NBA Players with the Highest Rebounding Averages in Their 2nd Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 2nd NBA season, ranked by regular season rebounds per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

2nd

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Show: Season - Playoffs / Other Stats

Other Stats

Rebounds Per Game

3-Pointers Made Per Game

Total

Which NBA player averaged the most rebounds in the Regular Season in his 2nd year?

Playing for the 1961 Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 27.2 rebounds in 79 games — the highest rebounds per game average by any NBA player in his 2nd season.

Rebounds Per Game, 2nd Season

27.2 rpg
Wilt Chamberlain
(1961 Philadelphia Warriors)

Note: No game minimums were used for this list / = NBA champion in this season.

Rebounds Per Game in a Player's 2nd Season - Top 50

Regular Season

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Wilt Chamberlain (1961 Warriors)	27.2	2,149	79	38.4	1.9	-	-	-
2	Bill Russell (1958 Celtics)	22.7	1,564	69	16.6	2.9	-	-	-
3	Jerry Lucas (1965 Royals)	20.0	1,321	66	21.4	2.4	-	-	-
4	Nate Thurmond (1965 Warriors)	18.1	1,395	77	16.5	2.0	-	-	-
5	Maurice Stokes (1957 Royals)	17.4	1,256	72	15.6	4.6	-	-	-
6	Elvin Hayes (1970 Rockets)	16.9	1,386	82	27.5	2.0	-	-	-
7	Wes Unseld (1970 Bullets)	16.7	1,370	82	16.2	3.5	-	-	-
8	Elgin Baylor (1960 Lakers)	16.4	1,150	70	29.6	3.5	-	-	-
9	Dolph Schayes (1951 Nationals)	16.4	1,080	66	17.0	3.8	-	-	-
10	Walt Bellamy (1963 Zephyrs)	16.4	1,309	80	27.9	2.9	-	-	-

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Bob Pettit (1956 Hawks)	16.2	1,164	72	25.7	2.6	-	-	-
12	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971 Bucks)	16.0	1,311	82	31.7	3.3	-	-	-
13	Dave Cowens (1972 Celtics)	15.2	1,203	79	18.8	3.1	-	-	-
14	Bob McAdoo (1974 Braves)	15.1	1,117	74	30.6	2.3	1.2	3.3	-
15	Moses Malone (1978 Rockets)	15.0	886	59	19.4	0.5	0.8	1.3	-
16	Bailey Howell (1961 Pistons)	14.4	1,111	77	23.6	2.5	-	-	-
17	Bob Lanier (1972 Pistons)	14.2	1,132	80	25.7	3.1	-	-	-
18	Neil Johnston (1953 Warriors)	13.9	976	70	22.3	2.8	-	-	-
19	Clyde Lee (1968 Warriors)	13.9	1,141	82	11.9	1.6	-	-	-
20	Bill Walton (1976 Trail Blazers)	13.4	681	51	16.1	4.3	1.0	1.6	-

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	Larry Foust (1952 Pistons)	13.3	880	66	15.9	3.0	-	-	-
22	Shaquille O'Neal (1994 Magic)	13.2	1,072	81	29.3	2.4	0.9	2.9	0.0
23	Andre Drummond (2014 Pistons)	13.2	1,071	81	13.5	0.4	1.2	1.6	0.0
24	Swen Nater (1978 Braves)	13.2	1,029	78	15.5	2.8	0.5	0.6	-
25	Charles Oakley (1987 Bulls)	13.1	1,074	82	14.5	3.6	1.0	0.4	0.1
26	Artis Gilmore (1978 Bulls)	13.1	1,071	82	22.9	3.2	0.5	2.2	-
27	Dikembe Mutombo (1993 Nuggets)	13.0	1,070	82	13.8	1.8	0.5	3.5	0.0
28	Gus Johnson (1965 Bullets)	13.0	988	76	18.6	3.6	-	-	-
29	David Robinson (1991 Spurs)	13.0	1,063	82	25.6	2.5	1.5	3.9	0.0
30	Charles Barkley (1986 76ers)	12.8	1,026	80	20.0	3.9	2.2	1.6	0.2

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
31	Spencer Haywood (1972 Supersonics)	12.7	926	73	26.2	2.0	-	-	-
32	Marvin Webster (1978 Supersonics)	12.6	1,035	82	14.0	2.5	0.6	2.0	-
33	Tom Boerwinkle (1970 Bulls)	12.5	1,016	81	10.4	2.8	-	-	-
34	Buck Williams (1983 Nets)	12.5	1,027	82	17.0	1.5	1.1	1.3	0.0
35	Oscar Robertson (1962 Royals)	12.5	985	79	30.8	11.4	-	-	-
36	Dwight Howard (2006 Magic)	12.5	1,022	82	15.8	1.5	0.8	1.4	0.0
37	Elmore Smith (1973 Braves)	12.4	946	76	18.3	2.5	-	-	-
38	Jack Sikma (1979 Supersonics)	12.4	1,013	82	15.6	3.2	1.0	0.8	-
39	Karl-Anthony Towns (2017 Timberwolves)	12.3	1,007	82	25.1	2.7	0.7	1.3	1.2
40	Sam Lacey (1972 Royals)	12.0	968	81	11.6	2.1	-	-	-

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Nikola Vucevic (2013 Magic)	11.9	917	77	13.1	1.9	0.8	1.0	0.0
42	Roy Tarpley (1988 Mavericks)	11.8	959	81	13.5	1.1	1.3	1.1	0.0
43	Rudy Tomjanovich (1972 Rockets)	11.8	923	78	15.0	1.5	-	-	-
44	Nathaniel Clifton (1952 Knicks)	11.8	731	62	10.6	3.4	-	-	-
45	Willie Naulls (1958 Knicks)	11.8	799	68	18.1	1.4	-	-	-
46	Toby Kimball (1968 Rockets)	11.7	947	81	11.0	1.8	-	-	-
47	Jalen Duren (2024 Pistons)	11.6	709	61	13.8	2.4	0.5	0.8	0.0
48	Danny Fortson (1999 Nuggets)	11.6	581	50	11.0	0.6	0.6	0.4	0.0
49	Willis Reed (1966 Knicks)	11.6	883	76	15.5	1.2	-	-	-
50	Reggie Harding (1965 Pistons)	11.6	906	78	12.0	2.3	-	-	-

* The NBA began recording rebounds in 1951, steals and blocks in 1974, and added the 3-point line in 1980.