NBA’s 50 Greatest and Rebounds

by | Sep 16, 2015 | 2015

NBA’s 50 Greatest and Rebounds

So, tonight let’s look at the NBA’s Fifty Greatest Players and analyze them by rebounds, both rebounds per game and career rebounds accumulated.  Remember, this list was released by then NBA Commissioner David Stern in 1996, so none of today’s greats are on this list.  Analyzing the NBA greats by rebounds really accentuates some different names among the NBA legends. We see some names near the top who are relatively unknown when compared to Michael, Wilt, Russell, Magic, Larry Legend, and, from today’s game, “King James.”

Some statistical comments on the list (my call sign is Stats, after all) follow. Remember, the left side of the table shows rebounds per game (RPG) while the right side of the table shows career rebounds.

  1. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell totally dominate the rebounding statistics, both in RPG and career rebounds. The gap between these two players and the rest of the field is truly amazing. No one else comes close.
  1. I did not separate Offensive Rebounds out of the career rebounds for this analysis. However, suffice it to say that Moses Malone holds the NBA records for offensive rebounds in a career, season, and game. No one else comes close.
  1. Since Bob Petitt and Jerry Lucas both played significant amounts of time at center, the highest ranked forward in RPG is 6’5” Eligin Baylor at 13.5 RPG followed by Dolph Schayes at 12.1 RPG and Charles Barkley at 11.7 RPG .
  1. Oscar Robertson, a 6’5” point guard, is the highest ranked guard in RPG at 7.5 RPG followed by Magic Johnson at 7.2 RPG and Michael Jordan at 6.3 RPG.  (Author’s note: Great three guard offense and defense here, as well as some rebounding power!)

RPG AVERAGES (Descending)                                             CAREER REBOUNDS (Descending)

# Name GP RPG # Name GP Rebounds
1 Wilt Chamberlain 1045 22.9 1 Wilt Chamberlain 1045 23,924
2 Bill Russell 963 22.5 2 Bill Russell 963 21,620
2 Bob Pettit 792 16.2 2 K. Abdul-Jabbar 1560 17,440
2 Jerry Lucas 829 15.6 2 Elvin Hayes 1303 16,279
5 Nate Thurmond 964 15.0 5 Moses Malone 1329 16,212
6 Wes Unseld 984 14.0 6 Karl Malone 1476 14,968
7 Dave Cowens 766 13.6 7 Robert Parish 1611 14,715
8 Elgin Baylor 846 13.5 8 Nate Thurmond 964 14,464
9 George Mikan 439 13.4 9 Wes Unseld 984 13,769
10 Willis Reed 650 12.9 10 Hakeem Olajuwon 1238 13,748
11 Elvin Hayes 1303 12.5 11 Shaquille O’Neal 1207 13,099
12 Moses Malone 1329 12.2 12 Jerry Lucas 829 12,942
13 Dolph Schayes 996 12.1 13 Bob Pettit 792 12,849
14 Charles Barkley 1073 11.7 14 Charles Barkley 1073 12,546
15 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1560 11.2 15 Patrick Ewing 1183 11,607
16 Hakeem Olajuwon 1238 11.1 16 Elgin Baylor 846 11,463
17 Dave DeBusschere 875 11.0 17 Dolph Schayes 996 11,256
18 Shaquille O’Neal 1207 10.9 18 David Robinson 987 10,497
19 David Robinson 987 10.6 19 Dave Cowens 766 10,444
20 Bill Walton 468 10.5 20 Dave DeBusschere 875 9,618
21 Billy Cunningham 654 10.1 21 Larry Bird 897 8,974
22 Karl Malone 1476 10.1 22 Willis Reed 650 8,414
23 Larry Bird 897 10.0 23 John Havlicek 1270 8,007
24 Patrick Ewing 1183 9.8 24 Oscar Robertson 1040 7,804
25 Robert Parish 1611 9.1 25 Scottie Pippen 1178 7,494
26 Paul Arizin 713 8.6 26 Kevin McHale 971 7,122
27 Oscar Robertson 1040 7.5 27 Clyde Drexler 1086 6,677
28 Kevin McHale 971 7.3 28 Michael Jordan 1072 6,672
29 Magic Johnson 906 7.2 29 Billy Cunningham 654 6,638
30 Julius Erving 836 6.7 30 Magic Johnson 906 6,559
31 Rick Barry 794 6.5 31 Paul Arizin 713 6,129
32 Scottie Pippen 1178 6.4 32 Hal Greer 1122 5,665
33 John Havlicek 1270 6.3 33 Julius Erving 836 5,601
34 Michael Jordan 1072 6.2 34 Jerry West 932 5,366
35 Clyde Drexler 1086 6.1 35 Rick Barry 794 5,168
36 Walt Frazier 825 5.9 36 Lenny Wilkens 1077 5,030
37 Jerry West 932 5.8 37 Bill Walton 468 4,923
38 Bob Cousy 924 5.2 38 Walt Frazier 825 4,830
39 James Worthy 926 5.1 39 Bob Cousy 924 4,786
40 Hal Greer 1122 5.0 40 James Worthy 926 4,708
41 Sam Jones 871 4.9 41 Sam Jones 871 4,305
42 Lenny Wilkens 1077 4.7 42 George Mikan 439 4,167
43 George Gervin 791 4.6 43 John Stockton 1504 4,051
44 Pete Maravich 658 4.2 44 George Gervin 791 3,607
45 Bill Sharman 711 3.9 45 Isiah Thomas 979 3,478
46 Dave Bing 901 3.8 46 Dave Bing 901 3,420
47 Isiah Thomas 979 3.6 47 Earl Monroe 926 2,796
31 Earl Monroe 926 3.0 31 Bill Sharman 711 2,779
49 John Stockton 1504 2.7 49 Pete Maravich 658 2,747
50 Nate Archibald 876 2.3 50 Nate Archibald 876 2,046

 

BILL HARVEY, Call Sign “Stats”, is the Editor of Hoops Business. He is a former  basketball player, basketball referee, Army officer, and college instructor in technical writing with a public relations and journalism background. He is also the editor of the Net Set blog at http://thenetsetblog.com. BA degree from Xavier University and MA degree in Information Management.