Not many people know how important rebounds are in basketball. They provide for the retrieval of missed shots and change up the pace depending on which team has obtained it.
For the offensive team, rebounds are an opportunity to better their performance and have a shot again in a short time frame. For the defensive team, a rebound gives them another opportunity to block their opponent from scoring or give more time for those key players on the floor.
NBA – All Time Rebound Leaders
Rebounding is a fundamental part of basketball that all players need to know how to do. The players who got the most rebounds in NBA history are usually tall and athletic, but they also have excellent timing and hand-eye coordination. The NBA has created an impressive collection of leaders and records. Every statistical category has its champions and some of the names are prominent in more than one list.
Wilt Chamberlain
There is no surprise that Wilt Chamberlain still occupies the top positions on many record lists. With possibly the most iconic rookie season, he was an outstanding NBA player and one of the OG, which means that the rules under which he had played were different, furthermore, the rules were changed because of him. In his career, Wilt Chamberlain grabbed 23,924 rebounds. His career-high rebounds were 55 in one game and he averaged 22.9 rebounds per game. He was the league’s rebounding champion eleven times.
Bill Russell
The second place belongs to Bill Russell, who along with Chamberlain absolutely dominates this statistical category. He finished his NBA career with 21,620 rebounds. His career-high was 51 rebounds in just one game, as he averaged 22.5 rebounds per game. He was a four-time rebounding champion.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Mostly known for being an all-time scoring leader with 38,387 career points, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also great at rebounding the ball. He is in third place with 17,440 rebounds.
Elvin Hayes
One of the old-school NBA players was renowned for his scoring and rebounding ability. He still has the record for the most rebounds in the NCAA tournament with 222. From all of the NBA rebounding leaders, Elvin Hayes is in fourth place with 16,279 rebounds in his career.
Moses Malone
Moses Malone is one the most underrated players in NBA history. In his long career, he played both for American Basketball Association and National Basketball Association. He managed to acquire 29,580 career points (which makes him 9th in the whole NBA) and 16,2126 rebounds. He led the league in rebounds for six seasons.
Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs star Tim Duncan had 15,0917 rebounds in his career. He was also NCAA rebounding leader in 1997, Rookie of the Year in 1998 and two times NBA MVP. Together with David Robinson, they made a power duo known as “Twin Towers” during his first years in the league.
Karl Malone
One of the greatest power forwards in NBA history, Karl Malone retired with 14,9688 rebounds. He is the king of the free-throw line, with the most free-throws ever made (9,787).
Robert Parish
Parish played over 20 regular seasons in his life and even at the end of his career, his game was excellent. The 14,7159 number of rebounds is something remarkable, especially given his modest personality. He said himself, that he didn’t go for the records, he just did his job. And it’s safe to say that he did it well.
Kevin Garnett
Modern legend Kevin Garnett also had a long career. He started in 1995, during his active years became MVP, a Defensive Player of the Year, and a champion. He retired in 2016 with 14,66210 rebounds under his belt and was named NBA’s rebounding champion four times.
Nate Thurmond
Nate the Great, mostly known for his input in giving the Golden State Warriors many victories, closes our list with 14,464. Nate Thurmond is the first player to ever record a quadruple-double which made NBA history. He scored 22 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, made 13 assists, and blocked 12 shots.
What is the NBA record for most rebounds in a game?
Philadelphia Warriors vs Boston Celtics
If you are a true basketball fan, you won’t be surprised that the most rebounds in a single game NBA record are held by Wilt Chamberlain, with 55. At the beginning of the ’60s on November 24, 1960, Wilt Chamberlain became rebound leader. He was also a huge triple-double threat and he certainly deserves his place in the Hall of fame.
He has not only the most rebounds in a single game, but he regularly went over 30 rebounds when he played. He had scored over 37 in 29 games, 25 being regular NBA season games and 4 were the playoffs.
Boston Celtics vs Syracuse Nationals
On February 5th, 1960 Bill Russell set this time record with 51 rebounds in one game. From the beginning of his career, he led the NBA league as one of the rebounds leaders.
It was a time dominated by Boston Celtics and their rivals, the Minneapolis Lakers, who often faced each other in the NBA finals. NBA players of that time are legends and Bill Russell is one of them.
His number of total rebounds is also impressive, and he scored over 37, 23 times, which includes 16 regular-season games and 7 playoffs.
Who holds the record for most rebounds in a season?
Modern Rebounding Champions
The NBA records are a perfect example of how the league has changed from year to year. Despite not seeing such high numbers, the game is more entertaining than it was in the 60s. There is no doubt that modern players are as good as the legends, and maybe even better.
Players like Kevin Love, Enes Kanter, Dwight Howard, and Dennis Rodman are the perfect example of that. The first four are still active players, Kevin Love made 31 rebounds in one game, Ener Kanter and Dwight Howard have 30, as of the beginning of the 2021-20Players like Kevin Love, Enes Kanter, Dwight Howard, and Dennis Rodman are the perfect example of that. The first four are still active players, Kevin Love made 31 rebounds in one game, Ener Kanter and Dwight Howard have 30, as of the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. Howard was also named the league’s rebounding leader five times.
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman was a rebounding leader for seven consecutive years along with winning five championships. If it comes to numbers, his highest score is 31 rebounds in one game, but when it comes to Rodman, we have to look at his incredible effectiveness. He is considered the best rebounder in NBA history.
Several Ways of Ranking
We can rank players from different perspectives, according to different criteria but there is no argument that the ones above are one of the greatest. No matter if you are an Orlando Magic fan or an Atlanta Hawks supporter, you have to admit that players mentioned in this article are real rebounding champions. Some of them started a new era in the NBA by their incredible skill, and some of those juggle restrictive sets of new rules, still giving perfect performances.
Where does LeBron James rank in all time rebounds?
He is 39th in rebounds.
What’s the most rebounds Dennis Rodman had in a game?
Dennis Rodman was able to get over 34 rebounds in a game against the Indiana Pacers on March 4, 1992 by using his hustle and athleticism. Rodman was relentless on the boards, constantly crashing the glass and never giving up on a play. By consistently pursuing the basketball, Rodman was able to rack up an astonishing 34 rebounds in the game.
Who has the most 20 rebound games all time?
Dennis Rodman holds the record for most games with 20+ rebounds, at 158 games. Dennis Rodman managed to get over 20 rebounds in 158 games by using his incredible strength, speed, and agility. He was a master of defensive rebounding, using his long arms to grab rebounds from all angles.
