When it comes to rebounds, there aren’t many better than Dennis Rodman. He averaged 13.1 rebounds per game during his 14-year NBA career and even led the league in rebounds for 7 consecutive seasons. But how good was he really? Though current fans may not have seen Rodman play much, the ones who have will never forget his value. Gary Payton II is one of them. In fact, he is more than happy to compare him to the great Wilt Chamberlain.
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A couple of days ago, Payton II was in the company of former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson. Rampage, as he is aptly called, asked him if Dennis Rodman was the greatest rebounder of all time.
Without taking a second to consider his choices, Payton II said, “Yes, I do, probably!” After listening to his answer, Jackson and his cohost, Bear Degidio, got into a little argument.
Payton II took this time to explain the reason behind his choice. “Dennis Rodman, for his size, for sure. I think he’s probably one of the best rebounders, besides Wilt Chamberlain, you feel me? That era, he was just grabbing 25 a night. So, it was just different,” he explained.
“Dennis, he knew where that m*********** was going to come off, reject, he can see the ball and where it was going to be and just exactly … It was different,” he added.
What made Rodman so good at rebounds? The former star himself revealed the reason behind it some time ago.
“I used to have my friends, late at night, s***, 3-4 in the morning, go to the gym. I said, ‘shoot over here, shoot over there.’ I just sit there and react. I just practice a lot about the angle of the ball and trajectory of it,” Rodman, who famously scored 0 points and earned 49 rebounds in consecutive games during the 1993-1994 season, stated.
“You’ve got a Larry Bird, it’s going to spin. You’ve got a Magic, it maybe spins. I position myself right there. Now if I hit the rim, it’s boom. Click and go back this way … Click, go that way. So basically I just started learning how to put myself in a position to get the ball,” he revealed.
That said, is the Chamberlain comparison a bit too much? It’s hard to tell, but the late legend would have had his say if he were around because only a few players can match him in terms of rebounds.
Chamberlain’s 55-rebound game
There was one particular matchup that showed how good Chamberlain really was in this aspect of his game. On November 24, 1960, Chamberlain dominated the Boston Celtics with an astonishing 55 rebounds. Though the Philadelphia Warriors lost the game 132-129 to the Celtics, Chamberlain set an all-time single-game record with his performance.
“I got 55 rebounds against the Boston Celtics … And the thing I remember the most about the 55 rebounds is that when the game was over, that I was probably more tired that I have ever been in my entire life,” Chamberlain reminisced.
It was in this game that Chamberlain realized that this is what he needed to give every single time in order to be truly great. And it certainly worked.
As far as his opinion of Rodman is concerned, Chamberlain repeatedly downplayed his achievements by comparing them to his own. But it’s hardly surprising, considering how impressive his stats are.
Of course, Payton II’s comment about comparing Rodman to Chamberlain isn’t exactly new, but it still holds up after all these years. And deservedly so, one must admit.
