The NBA was always a big man-dominated game. From Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in the ’60s, to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the underrated Moses Malone in the ’70s and ’80s.
Related: The Top 10 Small Forwards For The 2025-26 NBA Season
In the ’90s, the NBA saw skilled centers like Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon. The ’00s saw Shaquille O’Neal take over the league, as he proved he was the most dominant player we’ve ever seen.
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After Shaq, the center position went dormant. This changed in recent years when foreign big men, like Nikola Jokic, took over the league. This brings us to the question of who the top five centers are heading into the 2025-26 season.
5. Domantas Sabonis
Domantas Sabonis entered the NBA in 2016 with a lot to live up to. His father, Arvydas Sabonis, was a legendary European basketball player who had a good stint in the NBA.
The younger Sabonis has held his own and has proven himself worthy of making the top five best centers list. Last season, Sabonis put up averages of 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks.
Sabonis led the NBA in rebounding, which was his third straight season doing so. The Sacramento Kings are trying to figure out what direction they want to go in after trading away De’Aaron Fox last year.
One thing that looks certain is that Sabonis will be the Kings’ number one option coming into the 2025-26 season.
4. Joel Embiid
It’s hard to put Joel Embiid this low on the list. At his peak few players, let alone centers, are better. Embiid won the MVP in 2023 when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
The problem with Embiid is his health. Last season, Embiid only appeared in 19 games, averaging 23.8 points, and 8.2 rebounds per game. He’s expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 season and there are rumors that he could soon retire.
If healthy, Embiid is in the top two. The injury bug version, however, is lucky to crack the top five.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl-Anthony Towns was always a power forward in Minnesota. Once traded to New York, the Knicks moved him into the center position and this has made him arguably the greatest shooting center in NBA history.
Towns already holds the record for most three-pointers made by a center in NBA history with 1,117. Last season for the Knicks, Towns made 142 threes on 42.0% shooting.
Add in his 24.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game last season, it’s no wonder Towns lands at third on our best centers entering the 2025-26 season.
2. Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is unfortunately starting to follow suit with Joel Emiid. An ultra-talented big man who is constantly getting hit by the injury bug.
It’s not quite progressed as far as Embiid’s situation, meaning it hasn’t affected his spot on our list. In his two NBA seasons, Wembanyama has put up averages of 22.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game.
Wembanyama easily led the league in blocks both of his first two seasons. If he can remain healthy, Wembanyama will be the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award in the upcoming season.
1. Nikola Jokic
The center to make our top spot is the only obvious choice. Nikola Jokic is not only the best center in the NBA, he’s the best player in the game and one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen.
Despite being a slow player in today’s incredibly athletic and fast-paced league, Jokic dominates, and there’s not much teams can do to stop him. Last season, while his Denver Nuggets teammates were injured and struggling, Jokic almost single-handedly defeated the eventual champs, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was because of Jokic’s stellar play that Denver pushed OKC to a seventh game in the second round. Jokic arguably should have won the MVP last season, as his 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game made him the first center to average a triple-double for an entire season.
Jokic isn’t worried, however. He has won three MVPs already and will be in the running for winning his fourth in the 2025-26 NBA season.
As the new NBA season approaches, it’ll be interesting to see which center puts their team on their backs and plays the best. My money is on the Serbian who plays in Denver.
