An NBA team's recipe for success can easily boil down to one simple ingredient: the dominating big man. Aside from the Chicago Bulls' dynasty of the 90s, most NBA championship teams have had a premier center.

But because they're so big, many NBA centers tend to be susceptible to injuries and therefore have shorter careers than players at other positions. For some, injuries occurred early in their career so we never got a chance to see them achieve their full potential. (We're looking at you, Bill Walton.)

Then there are those who managed to avoid major injuries and became virtually unguardable, and defensive stalwarts.

This is our list of centers who went on to have prolific careers, and won multiple championships in the process.

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5. Hakeem Olajuwon
“The Dream” began his career with the Rockets as one half of the “Twin Towers” with Ralph Sampson. But towards the mid-90s, Olajuwon matured into one of the greatest low-post threats in basketball history. When Michael Jordan abruptly retired, it was Olajuwon who took the mantle as the NBA’s best player. Reuters
4. Bill Russell
Look up "winner" in the dictionary, and you might see a picture of Bill Russell. If winning championships is a gauge of how great a player is, Russell is clearly the greatest player in NBA history. Not only did Russell win 11 NBA championships, he also won two NCAA championships. Corralling 21,620 rebounds speaks volumes about his intense concentration. Reuters
3. Shaquille ONeal
We may never see a player with the size and athleticism of “The Diesel.” O’Neal began dominating the league from the moment he set foot on an NBA court and shed the criticism of not winning a championship by collecting four rings in the past decade. Shaq went to the NBA Finals with three different teams, and was nearly the first and only unanimous MVP in 1999-2000 if not for sportswriter Fred Hickman. Reuters
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
“Cap” perfected the skyhook better than any player has perfected any shot. Not only was Abdul-Jabbar a prolific scorer, but he contributed to his six championship teams with his intelligent and calm leadership. Perhaps the most staggering of Kareem’s career statistics: 19 trips to the NBA All-Star Game. Reuters
1. Wilt Chamberlain
“The Big Dipper” put up statistics that don’t seem humanly possible. Aside from having a 100-point game, Chamberlain once had a season where he averaged 50.4 points per game, and another season where he averaged 27.2 rebounds a game. Watch tapes of Wilt, and you’ll be amazed at how he dominated by being both agile and physical at the same time. Reuters
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