List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders
Rank Season Player Team Games Rebounds RPG
1 1959-60 Wilt Chamberlain * Philadelphia Warriors 72 1,941 27.0
2 1956-57 Bill Russell * Boston Celtics 48 943 19.6
3 1961-62 Walt Bellamy * Chicago Packers 79 1,500 19.0
4 1968-69 Wes Unseld * Baltimore Bullets 82 1,491 18.2
5 1963-64 Jerry Lucas * Cincinnati Royals 79 1,375 17.4
6 1968-69 Elvin Hayes * San Diego Rockets 82 1,406 17.1
7 1955-56 Maurice Stokes * Rochester Royals 67 1,094 16.3
8 1971-72 Elmore Smith Buffalo Braves 78 1,184 15.2
9 1970-71 Dave Cowens * Boston Celtics 81 1,216 15.0
10 1958-59 Elgin Baylor * Minneapolis Lakers 70 1,050 15.0
11 1964-65 Willis Reed * New York Knicks 80 1,175 14.7
12 1969-70 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar * Milwaukee Bucks 82 1,190 14.5
13 1992-93 Shaquille O'Neal * Orlando Magic 81 1,122 13.9
14 1954-55 Bob Pettit * Milwaukee Hawks 72 994 13.8
15 1963-64 Gus Johnson * Baltimore Bullets 78 1,064 13.6
16 1951-52 Mel Hutchins Milwaukee Hawks 66 880 13.3
17 1953-54 Ray Felix Baltimore Bullets 72 958 13.3
18 1964-65 Lucious Jackson Philadelphia 76ers 76 980 12.9
19 1981-82 Buck Williams New Jersey Nets 82 1,005 12.3
20 1991-92 Dikembe Mutombo * Denver Nuggets 71 870 12.3
This list exhibits the National Basketball Association 's top rookie single-season rebounding averages based on at least 70 games played or 800 rebounds . The NBA did not record rebounds until the 1950–51 season .
This list exhibits the National Basketball Association's top rookie single-season rebounding averages based on at least 70 games played or 800 rebounds. The NBA did not record rebounds until the 1950-51 season.