NBA Career Rebounding Records
Wilt Chamberlain is the NBA's all-time career leader
in rebounds with 23,924. Chamberlain's longtime rival
Bill Russell ranks second with 21,620, while
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranks third with 17,440.
The list below includes regular-season NBA rebounds only. ABA statistics
are not included in NBA career totals.
Total rebounds became an official NBA statistic beginning with the
1950-51 season. Offensive and defensive rebounds were
not tracked separately until the 1973-74 season.
NBA All-Time Career Rebounds Leaders
| Rank |
Player |
Rebounds |
| 1 |
Wilt Chamberlain |
23,924 |
| 2 |
Bill Russell |
21,620 |
| 3 |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
17,440 |
| 4 |
Elvin Hayes |
16,279 |
| 5 |
Moses Malone |
16,212 |
| 6 |
Tim Duncan |
15,091 |
| 7 |
Karl Malone |
14,968 |
| 8 |
Robert Parish |
14,715 |
| 9 |
Kevin Garnett |
14,662 |
| 10 |
Dwight Howard |
14,627 |
| 11 |
Nate Thurmond |
14,464 |
| 12 |
Walt Bellamy |
14,241 |
| 13 |
Wes Unseld |
13,769 |
| 14 |
Hakeem Olajuwon |
13,748 |
| 15 |
Shaquille O'Neal |
13,099 |
| 16 |
Buck Williams |
13,017 |
| 17 |
Jerry Lucas |
12,942 |
| 18 |
Bob Pettit |
12,849 |
| 19 |
Charles Barkley |
12,546 |
| 20 |
Dikembe Mutombo |
12,359 |
| 21 |
Paul Silas |
12,357 |
| 22 |
Charles Oakley |
12,205 |
| 23 |
LeBron James |
12,095 |
| 24 |
Dennis Rodman |
11,954 |
| 25 |
Kevin Willis |
11,901 |
| 26 |
Patrick Ewing |
11,607 |
| 27 |
Andre Drummond |
11,513 |
| 28 |
Dirk Nowitzki |
11,489 |
| 29 |
Elgin Baylor |
11,463 |
| 30 |
Pau Gasol |
11,305 |
NBA Rebounding Records and Facts
-
Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA career rebounding record
with 23,924 rebounds in 1,045 regular-season games.
-
Bill Russell ranks second with 21,620 rebounds despite
playing only 963 regular-season games.
-
Chamberlain and Russell are the only players in NBA history with more
than 20,000 career rebounds.
-
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranks third all-time with 17,440
rebounds.
-
Moses Malone recorded 16,212 rebounds during his NBA
career. His ABA rebounds are not included in this NBA-only ranking.
-
Tim Duncan finished his career with 15,091 rebounds,
placing him sixth in NBA history.
-
Dwight Howard accumulated 14,627 rebounds and ranks
among the NBA's top 10 career rebounders.
-
LeBron James has moved into the NBA's top 25 in career
rebounds, an unusual achievement for a player who has primarily played
on the perimeter during his career.
-
Andre Drummond is also among the highest-ranking active
or recently active rebounders on the all-time list.
Wilt Chamberlain's Rebounding Records
Wilt Chamberlain's dominance of the rebounding record book extends far
beyond his career total. He owns the NBA record for
most rebounds in a single game with 55, set against
Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics on November 24, 1960.
Chamberlain also holds the NBA single-season record with
2,149 rebounds during the 1960-61 season. His career
average of 22.9 rebounds per game is also the highest in NBA history.
Understanding NBA Rebounding Statistics
For the earliest years of professional basketball, rebounding statistics
were not recorded in the same way they are today. The NBA began
officially recording total rebounds in 1950-51.
The league did not begin separating rebounds into
offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds
until the 1973-74 season. For players such as Chamberlain and Russell,
only their total rebound figures are available for most or all of their
careers.
