All-Time Best Rebounder

This is the fourth post that identifies the one player that I think is the "yardstick" by which all other players are measured in a particular facet of the game. I think Bill Russell is the "Yardstick" that defines the best defensive player of all time. I used statistics and criteria to identify my pick as the best scorer, Kevin Durant. He is a defensive matchup nightmare because he scores in so many ways. The best shooter(s) are Steph Curry and Larry Bird. In this post I reveal my picks for the top 10 best rebounders of all-time.

First, some thoughts on WHY I picked these 10 players. Unlike picking the "yardstick" in the categories of shooting and scoring, which I define as two different skill sets, I believe it is easier to identify the best rebounders. Again, it's important to understand the era that a player played in. The best rebounders of all time DID NOT play in the 60's. Based on statistics only that would seem to be the case. The game was faster paced, and the shooting percentages were much lower. The average team in the 60's would have 20 or more rebounds per game than a team today. A good field goal percentage in the 60's was 40-44%. Secondly, rebounding titles and seasonal rankings can also be deceiving due to the differences in the number of teams. It was much easier to win a rebounding title with 8 teams or even 12 teams than with the current 30 teams. A major consideration is longevity. (It is one of the 10 criteria I used in my book to pick my top 75 best players of all time.) Longevity obviously brings injuries into the equation when choosing the best of all time in any category. The best examples in the category of rebounding are Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley. Both missed parts of six years with injuries which affected their rebound totals. However, both, in my opinion, are two of the greatest rebounders in the history of the game. Finally, in my analysis, research, and the "eye test" based on my 70-year involvement in the game as a player, coach, and fan, here are my top 10 greatest rebounders of all time.

Moses Malone outduels Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a rebound, 1981.

1. Wilt Chamberlain — 23,924 TRB, 22.89 Career Avg, 11 Reb Titles (2 seconds)
2. Bill Russell — 21,620 TRB, 22.45 Career Avg, 5 Reb Titles (5 seconds)
3. Moses Malone — 17,834 TRB, 12.25 Career Avg, 6 Reb Titles (2 seconds)
4. Dennis Rodman — 11,954 TRB, 13.12 Career Avg, 7 Reb Titles (1 second)
5. Dwight Howard — 14,627 TRB, 11.78 Career Avg, 5 Reb Titles (2 seconds)
6. Artis Gilmore — 16,330 TRB, 12.29 Career Avg, 5 Reb Titles (1 second) *4 titles in ABA
7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — 17,440 TRB, 11.18 Career Avg, 2 Reb Titles (1 second)
8. Shaquille O'Neal — 13,099 TRB, 13.09 Career Avg, No Titles (3 seconds) *7 injury years
9. Kevin Garnett — 14,662 TRB, 10.00 Career Avg, 4 Reb Titles (1 second)
10. Charles Barkley — 12,546 TRB, 11.69 Career Avg, 1 Reb Title (4 seconds) *6 injury years

Nate Thurmond, Jerry Lucas, Bob Pettit, Wes Unseld, Walt Bellamy, and Elvin Hayes would be my next choices as all-time rebounders.