NBA Players with the Highest Rebounding Averages in Their 3rd Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 3rd NBA season, ranked by regular season rebounds per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

3rd

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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 3rd year?

Playing for the 1962 Philadelphia Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 25.7 rebounds in 80 games — the highest rebounds per game average by any NBA player in his 3rd season.

Rebounds Per Game, 3rd Season

25.7 rpg
Wilt Chamberlain
(1962 Philadelphia Warriors)

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

Rebounds Per Game in a Player's 3rd Season - Top 50

Regular Season

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Wilt Chamberlain (1962 Warriors)	25.7	2,052	80	50.4	2.4	-	-	-
2	Bill Russell (1959 Celtics)	23.0	1,612	70	16.7	3.2	-	-	-
3	Jerry Lucas (1966 Royals)	21.1	1,668	79	21.5	2.7	-	-	-
4	Elgin Baylor (1961 Lakers)	19.8	1,447	73	34.8	5.1	-	-	-
5	Maurice Stokes (1958 Royals)	18.1	1,142	63	16.9	6.4	-	-	-
6	Nate Thurmond (1966 Warriors)	18.0	1,312	73	16.3	1.5	-	-	-
7	Moses Malone (1979 Rockets)	17.6	1,444	82	24.8	1.8	1.0	1.5	-
8	Walt Bellamy (1964 Bullets)	17.0	1,361	80	27.0	1.6	-	-	-
9	Wes Unseld (1971 Bullets)	16.9	1,253	74	14.1	4.0	-	-	-
10	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1972 Bucks)	16.6	1,346	81	34.8	4.6	-	-	-

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Elvin Hayes (1971 Rockets)	16.6	1,362	82	28.7	2.3	-	-	-
12	Dave Cowens (1973 Celtics)	16.2	1,329	82	20.5	4.1	-	-	-
13	Kevin Love (2011 Timberwolves)	15.2	1,112	73	20.2	2.5	0.6	0.4	1.2
14	Bob Lanier (1973 Pistons)	14.9	1,205	81	23.8	3.2	-	-	-
15	Charles Barkley (1987 76ers)	14.6	994	68	23.0	4.9	1.8	1.5	0.3
16	Bob Pettit (1957 Hawks)	14.6	1,037	71	24.7	1.9	-	-	-
17	Willis Reed (1967 Knicks)	14.6	1,136	78	20.9	1.6	-	-	-
18	Bill Walton (1977 Trail Blazers)	14.4	934	65	18.6	3.8	1.0	3.2	-
19	George Mikan (1951 Lakers)	14.1	958	68	28.4	3.1	-	-	-
20	Bob McAdoo (1975 Braves)	14.1	1,155	82	34.5	2.2	1.1	2.1	-

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	Clyde Lovellette (1956 Lakers)	14.0	992	71	21.5	2.3	-	-	-
22	Tom Boerwinkle (1971 Bulls)	13.8	1,133	82	10.8	4.8	-	-	-
23	Clyde Lee (1969 Warriors)	13.8	897	65	10.7	1.3	-	-	-
24	Joel Embiid (2019 76ers)	13.6	871	64	27.5	3.7	0.7	1.9	1.2
25	Ray Scott (1964 Pistons)	13.5	1,078	80	17.6	3.1	-	-	-
26	Andre Drummond (2015 Pistons)	13.5	1,104	82	13.8	0.7	0.9	1.9	0.0
27	Johnny Green (1962 Knicks)	13.3	1,066	80	15.9	2.4	-	-	-
28	Gus Johnson (1966 Bullets)	13.3	546	41	16.5	2.8	-	-	-
29	Walter Dukes (1958 Pistons)	13.3	954	72	11.2	0.7	-	-	-
30	Charles Oakley (1988 Bulls)	13.0	1,066	82	12.4	3.0	0.8	0.3	0.0

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
31	Spencer Haywood (1973 Supersonics)	12.9	995	77	29.2	2.5	-	-	-
32	Artis Gilmore (1979 Bulls)	12.7	1,043	82	23.7	3.3	0.6	1.9	-
33	Rick Roberson (1972 Cavaliers)	12.7	801	63	13.1	1.7	-	-	-
34	Victor Wembanyama (2026 Spurs)	12.6	164	13	25.8	3.8	1.1	3.5	1.6
35	Bailey Howell (1962 Pistons)	12.6	996	79	19.9	2.4	-	-	-
36	Tim Duncan (2000 Spurs)	12.4	918	74	23.2	3.2	0.9	2.2	0.0
37	Buck Williams (1984 Nets)	12.3	1,000	81	15.7	1.6	1.0	1.5	0.0
38	Karl-Anthony Towns (2018 Timberwolves)	12.3	1,012	82	21.3	2.4	0.8	1.4	1.5
39	Jeff Ruland (1984 Bullets)	12.3	922	75	22.2	3.9	0.9	1.0	0.0
40	Dwight Howard (2007 Magic)	12.3	1,008	82	17.6	1.9	0.9	1.9	0.0

		Rebounds			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Ast	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Dolph Schayes (1952 Nationals)	12.3	773	63	13.8	2.9	-	-	-
42	Clifford Ray (1974 Bulls)	12.2	977	80	9.3	3.1	0.7	2.2	-
43	David Robinson (1992 Spurs)	12.2	829	68	23.2	2.7	2.3	4.5	0.0
44	Walker Kessler (2025 Jazz)	12.2	707	58	11.1	1.7	0.6	2.4	0.1
45	Harry Gallatin (1951 Knicks)	12.1	800	66	12.8	2.7	-	-	-
46	Bill Laimbeer (1983 Pistons)	12.1	993	82	13.6	3.2	0.6	1.4	0.0
47	Zelmo Beaty (1965 Hawks)	12.1	966	80	16.9	1.4	-	-	-
48	Robert Parish (1979 Warriors)	12.1	916	76	17.2	1.5	1.3	2.9	-
49	Arnie Risen (1951 Royals)	12.0	795	66	16.3	2.4	-	-	-
50	Karl Malone (1988 Jazz)	12.0	986	82	27.7	2.4	1.4	0.6	0.0

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