Forward–center is a basketballposition for players who play or have played both forward and center on a consistent basis. Typically, this means power forward and center, since these are usually the two biggest player positions on any basketball team, and therefore more often overlap each other.
Forward–center came into the basketball jargon as the game evolved and became more specialized in the 1960s. The five positions on court were originally known only as guards, forwards, and the center, but it is now generally accepted that the five primary positions are point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center.
Typically, a forward–center is a talented forward who also came to play minutes at center on teams that need help at that position. The player could also be a somewhat floor-bound center, under 7' 0'' (213 cm) tall at the NBA level, whose skills suit him to a power forward position, especially if that team has a better center. At 6' 11" (211 cm), Marcus Camby typically played center. However, during his first tenure with the New York Knicks, he mostly played power forward as the Knicks had one of the best pure centers in the NBA with 7′ 0″ (213 cm) Patrick Ewing. Ewing himself also played forward-center early in his career to complement the then-incumbent Knicks center, 7′ 1″ (216 cm) Bill Cartwright. Fellow Knicks legend Willis Reed was moved to the forward–center position when the team acquired fellow center Walt Bellamy in 1965; Reed moved back to center in 1968 after the Knicks traded Bellamy to the Detroit Pistons for Dave DeBusschere. Ralph Sampson, at 7′ 4″ (224 cm), was another notable forward–center who played center his rookie year in 1983. In 1984, he moved to power forward when 7′ 0″ (213 cm) Hakeem Olajuwon was drafted that year. Most forward-centers range from 6′ 9″ (2.06 m) to 7′ 0″ (2.13 m) in height. Nikola Jokic is by far the best of the forward-center players in the modern era. He stands at 6’11’’ and is known for his amazing guard-like passing abilities and touch off the glass. Notoriously drafted during a taco bell commercial in 2014 Jokic has proven to be one of the best centers in NBA history being the first center to win the MVP award since Shaquille O’neal in 2000 and also winning two more mvp’s in 2022 and 2024. He is only one of 8 players in NBA history to win three or more MVPs and the first center to win 3 MVPs in 4 seasons. He is also a 3 time NBA all star and won the 2024 NBA championship also winning finals MVP
Other notable forward-centers include: Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis, Al Horford, Bam Adebayo, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
