Wes Unseld played his entire career, 13 seasons, with Washington.
The Washington Wizards – originally known as the Packers, then Bullets – have had some notable individual rebounding performances throughout their 65 seasons in the NBA, which dates back to 1961-62. Today, we’re taking a look at the players who produced the top five single-season marks for rebounds in a game during their tenures in the nation’s capital.
Walt Bellamy – 1962, 19.0 RPG
Bellamy, the first overall pick in the 1961 NBA Draft by the Chicago Packers, earned the 1962 Rookie of the Year award by averaging 31.6 points, 19.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists over 79 games. He set career-best figures in scoring and rebounding in his debut campaign while leading the league in field goal percentage (51.9%). It was the first of four consecutive All-Star honors for Bellamy, who posted career averages of 27.6 ppg, 16.6 rpg and 2.4 apg over his 327 appearances for Washington in four and a half years with the franchise.
Wes Unseld – 1969, 18.2 RPG
The second overall pick by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1968 NBA Draft, Unseld exceeded all expectations by being named both MVP and Rookie of the year in his first professional go-around. At 6-foot-7, he averaged 13.8 points and a career-best 18.2 rebounds while appearing in all 82 games that year, helping him also earn All-NBA First Team and All-Star honors at age 22. Unseld spent his entire 13-year career in Washington, recording career averages of 10.8 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 3.9 apg and 1.1 spg across 984 contests.
Elvin Hayes – 1974, 18.1 RPG
Hayes was a dominant two-way force during his time in the NBA, and that was especially true in his second season in Washington in 1973-74. The 1990 Hall of Fame inductee appeared in 81 games, registering 21.4 points, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.0 blocks per night while leading the league in rebounds (18.1) and minutes played (44.5). Hayes also led all players in offensive (4.4) and defensive boards (13.7) while earning his sixth consecutive All-Star nod, along with All-Defensive and All-NBA Second Team honors. Across nine years as a member of the Bullets, ‘The Big E’ – who was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team – averaged 21.3 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 1.1 spg and 2.4 bpg in 731 outings from 1972 to 1981.
Wes Unseld – 1972, 17.6 RPG
At 25 years of age during the 1971-72 campaign, Unseld turned in a career-high 41.7 minutes per night while averaging 13.0 ppg, 17.6 rpg and 3.7 apg in 76 games. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988 after a tremendous 13 seasons in the NBA, earning five All-Star selections, one league MVP, ROTY honors in 1969 and one All-NBA First Team nod. Unseld is a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and played a pivotal role in Washington’s only championship in 1978, winning the NBA Finals MVP for his efforts.
Walt Bellamy – 1964, 17.0 RPG
Bellamy rounds out our list with his 1963-64 season in which he recorded 27.0 points and 17.0 rebounds per game across 80 appearances. The 6-foot-11 center was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993 after suiting up for Washington, the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Jazz over the course of his 14-year career. Bellamy was a four-time All-Star, all of which came during his time with the Bullets. He compiled career averages of 20.1 ppg, 13.7 rpg and 2.4 apg over 1,043 games played.
