Look at the nba all time rebounding list and you’ll notice something weird. It isn't like the scoring list where LeBron James eventually hunted down Kareem Abdul-Jabbar through decades of high-level consistency. In rebounding, the top is a fortress.
Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell aren't just leaders; they’re outliers in a way that modern basketball basically doesn't allow for anymore. Wilt sits at the peak with 23,924 rebounds. Russell is right behind him at 21,620.
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To put that in perspective, a player today would need to average 15 rebounds every single night for 82 games a year... for nearly 20 years. That’s not just difficult. It’s physically impossible given how the game has changed.
The Mount Rushmore of the Glass
When we talk about the nba all time rebounding list, the conversation starts and ends with the 1960s. Back then, teams shot a lot more, missed a lot more, and played at a pace that looks like a fast-forwarded video compared to today.
Wilt Chamberlain didn't just grab boards; he hoarded them. He averaged 22.9 rebounds per game over his entire career. Honestly, that sounds like a typo. But he really did it. In the 1960-61 season, he pulled down 27.2 rebounds per game. You've got guys today making All-Star teams by averaging 10.
Then you have Bill Russell. He’s the only other human being to cross the 20,000-rebound threshold. Russell was shorter than Wilt but used a blend of timing and sheer "want-to" to dominate the paint for the Boston Celtics. Between the two of them, they own every significant rebounding record in the book.
The Modern Era’s Best Hope
If you look further down the list, you see the names that defined the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is third with 17,440. He played forever, which helps, but he was also a master of positioning. Elvin Hayes (16,279) and Moses Malone (16,212) round out the top five. Moses was the "Chairman of the Boards" for a reason. He was relentless on the offensive glass, often intentionally missing his own shots just to tap them back in.
- Wilt Chamberlain: 23,924
- Bill Russell: 21,620
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 17,440
- Elvin Hayes: 16,279
- Moses Malone: 16,212
Why Today’s Stars Can’t Catch Up
The game shifted. Simple as that.
In the 60s, the average team took about 100 shots per game and made maybe 40% of them. That's a lot of missed shots. Today, teams are way more efficient. They take fewer shots, hit more of them, and many of those shots are three-pointers that bounce long and out of the reach of the traditional "big man."
Also, "load management" is a thing now. Wilt and Russell played 45+ minutes a night. Modern centers are lucky to see 32 minutes. If you aren't on the floor, you aren't getting boards.
Rudy Gobert is a great example of a modern rebounding machine. As of early 2026, he’s climbed into the top 50 all-time, recently crossing the 10,000-rebound mark. He's been incredibly consistent, but even at his peak, he’s barely halfway to where Wilt sits.
Andre Drummond is another one who has climbed high on the nba all time rebounding list. At one point, Drummond had the highest total rebound percentage in league history. He’s currently sitting with over 11,200 rebounds, placing him in the top 35. But even for a guy whose sole job was rebounding for a decade, the 20k mark is a fantasy.
Active Legends Moving Up the Ranks
LeBron James is the most fascinating name on this list. He’s not a center, yet he’s currently 25th all-time with roughly 11,859 rebounds. Because he’s played 23 seasons, he’s out-rebounded Hall of Fame big men like Patrick Ewing and Dirk Nowitzki. It’s a testament to his longevity, though he’ll likely finish his career somewhere in the top 20, far from the titans at the top.
Nikola Jokić is the one to watch. The "Joker" is currently around the 8,500 mark and is still in his prime. Given how he approaches the game—rarely jumping but always being in the right spot—he could easily finish in the top 15 if he plays into his late 30s. He’s currently averaging about 12.2 boards a night in this 2025-26 season.
The Special Case of Dennis Rodman
You can't talk about rebounds without the "Worm." Dennis Rodman is 24th all-time with 11,954 boards.
Why is that impressive? Because he was 6'7".
Rodman is the only player in the modern era who put up Wilt-like rebounding percentages. In 1991-92, he averaged 18.7 rebounds per game. He didn't care about scoring. He studied the rotation of the ball off the rim. He was a specialist in an era of generalists. If Rodman had been 7'1", he might have actually given Russell a run for his money.
The Future of Rebounding Records
Is the record ever going to be broken? Honestly, no.
Unless the NBA changes the rules to make the hoop smaller or the game becomes 60 minutes long, Wilt’s 23,924 is safe. It’s arguably the most unbreakable record in sports, right up there with Cy Young’s 511 wins in baseball.
What we should look for instead is who can crack the top 10. Dwight Howard finished his NBA stint at 10th with 14,627. Kevin Garnett (14,662) and Robert Parish (14,715) are just ahead of him. For a modern player to hit 15,000 is the new 20,000. It signifies a legendary career of health and dominance.
If you’re tracking the nba all time rebounding list today, focus on the milestones. Every time a player hits 10,000, you’re looking at a future Hall of Famer. It takes a specific kind of toughness to do that job every night.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep an eye on the "Rebound Percentage" stat. It tells you who is actually the most dominant glass-cleaner regardless of how many minutes they play or how fast the game is moving. That’s where the real experts find the next great big man.
Start by comparing the career rebound totals of active players like Anthony Davis and Domantas Sabonis against the legends. Sabonis, in particular, has been climbing fast, already crossing 7,000 rebounds and showing no signs of slowing down. Monitoring these jumps mid-season is the best way to see history being written in real-time.