1. Wilt: it's fashionable among sportswriters to rank him below Russell by changing an individual ranking of multiple criteria into a measure of one criterion: how many team championships did his guys win. Wilt outplayed Russell virtually everytime they played by all statistical measures. He simply played on lesser teams most of his career. When surrounded with comparable talent to Russell, Chamberlain's teams won a couple championships. To this day, Chamberlain still has the greatest athletic gifts ever seen on the court and he used those to put up the greatest statistical legacy ever in the game. No one will ever top the 50 ppg average and no center will ever lead the team, much less the league, in assists per game. Wilt did both. Had the strength and then some of Shaq, but opponents and teammates alike attested to the fact that he rarely used it for fear he would seriously hurt someone if he did.
2. Bill Russell: Arguably, the greatest defensive center in league history. His offensive game paled in comparison, which is one of the reasons he's not #1.
3. Kareem: The most unstoppable shot in the history of the game and performed at a high level longer than anybody else. Given the bum rap of being a subpar rebounder. The stats tell otherwise until the latter seasons of his career.
4. Shaq: I'd prefer to put Hakeem here because I liked him much better, but Shaw was the best for longer. Other than Wilt, the greatest physical force in the history of the game.
5. Hakeem: The most graceful player at this position in the history of the game and the most fun to watch. Was also a tremendous defensive pivot during his prime.