One of our headliners, Kevin Love won the 2016 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a number of notable players suit up in the wine and gold throughout their 55-year history in the NBA. Today, we’re taking a look at the players who produced the top five single season rebounds per game during their tenures in The Land.
Carlos Boozer – 2004, 11.4 RPG
Boozer spent his first two years in the league with the Cavs after they selected him with the 35th overall pick in the 2002 NBA draft. After a solid rookie season where he was mostly in a reserve role, ‘Booz’ erupted to the tune of 15.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 75 starts in 2003-04. The breakout resulted in many suitors for the forward-center with a prowess on the glass, and he would eventually sign with the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2004-05 campaign. Boozer also played for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers before officially retiring in 2017, finishing with career averages of 16.2 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 2.2 apg.
Cliff Robinson – 1983, 11.1 RPG
Robinson enjoyed some of his best statistical seasons of his 11-year career over the course of two and a half years in Cleveland. Originally drafted 11th overall by the New Jersey Nets in 1979, ‘Tree Top’ was acquired by the Cavs during the 1981-82 season, where he proceeded to establish himself as a force on the interior. He posted a career-best 11.1 rebounds per game in his first full campaign there, adding 18.0 points and 1.9 assists in 77 outings, then tallied 10.3 rpg in 1984, his second-best mark. In 629 total contests, Robinson averaged 17.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.0 spg.
Kevin Love – 2017, 11.1 RPG
Love played six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2008 to 2014, where the UCLA product tallied 19.2 points and 12.2 boards across 364 appearances. His scoring and tremendous knack for rebounding made him a trade acquisition by the Cavs in the summer of 2014, teaming up with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in the ‘Big Three’ era. Love was a pivotal factor in Cleveland’s first-ever NBA championship in 2016, but it was the following season when he grabbed the third spot on our list today. The 2011 rebound champ (15.2 rpg) earned his fourth All-Star selection in 2016-17 by recording 19.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg and 1.9 apg on 42.7 / 37.3 / 87.1 shooting splits.
Tyrone Hill – 1995, 10.9 RPG
Hill, who was drafted 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1990, played nearly six full seasons as a member of the Cavaliers. The Cincinnati, Ohio native tallied career-highs in the 1994-95 campaign with 13.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game in 70 appearances (67 starts), earning Hill his lone All-Star honor in his 14-year career as a pro. Across 801 total contests with the Cavs, Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat, Hill averaged 9.4 ppg and 8.6 rpg.
Brad Daugherty – 1991, 10.9 RPG
Daugherty spent his entire eight-year career in the NBA with the Cavaliers, from 1986 to 1994, after the Cavs chose him with the first overall pick in the draft of ‘86. The five-time All-Star was a force to be reckoned with during the 1990-91 season, posting career-best figures in scoring (21.6 ppg), rebounding (10.9 rpg) and steals (1.0 spg) while dishing out 3.3 assists a night. That was the beginning of four straight years where Daugherty averaged a double-double in points and boards, grabbing at least 10.2 rpg through 1994. Injuries caused the 7-footer to miss all of 1994-95 and 1995-96, forcing him to retire at the age of 30, but that didn’t stop Cleveland from hanging Daugherty’s number 43 into the rafters. In 548 total outings, ‘Hooch’ averaged 19.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg and 3.7 apg, making him one of the most iconic names in the Cavs’ franchise history.
