Most Rebounds in a Single NBA Game

Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most rebounds in a single NBA game, grabbing 55 for the Philadelphia Warriors against the Boston Celtics on November 24, 1960. He set it against Bill Russell, the greatest rebounder of the era, which only adds to its legend.

Rebounding records belong almost entirely to two men and one decade. The battles between Chamberlain and Russell in the low-scoring 1960s produced totals that look impossible by modern standards. Here is the full leaderboard of the greatest single-game rebounding performances, why the numbers were so high, and how the modern game compares. All figures are through the 2025 season.

The record holder: Wilt Chamberlain’s 55

Chamberlain’s 55-rebound game came on a night when he was matched up directly with Russell, whose Celtics were the dominant team of the era. Grabbing 55 boards in a single game, more than most teams manage today, reflected both Chamberlain’s size and stamina and the sheer volume of missed shots in 1960s basketball, when field-goal percentages were far lower than they are now.

The record has stood for more than six decades and, like Chamberlain’s 100-point game, is routinely cited as one of the most unbreakable marks in sports.

The full leaderboard of single-game rebounds

The table below ranks the highest single-game rebound totals in NBA history. Chamberlain and Russell occupy nearly every spot.

Rank	Rebounds	Player	Team	Date
1	55	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia Warriors	Nov 24, 1960
2	51	Bill Russell	Boston Celtics	Feb 5, 1960
3	49	Bill Russell	Boston Celtics	Nov 16, 1957
3	49	Bill Russell	Boston Celtics	Mar 11, 1965
5	45	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia Warriors	Nov 4, 1960
5	45	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia Warriors	Jan 21, 1961
7	43	Wilt Chamberlain	Philadelphia Warriors	Nov 10, 1959
8	42	Nate Thurmond	San Francisco Warriors	Nov 9, 1965
9	40	Jerry Lucas	Cincinnati Royals	Feb 29, 1964
9	40	Bill Russell	Boston Celtics	multiple games

The list is a near-monopoly held by Chamberlain and Russell, with only a handful of other 1960s big men, such as Nate Thurmond and Jerry Lucas, breaking into the top 10.

Bill Russell and the great rivalry

Russell is the only player other than Chamberlain to grab 50 rebounds in a game, and he did it while anchoring the most successful dynasty in NBA history. His 51-rebound night and pair of 49-rebound games place him just behind his rival on the all-time list. The Chamberlain-Russell duels defined the era: two dominant centers trading rebounds and blocks in games that often turned on who controlled the glass.

The same physical dominance shows up in career totals, where Chamberlain and Russell again lead the way, as our leaderboard of the most rebounds in NBA history makes clear.

Why the numbers were so high

Two factors inflated 1960s rebound totals. First, teams shot poorly by modern standards, so far more shots missed and far more rebounds were available. Second, the pace was faster and the best big men played nearly every minute against lineups that lacked their size. Combine those with generational talents like Chamberlain and Russell, and 40- and 50-rebound games became possible.

In the modern era, better shooting and team rebounding schemes have driven single-game totals down. The highest in decades sit in the low 30s, such as Dennis Rodman’s 34 in 1992 and Kevin Love’s 31 in 2010, still elite, but a world away from 55.

How it fits the record book

Dominating the glass often went hand in hand with dominating the scoreboard for these giants, the same players who fill the top of our most points in a single NBA game leaderboard. Their imposing size is also central to our list of the tallest NBA players of all time, which helps explain why the rebounding record book is frozen in the 1960s.

Why the record matters

The most rebounds in a single game is a monument to a vanished style of basketball, one built on missed shots, relentless minutes and two once-in-a-generation centers. Wilt Chamberlain’s 55, set against his greatest rival, captures that era better than any statistic. As long as the modern game values efficiency over volume, no one will threaten it.

The short version: Wilt Chamberlain grabbed 55 rebounds against the Celtics on November 24, 1960 for the most in a single NBA game, with Bill Russell’s 51 second. The leaderboard belongs to those two 1960s giants, and modern totals rarely top the low 30s, through the 2025 season.