Centers (basketball)

Adilson de Freitas Nascimento, also commonly known as Adilson Nascimento, or simply Adilson (3 December 1951 – 3 February 2009), was a Brazilian professional basketball player. He died in 2009 due to cancer.

Ward B. "Hoot" Gibson Jr. (December 5, 1921 – February 1, 1958) was an American professional basketball player. He played for several teams in the National Basketball League (NBL) and National Basketball Association (NBA).Gibson was killed in a car accident in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa when he lost control of the vehicle he was driving and hit a tree. He was survived by his wife, Vonnie.

Richard O'Neal (September 7, 1935 – September 17, 2013) was an American basketball player. He was an All-American college player at Texas Christian University (TCU) and a second round draft pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1957 NBA draft.
O'Neal was born in Dallas, Texas and starred at Polytechnic High School in Fort Worth. For college, the 6'7" forward/center chose nearby TCU. O'Neal would become one of the Horned Frogs' all-time greats as he scored 1,723 points (23.9 per game) and captured 790 rebounds (11.0 per game) in his three-year career from 1954 to 1957. During his time, he was named first team All-Southwest Conference all three seasons and received national recognition as an All-American each year as well (honorable mention as a sophomore and junior and third team honors as a senior).Following his college career, O'Neal was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of 1957 NBA draft (16th pick overall). However, he never played in the league, instead opting for dental school at Baylor University and a long career in the private sector as a dentist, orthodontist and school administrator.
O'Neal was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. In 2010, he became the first player in TCU basketball history to have his jersey honored by the school.Dick O'Neal died in his sleep on September 17, 2013.

Brendan Gerald Lane (born November 19, 1990) is an American retired professional basketball player who last played for Alvark Tokyo of the B.League in Japan.

Scott Thomas Armstrong Jr. (October 12, 1913 – August 20, 1997) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Fort Wayne General Electrics, Oshkosh All-Stars, and Indianapolis Kautskys. Armstrong was an NBL all-star during his lone season on Oshkosh (1938–39). While living in Indianapolis, Indiana and playing for the Kautskys, he also served as an assistant coach for Butler University's men's basketball team, his alma mater where he had previously played. Armstrong's post-basketball life included serving in the United States Navy and becoming a principal of a junior high school.

Glenn Roberts (October 25, 1912 – May 21, 1980) was an American National Basketball League player. In college basketball, Roberts was one of the first players to put the "jump shot" to practical use.

David Boyer Williams (February 7, 1913 – March 6, 1983) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Indianapolis Kautskys and Toledo Jim White Chevrolets. For his career he averaged 2.9 points per game.

George Wallace Chestnut (September 27, 1911 – September 18, 1983) was an American professional basketball player. He played for the Indianapolis Kautskys for seven seasons; during his tenure, the Kautskys were an independent team, as well as member of the Midwest Basketball Conference, before it became the National Basketball League. During his professional career, he averaged 6.2 points per game, unfortunately, the records are incomplete.In college, Chestnut lettered in football, basketball, and baseball for Indiana State University. He served in the United States Army during World War II for approximately 15 months.

Nicholas S. Hashu (February 1, 1917 – April 28, 2012) was an American professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball League for the Hammond Ciesar All-Americans and Chicago American Gears. He averaged 2.2 points per game.

Milton W. Schoon (February 25, 1922 – January 18, 2015) was an American professional basketball player.
A 6-foot-7, 230-pound center, Schoon began his college career at Tri-State College (now Trine University) during the 1941–42 season before going on to play at Valparaiso University during the 1940s, gaining fame for his ability to defend top-ranked player George Mikan of DePaul University. Schoon then played professionally in the BAA, NBL, NBA, and NPBL as a member of the Anderson Packers, Detroit Falcons, Flint Dow Chemicals, Sheboygan Redskins and Denver Refiners.
Schoon was the last full-time player surviving from the Sheboygan Red Skins' 1949-50 NBA team. He platooned with Noble Jorgensen at center and played in all 62 games for the Red Skins that season, averaging eight points and shooting a team-best 41 percent from the field. Sheboygan's greatest conquests that season were victories over the New York Knicks, Rochester Royals, Syracuse Nationals and Minneapolis Lakers at the Sheboygan Auditorium and Armory. The Red Skins advanced to the NBA playoffs where they nearly eliminated the Western Division champion Indianapolis Olympians in a best-of-three series.
With the NPBL's Denver Frontier-Refiners in 1951, Schoon scored 363 points in 31 games, an 11.7 point average. He set a professional basketball scoring record with 64 points in a 99–72 victory over the Kansas City Hi-Spots on Jan. 21, 1951, at the Denver Auditorium. That record is currently held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points in a 1962 NBA game.
The Frontier-Refiners compiled an 18–16 record, but the team moved to Evansville late in the season and Schoon's professional career ended.
Schoon was elected to the Valparaiso Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Schoon died on January 18, 2015, in his home in Janesville, Wisconsin.