Bill Russell is one of the greatest basketball players to have ever stepped onto a court, and it is unlikely that anyone will rob him of that distinction. He’s the only person that can claim 11 NBA titles to his name, something that might not change in generations of the game.
Russell was a defensive monster on the court and one of the greatest rebounders of all time, competing against another legend in Wilt Chamberlain. The stories of Bill and Wilt are famed, so Russell didn’t take kindly to being compared with Dennis Rodman in 1996 when Rodman was inarguably the best rebounder in the NBA.
The inevitable question arose: What did Russell, the best rebounder in history, think of Dennis Rodman, the best modern-day rebounder? “Well, he’s certainly an entertainer,” Russell said. Uh, Bill, how about as a rebounder? “He’s adequate. . . . To compare him with Wilt and me is, well, in error.” (h/t Washington Post)
Rodman’s 11,954 rebounds were good enough to make him 23rd on the all-time rebounding leaders list, not even close to Wilt Chamberlain’s 23,924 rebounds and Bill Russell’s 21,620 rebounds at 1 and 2, respectively. Wilt has incredible rebounding records, and Russell rivals him in almost everyone, which isn’t the case for Rodman.
Is Dennis Rodman One Of The Greatest Rebounders Of All Time?
Dennis Rodman may not have the overall counting statistics to have him rival legends like Wilt and Bill, but he was a fearsome rebounder during his prime. Rodman is a 7-time rebounds leader, the 2nd most of all-time, and ahead of Russell himself. He beat out players from the same era who rank above him in overall rebounds, like Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Dikembe Mutombo, and others. In his prime, there was no better rebounder than Rodman.
Rodman’s prime in the NBA wasn’t as long as others that may have more total rebounds than him. However, he did battle out and beat the best of his era in some of the most impressive rebounding seasons we have seen ever. Being 6’7″ in the era of the giants and pulling down more boards than all of them is impressive and a testament to Rodman’s greatness.
