Positions in many sports are noted by a shorthand lettering system. In football, a quarterback is listed as a "QB", while a goalkeeper in soccer is noted with a "G." The same is true in basketball, in which a "C" refers to a center, "F" means forward and "G" denotes the guard position.
Defining the Center Position
Centers are almost always the tallest players on a team; their primary duties include scoring from close to the basket, rebounding and blocking or altering shots on defense. Unlike baseball and football, in which position players have specific locations on the field where they start every play, basketball players can play anywhere on the court. Centers, whether on offense or defense, usually play close to the hoop.
Famous Centers
Because basketball is considered to be a big man's game, some of the most famous players of all time have been centers. A list of all-time great centers in the Basketball Hall of Fame include Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who retired in 1989 as the National Basketball Association's all-time leading scorer; Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell; Lakers big man Wilt Chamberlain, the first player to score 100 points in a single game; Portland Trail Blazers and Celtics center Bill Walton, who was also one of the all-time great college centers while at UCLA; Lakers star George Mikan, one of the NBA's first dominant centers; and heroic New York Knicks center Willis Reed, who also played forward toward the end of his career, the Hall of Fame website notes.
Positions by Number
Just as baseball assigns numbers to the various positions on the field for scorekeeping purposes --- the pitcher is 1, the catcher is 2 and so on --- basketball positions are also numbered. The center is 5, the power forward is 4, the small forward is 3, the shooting guard is 2 and the point guard is 1.
How the Letters Are Used
You might see just the letter "C" next to a basketball center's name on a scoreboard or on a basketball trading card. In box scores published online or newspapers, the letters for each position usually accompany the players' names. If a player plays two positions frequently or is a combination of two positions, you might see "C/F" for a center who also plays forward.
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