List of National Basketball Association top rookie rebounding averages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NBA minimum requirements for rebounding average are 70 games played or 800 rebounds.
| Rank | Season | Player | Team | Games | Rebounds | RPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1959-60 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | 72 | 1941 | 27.0 |
| 2 | 1956-57 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics | 48 | 943 | 19.6 |
| 3 | 1961-62 | Walt Bellamy | Chicago Packers | 79 | 1500 | 19.0 |
| 4 | 1968-69 | Wes Unseld | Baltimore Bullets | 82 | 1491 | 18.2 |
| 5 | 1963-64 | Jerry Lucas | Cincinnati Royals | 79 | 1375 | 17.4 |
| 6 | 1968-69 | Elvin Hayes | San Diego Rockets | 82 | 1406 | 17.1 |
| 7 | 1955-56 | Maurice Stokes | Rochester Royals | 67 | 1094 | 16.3 |
| 8 | 1971-72 | Elmore Smith | Buffalo Braves | 78 | 1184 | 15.2 |
| 9 | 1970-71 | Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics | 81 | 1216 | 15.0 |
| 10 | 1958-59 | Elgin Baylor | Minneapolis Lakers | 70 | 1050 | 15.0 |
| 11 | 1964-65 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks | 80 | 1175 | 14.7 |
| 12 | 1969-70 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks | 82 | 1190 | 14.5 |
| 13 | 1992-93 | Shaquille O'Neal | Orlando Magic | 81 | 1122 | 13.9 |
| 14 | 1954-55 | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks | 72 | 994 | 13.8 |
| 15 | 1963-64 | Gus Johnson | Baltimore Bullets | 78 | 1064 | 13.6 |
| 16 | 1951-52 | Mel Hutchins | Milwaukee Hawks | 66 | 880 | 13.3 |
| 17 | 1953-54 | Ray Felix | Baltimore Bullets | 72 | 958 | 13.3 |