NBA Players with the Highest Rebounding Averages in Playoffs in Their Rookie Season
Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 1st NBA season, ranked by playoff rebounds per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.
Year: 1st /
Other years
Which NBA player averaged the most rebounds in the Playoffs in his rookie year?
Playing for the 1960 Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 25.8 rebounds in 9 games — the highest playoff rebounds per game average by any NBA player in his 1st season.
Rebounds Per Game, Rookie Season
25.8 rpg
Wilt Chamberlain
(1960 Philadelphia Warriors)
Note: No game minimums were used for this list / 
= NBA champion in this season.
Rebounds Per Game in a Player's Rookie Season - Top 50
Playoffs
| Rebounds | Other stats | ||||||||
| Rk | Player
(Team) |
Per Game | Total | Gms | Pts | Ast | Stl | Blk | 3pm |
| 1 | (1960 Warriors) |
25.8 | 232 | 9 | 33.2 | 2.1 | - | - | - |
| 2 | (1957 Celtics) |
24.4 | 244 | 10 | 13.9 | 3.2 | - | - | - |
| 3 | (1969 Bullets) |
18.5 | 74 | 4 | 18.8 | 1.3 | - | - | - |
| 4 | (1953 Bullets (1st)) |
18.0 | 36 | 2 | 16.5 | 2.5 | - | - | - |
| 5 | (1977 Rockets) |
16.9 | 203 | 12 | 18.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.8 | - |
| 6 | (1970 Bucks) |
16.8 | 168 | 10 | 35.2 | 4.1 | - | - | - |
| 7 | (1972 Bulls) |
16.5 | 66 | 4 | 15.3 | 4.0 | - | - | - |
| 8 | (1963 Pistons) |
15.8 | 63 | 4 | 20.0 | 1.5 | - | - | - |
| 9 | (1962 Pistons) |
14.5 | 145 | 10 | 17.3 | 4.3 | - | - | - |
| 10 | (1970 Suns) |
13.9 | 97 | 7 | 25.4 | 5.9 | - | - | - |
| Rebounds | Other stats | ||||||||
| Rk | Player
(Team) |
Per Game | Total | Gms | Pts | Ast | Stl | Blk | 3pm |
| 11 | (1969 Rockets) |
13.8 | 83 | 6 | 25.8 | 0.8 | - | - | - |
| 12 | (1976 76ers) |
13.7 | 41 | 3 | 23.0 | 4.0 | 0.3 | 1.3 | - |
| 13 | (1977 Bulls) |
13.0 | 39 | 3 | 18.7 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 2.7 | - |
(1985 Rockets) |
13.0 | 65 | 5 | 21.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.6 | 0.0 | |
| 15 | (1985 Mavericks) |
12.8 | 51 | 4 | 18.8 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| 16 | (2003 Magic) |
12.7 | 89 | 7 | 14.0 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| 17 | (1964 Royals) |
12.5 | 125 | 10 | 12.2 | 3.4 | - | - | - |
| 18 | (1978 Bucks) |
12.4 | 112 | 9 | 24.0 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 1.9 | - |
| 19 | (1951 Pistons) |
12.3 | 37 | 3 | 12.0 | 1.7 | - | - | - |
(1964 Warriors) |
12.3 | 148 | 12 | 10.0 | 0.8 | - | - | - | |
| Rebounds | Other stats | ||||||||
| Rk | Player
(Team) |
Per Game | Total | Gms | Pts | Ast | Stl | Blk | 3pm |
| 21 | (1959 Lakers) |
12.0 | 156 | 13 | 25.5 | 3.3 | - | - | - |
(1953 Bullets (1st)) |
12.0 | 24 | 2 | 12.5 | 4.0 | - | - | - | |
(1990 Spurs) |
12.0 | 120 | 10 | 24.3 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 4.0 | 0.0 | |
| 24 | (1957 Celtics) |
11.7 | 117 | 10 | 22.9 | 2.0 | - | - | - |
| 25 | (1997 Timberwolves) |
11.7 | 35 | 3 | 12.7 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 26 | (1962 Warriors) |
11.5 | 138 | 12 | 20.1 | 2.7 | - | - | - |
| 27 | (1980 Celtics) |
11.2 | 101 | 9 | 21.3 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| 28 | (1957 Hawks) |
11.2 | 112 | 10 | 17.0 | 2.8 | - | - | - |
| 29 | (1985 76ers) |
11.1 | 144 | 13 | 14.9 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 |
| 30 | (1962 Nationals) |
11.0 | 55 | 5 | 18.8 | 1.4 | - | - | - |
| Rebounds | Other stats | ||||||||
| Rk | Player
(Team) |
Per Game | Total | Gms | Pts | Ast | Stl | Blk | 3pm |
| 31 | (1958 Warriors) |
10.9 | 87 | 8 | 12.9 | 0.8 | - | - | - |
| 32 | (1963 Lakers) |
10.8 | 97 | 9 | 3.3 | 1.2 | - | - | - |
| 33 | (1955 Nationals) |
10.7 | 118 | 11 | 13.8 | 1.2 | - | - | - |
| 34 | (1975 Supersonics) |
10.7 | 96 | 9 | 20.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.0 | - |
| 35 | (1980 Lakers) |
10.5 | 168 | 16 | 18.3 | 9.4 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
(1987 Mavericks) |
10.5 | 42 | 4 | 13.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 0.0 | |
(1982 Nets) |
10.5 | 21 | 2 | 17.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | |
| 38 | (2008 Hawks) |
10.4 | 73 | 7 | 12.6 | 3.6 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 39 | (1961 Nationals) |
10.4 | 83 | 8 | 7.8 | 1.5 | - | - | - |
| 40 | (1979 Trail Blazers) |
10.3 | 31 | 3 | 19.7 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.7 | - |
| Rebounds | Other stats | ||||||||
| Rk | Player
(Team) |
Per Game | Total | Gms | Pts | Ast | Stl | Blk | 3pm |
| 41 | (1977 Warriors) |
10.3 | 103 | 10 | 12.1 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | - |
| 42 | (1996 Trail Blazers) |
10.2 | 51 | 5 | 23.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| 43 | (1956 Warriors) |
10.1 | 101 | 10 | 12.3 | 5.8 | - | - | - |
| 44 | (1976 Suns) |
10.1 | 191 | 19 | 17.9 | 5.2 | 1.3 | 1.1 | - |
| 45 | (1951 Warriors) |
10.0 | 20 | 2 | 20.5 | 1.5 | - | - | - |
(2012 Nuggets) |
10.0 | 70 | 7 | 10.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.0 | |
(1986 Bulls) |
10.0 | 30 | 3 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | |
| 48 | (1977 Trail Blazers) |
9.9 | 188 | 19 | 21.2 | 4.2 | 1.5 | 1.2 | - |
| 49 | (1993 Hornets) |
9.9 | 89 | 9 | 23.8 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 0.0 |
| 50 | (1951 Knicks) |
9.8 | 137 | 14 | 7.1 | 3.3 | - | - | - |
* The NBA began recording rebounds in 1951, steals and blocks in 1974, and added the 3-point line in 1980.