Those inside behemoths that were overshadowed by the four major centers in the 1990s

Whenever we talk about NBA centers in the 1990s, old fans will immediately think of Olajuwon's dreamy dance moves, O'Neal's destructive power, Robinson's elegance and versatility, and Ewing's solid low post. These four legends, respectfully known as the "Four Great Centers", jointly defined a golden era of centers. However, under the halo of that giant's prosperous age, there are still a group of insider "shadow bosses" who are not often mentioned by mainstream media but are amazingly powerful. They also have top-notch strength, but have not been able to rank among the "Big Four" for various reasons.

01 The White Tower of the Pacers: Rick Schmitz

In the NBA in the 1990s, when talking about strong white centers, fans might think of names like Sabonis, Divac, and Muresan. But Rick Schmitz was the European-style technical center who truly performed at a star level in the 1990s and was selected as an All-Star. The 2.24-meter-tall Pacers starting center is known for his skillful mid-range shooting, post-up play and hook skills. Schmitz spent his entire career with the Pacers, averaging 14.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. In the 1995/96 season, he reached his peak performance, averaging 18.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He was selected as an All-Star in the 1997/98 season, which also proved that he was an indispensable second-in-command for the Pacers at that time. In Reggie Miller's journey to lead the Pacers to become a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference, Schmitz's stable output and inside threat played a crucial role. He may not be the most dazzling center, but he is definitely one of the team's most reliable pillars.

02 Genius destroyed by injuries: Brad Doherty

How domineering were the four major centers in the selection of the best team in the 1990s? From the 1989/90 to 1999/00 seasons, among the 30 players in the best center lineup, the four major centers teamed up to win 26 times. The first center to break through the four major centers and make the All-NBA team was Cavaliers legend Brad Doherty. As the No. 1 pick in the 1986 draft, Dougherty, who was born in North Carolina, is a strong and long inside man with outstanding offensive skills and an extremely soft touch. During the three seasons of 1990-93, he continuously delivered 20 points and 10 rebounds. He was selected as an All-Star for three consecutive years and was selected to the third team in the 91/92 season. In the 1992 playoffs, he led the Cavaliers all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. Before James joined, Dougherty was the best player in Cavaliers history.

03 The ultimate in defense: Dikembe Mutombo

For Rockets fans, Uncle Mu's name may be more associated with his iconic finger-wagging action. But back in the 1990s, Uncle Mu was the ultimate representative of defensive center. The four-time DPOY winner has career averages of 9.8 points, 10 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game - these cold numbers are far from reflecting his intimidation on the defensive end. In the 1990s, Mutombo's performance was quite stable, roughly 12 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. With his historic defense and extraordinary athleticism, he became the fifth or sixth center among his generation. Interestingly, Mutombo's peak of honor was in the two years of 2000-02, when he was already an old veteran with an official age of 35 (the real age may be older). This can not only reflect the excellence of Uncle Mu himself, but also confirm how terrifying the strength of the four major centers is.

04 The person closest to the Big Four: Alonzo Mourning

Alonzo Mourning, Mutombo's junior at Georgetown University, may be the most underrated center in the 1990s. In 1992, he joined the NBA as the second overall pick. In his rookie season, he delivered top insider statistics of 21 points, 10.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. Throughout the 1990s, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, Mourning was able to maintain a performance of about 20+10+3, and his offensive and defensive performance was very strong. Compared with the four major centers, Mourning is relatively small in height (208 centimeters), and his scoring efficiency is not strong enough. His highest scoring average in his career is 23.2 points per game. Each of the four major centers has very explosive scoring power. Even Ewing, who has not won the MVP, once averaged 28.6 points per game in a season. Another key factor is that O'Neal's performance was even more shocking, and he performed very early in the playoffs and was listed among the top four by the media early. By the time Mourning actually achieved some results in the playoffs, the pattern of the four major centers had already formed a mindset in the minds of the media and fans. In fact, Mourning is older than O'Neal. He was inertly regarded as the rising "Fifth King" only because of his team's performance and personal performance, which were later recognized. It wasn't until three of the four major centers gradually aged that Mourning made his mark in the All-NBA team, ushering in a big breakout in the late 1990s - in the 1998/99 season, he was selected to the first team & first defense for the first time, winning the DPOY award; in the 99/00 season, he was selected to the second team & first defense, defending his DPOY title. In these two seasons, Mourning finished second and third in the MVP voting once. If the assessment is more relaxed and there were five major centers in the 1990s, Alonzo Mourning could definitely occupy one of them. Compared with the four major centers, Mourning may only be half a step behind in strength, but he will never be pulled out of the gap.