Wilt Chamberlain’s unparalleled individual dominance was especially apparent on the glass.
As one of the greatest individual rivalries in NBA history, the names Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell will forever be linked in NBA lore – and in the rebounding record books. Chamberlain set the all-time single-game record with 55 boards against Russell and the Celtics on Nov. 24, 1960.
Throughout NBA history, there have been 26 games in which a player grabbed at least 40 rebounds – Chamberlain (14) and Russell (8) account for 24 of those games, joined by Jerry Lucas and Nate Thurmond with one game each. Chamberlain and Russell are the only players to post 45+ and 50+ rebounds in a game.
- Wilt Chamberlain: 55 rebounds (Warriors vs. Celtics, Nov. 24, 1960)
- Bill Russell: 51 rebounds (Boston vs. Nationals, Feb. 5, 1960)
- Bill Russell: 49 rebounds (Boston vs. Warriors, Nov. 16, 1957)
- Bill Russell: 49 rebounds (Boston vs. Pistons, March 11, 1965)
- Wilt Chamberlain: 45 rebounds (Warriors vs. Nationals, Feb. 6, 1960)
- Wilt Chamberlain: 45 rebounds (Warriors vs. Lakers, Jan. 21, 1961)
Since the NBA/ABA Merger in 1976-77, no player has reached 40 rebounds, but 25 have recorded at least 30 boards. That list is led by Moses Malone (37 reb in 1979) and Charles Oakley (35 reb in 1988) with the most boards in a game since the merger. Dennis Rodman (5) has the most 30+ rebound games in that span.
- Moses Malone: 37 rebounds (Rockets at Jazz, Feb. 9, 1979)
- Charles Oakley: 35 rebounds (Bulls vs. Cavaliers, Apr. 22, 1988)
Similar to the regular-season record book, the playoff rebounding records are also dominated by Chamberlain and Russell as they combined for all four 40+ rebound games in playoff history. Russell has three of those four games, but Wilt has the top mark with 41 – once again coming against Russell – in 1967.
- Wilt Chamberlain: 41 rebounds (76ers vs. Celtics, April 5, 1967)
- Bill Russell: 40 rebounds (Celtics vs. Warriors, March 23, 1958)
- Bill Russell: 40 rebounds (Celtics vs. Hawks, March 29, 1960)
- Bill Russell: 40 rebounds (Celtics vs. Lakers, April 18, 1962, OT)
Since the merger, Dave Cowens holds the top rebounding game in the playoffs with 27 boards in 1977, followed by 26 rebounds apiece by six different players.
- Dave Cowens: 27 rebounds (Celtics at 76ers, May 1, 1977)
- Bismack Biyombo: 26 rebounds (Raptors vs. Cavaliers, May 21, 2016)
- Caldwell Jones: 26 rebounds (76ers vs. Bullets, Apr. 2, 1980)
- Moses Malone: 26 rebounds (Rockets vs. Bullets, OT, Apr. 21, 1977)
- Dwight Howard: 26 rebounds (Rockets vs. Mavericks, Apr. 24, 2015)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 26 rebounds (Lakers vs. Warriors, May 4, 1977)
- Hakeem Olajuwon: 26 rebounds (Rockets at Mavericks, Apr. 30, 1988)
