
Dennis Rodman played with the Spurs for 2 seasons.
The Spurs have been one of the more successful franchises in the NBA during their 50-year existence. That includes winning five NBA Championships. The backbone of their most successful campaigns was rebounding and defense. So, it’s no surprise they boast some impressive single season rebounding efforts.
Below, we’ll take a look at five of the best single-season per-game rebounding performances in the team’s history.
Dennis Rodman, 1994, 17.3 RPG
If you were to start rattling off some of the greatest rebounders to ever step on the hardwood, it wouldn’t take long for Rodman’s name to come up. In between his start in Detroit and move to Chicago, the Hall of Fame forward spent two seasons in San Antonio. He was such a prolific rebounder that he led the league in rebounds per game for seven straight seasons, spanning from 1992-98, including the 17.3 he pulled down in this campaign. His ability on the glass and effectiveness on defense were good enough to also get him to 11th in MVP voting, despite averaging just 4.7 points per game, as well as 6th in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1994.
Dennis Rodman, 1995, 16.8 RPG
As mentioned, Rodman dominated the glass in the ’90s and takes the second spot here as well, with his league-leading 16.8 boards per game in 1995. He would also be a factor during award season, finishing 12th in MVP voting, 5th for Defensive Player of the Year, while earning All-Defensive First-Team honors and Third-Team All-NBA. This was the fourth straight season he led the league in rebounds per game, and his last with the Spurs before he was traded to the Bulls in the summer of ‘95.
David Robinson, 1991, 13.0 RPG
Somewhat surprisingly, “The Admiral” only appears on this list once, and it was when he led the league in rebounding in 1991. Despite the single appearance, Robinson’s other accolades speak volumes about what he accomplished in his career. He also scored 25.6 points per game this season, which earned him third place in the league’s MVP voting, an All-Star nod, and second place in the league’s Defensive Player of the Year voting. He also finished First-Team All-NBA, as well as earning First-Team All-Defensive honors. Robinson spent all 14 seasons of his career with the Spurs, and would go on to win two championships, be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and be chosen for one of the 75 spots on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Tim Duncan, 2003, 12.9 RPG
There was no chance we’d get through this list without Duncan. The “Big Fundamental” played 19 years in the NBA, all with the Spurs, and not only is he their all-time leading rebounder, but he also ranks No. 6 on the NBA’s all-time list with a career total of 15,091. This was arguably Duncan’s finest NBA season, winning his second straight MVP award, then capping his season with an NBA Championship, as well as winning Finals MVP.
Tim Duncan, 2002, 12.7 RPG
We’ll round out the top 5 with another superb Duncan campaign. This time from the year prior, where he led the league with 9.4 defensive rebounds per game but finished second to Ben Wallace’s 13.0 in total rebounds per game, with 12.7. Duncan won his first MVP award this season, while scoring a career-high 25.5 points per game and once again locking down a first-team All-NBA spot. Like Robinson and Rodman as well, Duncan also earned a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team and was selected to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.