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The top 5 spots for the best centers of all time are being debated a lot lately. A while ago it was Mad Dog who brought up Shaquille O’Neal into the conversation, stating that Shaq can not be placed above the fifth spot on the list. Now, Metta Sandiford-Artest has come up with his own list.

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As per Metta, the top 5 spots will be occupied by two of the current stars in the league, Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic. Although he added that it would happen when they bid farewell to the league, he made a tall claim for these two stars. Apart from that, Metta also brought Giannis Antetokounmpo into the mix, only to question his position.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t in conversation for top centers all time

He posted, “@JoelEmbiid is top 5 centers all time when career is over. The Joker might be in there as well.” While he is very confident when it comes to Embiid and the Joker, the LA Lakers veteran is not so sure about where Giannis would be on the said list. He added, “Greek Freak is center or PF?”.

It doesn’t seem like Metta is coming from a negative place while talking about Giannis as he mostly plays as a power forward or a small forward. But other than that, the NBA veteran has made a strong case for the two individuals as top 5 centers of all time.

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When Giannis was asked about his position in an interview, he said that he goes by the requirements of the team and is comfortable playing at any position. He said, “I believe I can play at five, although it is not my natural position. Sometimes it’s hard to compete close to the basket all the time instead of creating situations. But sometimes you have to do things that will help the team.”

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USA Today via Reuters

It doesn’t mean that Giannis has no experience of playing as a center, it’s just that he’d rather prioritize his team instead of sticking to a script. He said in that interview, “I have played in big games in the center position. I have played in this position in friendlies as well”.

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Read More: Shaquille O’Neal Throws Billionaire Michael Jordan Into the Mix to Sound off Zion Williamson’s Sluggishness

With Metta allowing Jokic and Embiid two positions on the all-time list, the bigger question is, where does that leave Shaq, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Bill Russell?

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Prateek Singh

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Prateek Singh is a senior NBA writer for EssentiallySports, known for his insightful coverage of the league. With a deep passion for basketball fueled by the late Kobe Bryant's championship runs, Prateek has built his writing career on astute analysis and a firm understanding of the game. His area of expertise lies in breaking down trade reports and their implications for fans. His heartwarming coverage of tributes to NBA legend Magic Johnson’s father after his passing saw very high ratios of fan engagement. While this serves as a step closer to him writing a biography on his idol Kobe Bryant, for now, his focus is on delivering trustworthy coverage of the league he loves.

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Anuj Jacob

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