Wes Unseld (left) and Gus Johnson (right) of the Baltimore Bullets played four seasons together.
The Wizards’ all-time rebound leaderboard mostly features players from the 1960s and 1970s. Leading the way are Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes, an imposing frontcourt tandem during the glory days. Hall of Famers Gus Johnson, Walt Bellamy and Greg Ballard round out the top 5. Read on to see a full breakdown of the best rebounders in Wizards history.
Unseld is one of two players in NBA history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season, joined only by Wilt Chamberlain. The big man ranks 13th all-time in career rebounds in the NBA and put up some of the best single-game rebounding performances in historyl. Unseld had a whopping four games with at least 30 rebounds including a 32-rebound performance against the Celtics in 1969. For his career, Unseld averaged 14.0 rebounds per game and helped deliver the only NBA championship in franchise history.
The Big E had a remarkable career with the then-Baltimore Bullets in addition to stints with the Rockets. Hayes was an All-Star in each of his eight seasons with the club and averaged 13.1 rebounds in that span. Before he joined the Bullets, Hayes had a 35-rebound game with the Rockets. He had a 32-rebound game with Washington in 1973 in a win over the Hawks and went on to win the rebounding title that season behind an incredible 18.1 boards per game. Hayes and Unseld combined to form one of the most imposing frontcourt tandems of their era.
Johnson was one of the key players during the formative years of the Bullets’ franchise. A five-time All-Star, Johnson earned MVP votes in two different seasons. Johnson had 30 or more rebounds in a game three times while with the club, including a 34-rebound game against the Lakers in 1966. He averaged double-digit rebounds in each of his first eight years in the league, headlined by his 1971 season when he pulled down 17.1 boards per game. Johnson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.
The 1962 Rookie of the Year was only with the franchise for parts of five seasons but he was a force on the glass and his accomplishments still stand the test of time. Bellamy came out of the gate with a remarkable season in which he averaged 19.0 rebounds per game. He pulled down 25 or more rebounds in a game 33 times and his career-high was set in 1964 with 37 boards against the St. Louis Hawks. Bellamy also had stints with the Hawks, Knicks, Pistons and Jazz during his 14-year Hall of Fame career.
Ballard played eight seasons for the Washington Bullets and was a consistent rebounder, which fueled his placement on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard in that category. He ranks fourth in franchise history in games played behind Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes and Bradley Beal. Bellamy had several impressive individual rebounding performances while with Washington including a 20-rebound game against the Mavericks in 1985.
