Top 5 Greatest Rebounders in Boston Celtics History

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Bill Russell leads the Boston Celtics in total rebounds with 21,620 rebounds. 

The Boston Celtics have one of the more storied franchises in NBA history. They have made the playoffs 61 times, winning 18 championships. Some of the best players in the history of the league have played for the Celtics, so let’s focus on the rebounds column and highlight the Top 5 rebounders in franchise history.

1. Bill Russell, 21,620 Rebounds

Russell was the second overall pick in the 1956 Draft. He played 13 seasons in the league, all of them with the Celtics. He won the NBA MVP Award five times and finished inside the top-three in MVP voting nine times. He dominated the glass, leading the league in rebounds per game five times. Another stunning accomplishment was that he averaged at least 21.0 rebounds per game in a season 10 times. For his career, he hauled in 22.5 rebounds per game. 

 2. Robert Parish, 11,051 Rebounds

Parish played 21 seasons in the NBA, 14 of which came with the Celtics. He played in at least 72 games in every one of his seasons with the team, including eight seasons in which he played in at least 80 games. While not as dominant on the glass as Russell was, he still averaged 10.0 rebounds per game during his time with the Celtics. His best season on the boards was when he averaged 12.5 rebounds for the 1988-89 season.

 3. Dave Cowens, 10,170 Rebounds

Cowens won the Rookie of the Year Award with the Celtics for the 1970-71 season. He was also named the MVP of the 1972-73 season. He averaged at least 15.0 rebounds per game in each of his first four seasons in the league. There were even two seasons in which he averaged at least 16.0 rebounds per game. What helped Cowens produce a lofty rebounds total was that he averaged 39 minutes per game during his 10 seasons with the Celtics.

4. Larry Bird, 8,974 Rebounds

One of the most decorated players in NBA history, Bird was named league MVP three times during his career. He finished inside the top-three in MVP voting eight times. Bird could carry his team offensively, but he was also a great rebounder. He averaged at least 10.1 rebounds per game in each of his first six seasons in the league. In total, he averaged 10.0 rebounds per game for his career, playing all 13 of seasons in the league with the franchise.

5. John Havlicek, 8,007 Rebounds

Havlicek spent 16 seasons in the NBA, all of which came with the Celtics. He never appeared in fewer than 71 games in a season and he played in at least 80 games in a season 11 times. His best performance on the boards came in the 1970-71 season when he averaged 9.0 rebounds per game. That season, he averaged an incredible 45 minutes per game. Playing heavy minutes was the norm for him, considering that he averaged 37 minutes per game for his career. In total, he averaged 6.3 rebounds over 1,270 career games with the Celtics.