Larry Johnson ranks among Charlotte’s all-time leading rebounders in franchise history.
The Hornets have a winding history with two different periods in the city (1988-2002 and 2014-present). They’ve had plenty of early first-round picks, given that they were essentially an expansion franchise on two separate occasions.The Hornets invested a significant amount of their elite draft capital on versatile and traditional big men alike. Which of those players have proven to be the most prolific rebounders in the team’s robust history? Read on to find out.
Emeka Okafor was a highly regarded prospect coming out of UConn in 2004, having garnered a host of accolades that included Academic All-American of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year. The then Charlotte Bobcats selected Okafor with the second overall pick, and he rewarded their investment by serving as a double-double machine over the next five seasons. Okafor averaged between 10.0 and 11.3 boards per contest in that span, with his durability – played in all but one of 246 regular-season games in that span – certainly helping his cause.
One of the Hornets’ earliest stars, Larry Johnson, split his 10-year career between Charlotte and New York after being drafted first overall in 1991. In addition to his scoring prowess, the 6-foot-7 Johnson often proved to be a dominant rebounder for his size, pulling down between 7.2 and 11 boards per contest during his time in Charlotte. He averaged a career-best of 11.0 boards as a rookie, while his sophomore campaign saw him tally 10.5 rebounds per game.
Gerald Wallace started his career with the Sacramento Kings after just one season of college at Alabama before he was selected by the then Bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft. After starting just nine games during his three seasons with the Kings, Wallace became a key player for Charlotte, starting in 445 games and making a significant impact during his seven years with the team. In addition to averaging double-digit points in each season and notching at least two steals per contest in three separate campaigns, Wallace averaged less than six rebounds only once during his six-plus seasons with the franchise.
Zeller had his best years in Charlotte after being drafted fourth overall by the Bobcats in 2013. He left college early at Indiana, and proved himself right by making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, despite drawing just three starts that season. He became a much more regular starter over the subsequent seven seasons, averaging a solid 6.4 rebounds in that span despite playing only 23.5 minutes per game.
The relentless Bismack Biyombo is the second member of this list to have originally been drafted by the Kings, but unlike Wallace, Biyombo never suited up for Sacramento since his rights were traded to the Bobcats that same draft night in 2011. Biyombo was an efficient rebounder, averaging 6.1 rebounds per contest over 20.9 minutes per game during his first Charlotte stint, and upon his return later in the decade, he recorded 5.2 boards over 18.1 minutes per contest. Biyombo’s energy and persistence down low has helped fuel his numbers.
