The "big men" of basketball, the centers, can often seem like they are literally larger than life. Icons like Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlainrevolutionized the game, as well as the position, absolutely dominating the court in their prime. Their renown literally spilled off the court as well, with nicknames such as "The Big Aristotle" and "Diesel" for O'Neal and "The Big Dipper" for Chamberlain. The tradition is continuing with international sensation and soft shooter Yao Ming as well as the powerhouse Dwight Howard. In general, like the point guard, the center has a very specific role in basketball. And though they are basically polar opposites in terms of responsibilities and dominant skill sets, they both have to be integrated into the overarching schematics of team play. If you're a relatively big man in size, with a rebounding, crashing-the-glass mindset, and you want to be a beast in the paint, you will want to know how to play center in basketball so you can make the most out of your own inner Diesel.

1. Although it definitely helps to have height and size to play the five, it is the skills and the moves that make the center, not the body. As a result you should learn to use your size to help with your primary objective, which is to maintain a post presence to grab rebounds on the defensive and offensive end.
2. Work a lot on your defensive positioning, particular inside the painted area; this is where you're going to be putting in your work and grabbing most of your rebounds. Practice and scrimmage with your teammates in half court scenarios, making sure that you run down the court after every possession and establishing yourself in the key as soon as possible. You don't have to be the first person back on D- you probably won't be, anyway- but do make an effort to get back, since you will be the anchor of your team's defense.
3. Keep an eye on your man, and work on your box out as often as possible. Boxing out involves positioning yourself between your man and the basket, in a way that gives you the advantage when going after rebounds. Practice the box out by jostling with a teammate or a friend in the paint, while another teammate takes shots at the basket. Both of you should be battling for the rebound, but as the defensive player, you should have the upper hand in terms of positioning. If you aren't, then you are seriously in danger of giving up an offensive rebound and an easy lay in from the opposing big man. Bend your knees, fight for strong footing, and get as much support from the ground up for your body as you can. Remember to keep sticking yourself in between your man and the basket. Use your arms, but don't give up a foul.http://baskentkantar.com/basketball/basketball-basics-tips-for-good-rebounding.html/
4. It definitely helps to have good jumping and leaping skills for rebounding, but it isn't necessary. So long as you have established a good position in the paint, and boxed out your man, you should be fine. But timing is absolutely critical! When you see a shot going up, bend your knees and leap upwards with arms outstretched and palms open, and make sure you keep your eyes on the ball from the moment it rattles off the rim or the glass. You should do so at the precise moment when the ball is bouncing off the glass or the rim; work on your anticipation if you find yourself jumping too early or too soon. Palm the ball firmly, enclose your fingers over it, and provide support with both hands afterward, holding it close to your chest with elbows bent; this is how you "protect" the rebound and prevent the opposing team from knocking it out of your hands and gaining another possession.http://www.degerstrom.com/basketball/drills/rebounding/page/4/
5. After you have successfully protected a defensive rebound, the opposing team will be running back to protect their basket. Look around and pass the ball off to your point guard and run up the court.
6. Offensively, rebounding still involves boxing out and post position in the paint. If you are not involved in the set play that your team is running, you should be battling just like before with your man, except this time your goal is to grab the offensive board. Use your solid foundation and footwork to try and get in front of your man, and leap up after the shot has gone off, timing your jump so that the peak carries you above the defense.http://baskentkantar.com/basketball/basketball-basics-tips-for-good-rebounding.html/ If you have managed to snatch the offensive board, make sure to protect the ball as before; in most cases you should immediately go for the layup, since you should be very close to the basket. If your man managed to get back in front of you, however, then you should consider passing it out to your point guard and starting over with a fresh shot clock.

1. Centers can be incredibly powerful scoring machines, and historically, centers have had the potential to be the most devastating players on the court. To do so, however, requires a number of swift movements and shots in the paint, a task made more difficult due to a typical center's size. You should definitely try and add some post moves to your arsenal, however, so that you can get involved with your team's offense and become a threat on your own. A simple jumper will not suffice for you against most defenders.
2. Practice your hook shot; this will be a big part of your low post weaponry. The hook shot involves using one hand, usually your dominant hand, and gently sweeping the ball into the net over the defense, usually while you are standing perpendicular to the basket. The reason why the hook shot is so hard to block is because the center's other arm is creating space between the ball and the defender, and the ball is usually held quite high before release. Footwork for hook shots is very important. You should have already set yourself up a few feet from the net before receiving the ball from your team. With your back to the defender, protect the ball with your body, then turn your body perpendicular to the basket, before jumping off with one or both feet and simultaneously releasing the shot while creating room with your other arm. Practice your accuracy by shooting sets of hook shots, first by yourself, then with a defender.http://www.coachlikeapro.com/hook-shot.html
3. Become skillful at "backing down" your defender. This means that once you have caught the ball in the paint, you should turn your back to your man, and use your body to inch yourself closer and closer to the basket. This requires a great deal of core strength and solid footwork; but if done correctly you will have a much higher chance of making a field goal. Many centers, such as O'Neal, can get close enough for an easy slam dunk.
4. You should also try and learn a spin move. This is a powerful move in the post where, with your back to the basket, you quickly pivot on one foot and free yourself from the defensive coverage. Practice the spin move by getting a friend to defend you while you spin left and right. You can head fake a spin to the left and then spin to the right for the layup or jump shot.
5. Make sure to use pump fakes often. These involve faking going up a shot only to draw the ball back to your chest. A pump fake will almost always get the defender up in the air; immediately afterward, you can capitalize by going for your shot, possibly getting an And-1 play in the process if the defender fouls you as well. Since you are already in the paint, going for high percentage shots, the defense is much more likely to go for pump fakes, and you should take advantage of this.

1. Centers can also be strong defensive presences. Besides grabbing rebounds, you are also in an optimal position to get shot blocks against opposing players going for layups or slam dunks. A shot block involves intercepting the ball after the opposing player has released it, usually by swiping the ball on its upward arc with your outstretched dominant hand. A vicious block, like the ones on Dwight Howard or Lebron James highlight reels, can send the ball flying against the glass, or into the stands. However, as long as you have prevented the ball from going into the basket, you have still done your job in defending the paint. Practice your shot blocking skills by challenging a friend to make layups on you while you protect the basket. Bend your knees and leap up for the block, completely extending your arm and outstretching your fingers. If possible, grab the rebound after the block as well. Timing is critical with blocks, just as with rebounds, except this time you will have to jump right as your man releases the ball. If you become a good shot blocker then you will make the opposing team think twice about driving into the lane. Challenge them when they do, every time.
2. Naturally, as a center, you are in a good position to go for slam dunks. When possible you should try and go for dunks instead of layups, since they are higher percentage shots. Make sure to practice your dunks so you don't miss them! Hang off the rim briefly to protect yourself from the defender, but don't do it too long; you don't want to be called for a technical.
3. Work on your shooting if you can! You don't have to be drilling three pointers, or even mid range jumpers, but you should be able to make a decent amount of free throws. This is because as you are banging in the post you are liable to be fouled a great deal by the defense, and if you shoot well from the line, you can take full advantage of this.
4. Lastly, as a center, you can still get involved with the assists by keeping your head up and watching for open teammates. The Orlando Magic have managed to perfect this by using their overpowering center, Dwight Howard, to kick out the ball after drawing double coverage to free three point shooters. Once you have caught the ball deep in the post, don't forget about your teammates; if you see the help defense coming, pass it out to find the open man, instead of trying to muscle against the defense all by yourself.http://hubpages.com/hub/offensive-basketball-plays-for-a-center