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Rebounding is one of the easiest skills to overlook in NBA basketball. The ability to rebound the ball ensures possession of the ball for one's team, this could be on either end of the court. Rebounds increase the rate of chances to score.
Teams that rebound well often have better records in the NBA Playoffs. Playoff atmospheres have always called for greater intensity in the game. The hustle and the desire of a player to secure a rebound is something that is put on display in these games. Great rebounders always have the desire.
Teams often look to their big men in the center to clean up the glass in games. Battling their way among the crowds in the paint, the great big men have always found a way to secure key rebounds for the team.
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Chris Bosh's iconic offensive rebound against the San Antonio Spurs is the reason the Miami Heat saved Game 6. A rebound followed by an outlet pass to Ray Allen sealed the game and the Heat won the 2013 NBA Finals in seven games.
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Bearing in mind the hustle of the great big men in the paint tasked with the job of securing the glass, here are the only 4 NBA Players to secure 40 rebounds in a game.
#1 Nate Thurmond
Nate Thurmond was one of the most formidable centers of the 60's. He played for the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Both the Warriors and Cavaliers franchises have retired his jersey, No. 42.
Thurmond played a supporting role in his rookie season with Wilt Chamberlain as the star of the Warriors at the time. After Chamberlain's departure, Thurmond would take over the reins and establish himself as the dominant center in the league.
Aside from a monster performance against the Detroit Pistons where he recorded 42 rebounds, Thurmond is also the first player to record a quadruple double in an NBA game.
Thurmond was a presence on the glass and on the defensive end. NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar calls Thurmond one of the toughest defenders he has ever faced. He averaged 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2.7 assists for his 14-year long NBA career.
#2 Jerry Lucas
Standing at 6'8" tall, Jerry Lucas is the only forward on this list to average 40 rebounds in an NBA game.
Jerry Lucas played for the Cincinnati Royals, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks over the course of his 12-year NBA career. Lucas was a highly decorated high school and collegiate athlete. He played alongside Oscar Robertson in Cincinnati.
Plagued by injuries early in his career, Lucas would have to gradually reduce his usage rate. During his stint with the Knicks, Lucas spotted Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere. When the Knicks won the NBA Championship in 1973, Jerry Lucas became the first player to win championships at all levels- high school, collegiate, professional and Olympic.
For his career, Jerry Lucas averaged 17 points, 15.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
#3 Bill Russell
Bill Russell is one of the greatest centers in NBA history. Having played for the Boston Celtics over the course of a 13-year career, Russell and the Celtics will win 11 NBA Championships.
Russell is also regarded as one of the best defensive players in the center position. His ability and sense to block shots and keep the ball in play by redirecting the shot to a teammate is a large part of this. Establishing the tough and gritty mindset of Celtics basketball, Russell was known for his hustle and his mental toughness against the opposition.
Other than being an elite defender, Russell was also an elite rebounder. He had a whopping 11 games with 40+ rebounds. That number is only second to his greatest rival, Wilt Chamberlain.
For his career, Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 points and 4.3 rebounds. He was inducted into the NBA's Hall of Fame in 1975 as a player and 2021 as a coach.
Also Read: How many rings does Bill Russell have?
#4 Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is viewed as the most dominant player in the NBA of his era. Standing at 7'1" tall, Wilt was an unstoppable force at the time.
His ability to score at will and rebound is only highlighted by the ridiculous rate at which he would do both. He had 192 games with 30+ rebounds and 15 games with over 40 rebounds.
Chamberlain played in the NBA for 14 years. In this time, he played for the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and the LA Lakers. He has won two championships in total, one with the 76ers and the other with the Lakers in the latter part of his career.
Wilt still holds the record for the most points scored in an NBA game with 100 points and also 118 games with 50 points or more. He is also the NBA's leader in All-Time Rebounds. with 23,924.
In his career, Wilt Chamberlain has averaged an unreal stat line of 30.1 points, 22.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Truly fitting for one of the most dominant big men to play the game.
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