Where Does Victor Wembanyama Rank in Top 5 NBA Centers of All Time?

Victor Wembanyama is only a few years into his NBA career, yet the conversations surrounding him already sound reserved for legends. Between his historic defensive impact, guard-like offensive skill set, and dominance during the Spurs’ playoff run, many around the league already believe he is on a trajectory unlike anything basketball has seen from a center before.

That hype reached another level during Episode 2 of BasketballNews’ “Bucket Talk,” when NBA analysts Matt Issa and Ben Pfeifer debated the greatest centers ever and surprisingly included Wembanyama alongside some of the biggest names in league history.

The discussion centered around which centers reached the highest peaks during their careers. Pfeifer initially listed Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, and David Robinson before the debate quickly evolved into a broader conversation about modern stars and historical dominance.

Once Kareem Abdul-Jabbar entered the conversation, Robinson immediately fell out of the top five. Pfeifer reshuffled the rankings to include Kareem near the very top, creating a list that featured Shaq, Kareem, Russell, Olajuwon, and Chamberlain.

Then came Nikola Jokic. Pfeifer admitted he initially was not considering active players, but once Jokic was brought up, he reconsidered completely and replaced Chamberlain with the Denver Nuggets superstar because of Jokic’s offensive brilliance and historically unique playmaking ability at center.

But the conversation became far more surprising once the focus shifted toward Wembanyama and what his current trajectory already looks like compared to all-time greats.

"I'd probably have him third or fourth probably with the way he's playing this year," Pfeifer said. "Maybe I'm just a prisoner of the moment."

Pfeifer went even further defensively, saying Bill Russell still holds the crown as the greatest defender ever, but arguing that Wembanyama already looks capable of eventually challenging that status because of his rim protection, mobility, anticipation, and versatility.

"He's going to win every Defensive Player of the Year that he's eligible for for the next ten years," Pfeifer said.

By the end of the discussion, Pfeifer’s final top-five centers list featured Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Victor Wembanyama, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Leaving out names like Wilt Chamberlain, David Robinson, and Nikola Jokic immediately sparked debate online.

To many fans, ranking Wembanyama that highly this early in his career feels premature. But during his first postseason run, the Spurs star has consistently delivered performances that already place him in historical territory.

Wembanyama’s First Playoff Run Already Looks Historic

Victor Wembanyama is in the first of what should be many postseason runs, provided he stays healthy. In his first-ever playoff run, he's already showing that he belongs in the annals of NBA history.

During Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he showed why he won the 2026 DPOY. In that game, he rejected 12 shots, breaking the previous record of 10, which is held by Andrew Bynum, Mark Eaton, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

That was not the only milestone he earned, as he would once again give a glimpse of how terrifying he can be in Game 1 of the WCF against the OKC Thunder. In that game, he recorded 41 points and 24 rebounds, making him the youngest player to record a 40-20 stat line in a playoff game.

He also got added to an elite list of legends, joining Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to have such a performance in a conference finals game.