laden signature blocks and high-flying rim-smashing jams.
Next, Tim Duncan can be seen nailing backboard 10-footers while also having the ability to overpower defenders inside the paint. After that, 7’6” Yao Ming dunks on the defensive sensation Duncan and showcases terrific agility at his size.
In between, there are shots of Wilt Chamberlain stuffing it swiftly and making an impressive defensive play. Then we move to 7-foot Patrick Ewing who shows tremendous reach through his humungous wingspan as he nails a rim-shattering putback jam.
After that, there is 6’9″ 11x NBA champion Bill Russell, who showcased brilliant defensive moves in addition to quick-footed dunks. The reel ends with 6X MVP Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s unstoppable skyhook. In it, we see Abdul-Jabbar nailing that shot at different parts of his 20-season-long career.
Like Howard, another former Center Shaquille O’Neal also shared a video, showcasing the difference between the Centers from the current era and his era. Some of the plays from the reel posted by Howard and the one shared by Shaq are identical. The point is pretty much the same in both cases.
Centers have changed the way they upset defenses. It is not sheer domination but finesse that marks the modern Center. Many voices label this as an “evolution” of the position. The “new age” Centers have an increasing arsenal of dribbling and shooting moves.
While it’s true that the Centers have more ball-handling variety and more freedom to shoot, there are Centers in the past who have also had similar playing styles. Meanwhile, if we take into account the strict dribbling and palming rules in the older eras, Centers can play much more liberally as ball-handlers.
In one of the most intriguing parts, Dwight Howard is considered a “Center Then”, despite being in the league just a couple of seasons ago. The assumption is that the Orlando Magic version of Howard was dominant in the past. As for the Center himself, he thinks all his versions are good enough for one of the modern Centers.
Is the 2x NBA MVP Nikola Jokic no match for 4 DPOY Dwight Howard?
The 2020 champion claimed that his prime version would have completely shut down Nikola Jokic. And he has a strong backer to the claim; Shaq. This is surprising because Shaq and Howard have been on odd terms. In a story that O’Neal shared, Howard reminds everyone how a 38-year-old version of him was enough to stop the 2020 MVP during the 2020 Western Conference Finals.
I’m happy for Nikola Jokic. But in 2020, I was stopping this man, and I wasn’t even in my prime. Imagine me in my prime. There would be no question”, wondered Howard.
This is not an audacious claim from someone who is one of the best defensive players of all time. This is why comparing the eras is a difficult task. The difference in rules, pace, roles, and much more can change the way an athlete functions in a particular era.
