In basketball, a rebound is an under-appreciated stat. People do not pay much attention to it. What many people do not realize is that it is a critical aspect of the game. Players shoot and miss. If this happens, the rebound is the single biggest opportunity for either team to take possession of the ball.
Today, let us take a look at the five best rebounders of all time. Although these players are not hailed as scorers are, they were still critical to the success of their teams.
Wilt Chamberlain – 23,924 Rebounds
Wilt is an NBA legend. Apart from the leading rebounder, he is also a record holder for the most points at 31,419. For points, he is ranked 7th for most points in the history of the league.
Wilt played as a centre. He stood at 7 feet 1 inch and weighed 250 pounds. This physicality is what made him a formidable player. As the years went by, he gained weight and even reached 300 pounds by the time he played with the Lakers. Wilt is a Hall of Famer. He was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, and many sports analysts consider him as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Bill Russell – 21,620 Rebounds
Bill Russel played as the centre for Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1959. He is a 12-time All-Star player and has won 11 NBA championships in his career. Russell was part of the Boston Celtics dynasty during his era. Bill was a tall guy. He stood at 6 ft 10 in. Despite not being a 7-footer, he used his long arms to his advantage. His wingspan was at 7 ft 4 in or 2.23 meters.
Bill is also known for blocking shots. He was so good at rebounding that he had more than 12 seasons where he had 1,000 rebounds per season. Bill is only one of two players, along with Wilt, to have 50 rebounds in one game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 17,440 Rebounds
Another prolific player, Jabbar ranks 3rd in this list. He played for 20 seasons for several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks. However, Jabbar is best known for his association with the Lakers. Like the previous two, Jabbar was a centre. He holds six records as the MVP and was also an NBA-All Defensive Team member 11 times.
Jabbar is also one of the 50 Greatest NBA Players in the league. He was 7 feet 2 inches and retired at the age of 42 in 1989. Apart from rebounds, Jabbar is the record holder for most points at 38,387. ESPN named Jabbar as the greatest centre of all time back in 2007, and the second-best player next to Michael Jordan.
Elvin Hayes – 16,279 Rebounds
Elvin is not as popular as the other players we have on this list, but he was a major contributor to his teams back in the 70s. Elvin joined the Houston Rockets in 1968. At that time, he went on to become a leader in scoring and averaged 28.4 points per game. From a rebounding perspective, he averaged 17.1 rebounds in his career. In 1968, he scored a career-high of 54 points when they played against the Pistons.
Elvin is known as the Big E. After basketball, he became a radio analyst. As a prolific player, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Moses Malone – 16,212 Rebounds
The last on our list is Moses Malone, which you should not confuse with Karl Malone. Moses played for several teams in the NBA, including the Hawks, Spurs, Rockets and 76ers.
What makes Moses a great player is that he was tireless and enigmatic on the court. He was as physically fit as could be back in his prime. Because of his rebounding skills, he was nicknamed “Chairman of the Boards.” Apart from a record holder for rebounds, Malone is ranked number nine for all-time points at 29,580 career points.
Players who are great at rebounding possess a different skill. It is so important that you may even find bets about rebounds on sites like GG.Bet online. They seem to understand the trajectory of the ball. If a shot misses, they seem to know where the ball will go. As such, they know where to position themselves. Even if they are not as great at making points, their efforts are important. Remember that in basketball, the team that possesses the ball is the team at an advantage.
