Listing the only 4 NBA Players to record 40 rebounds in a game
Rebounding is one of the easiest skills to overlook in NBA basketball. The ability to rebound the ball ensures possession of the ball for one's team, this could be on either end of the court. Rebounds increase the rate of chances to score.
Teams that rebound well often have better records in the NBA Playoffs. Playoff atmospheres have always called for greater intensity in the game. The hustle and the desire of a player to secure a rebound is something that is put on display in these games. Great rebounders always have the desire.
Teams often look to their big men in the center to clean up the glass in games. Battling their way among the crowds in the paint, the great big men have always found a way to secure key rebounds for the team.
Chris Bosh's iconic offensive rebound against the San Antonio Spurs is the reason the Miami Heat saved Game 6. A rebound followed by an outlet pass to Ray Allen sealed the game and the Heat won the 2013 NBA Finals in seven games.
Bearing in mind the hustle of the great big men in the paint tasked with the job of securing the glass, here are the only 4 NBA Players to secure 40 rebounds in a game.
#1 Nate Thurmond
Nate Thurmond was one of the most formidable centers of the 60's. He played for the Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Both the Warriors and Cavaliers franchises have retired his jersey, No. 42.
Thurmond played a supporting role in his rookie season with Wilt Chamberlain as the star of the Warriors at the time. After Chamberlain's departure, Thurmond would take over the reins and establish himself as the dominant center in the league.
Aside from a monster performance against the Detroit Pistons where he recorded 42 rebounds, Thurmond is also the first player to record a quadruple double in an NBA game.
Thurmond was a presence on the glass and on the defensive end. NBA legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar calls Thurmond one of the toughest defenders he has ever faced. He averaged 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2.7 assists for his 14-year long NBA career.
#2 Jerry Lucas
Standing at 6'8" tall, Jerry Lucas is the only forward on this list to average 40 rebounds in an NBA game.
Jerry Lucas played for the Cincinnati Royals, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks over the course of his 12-year NBA career. Lucas was a highly decorated high school and collegiate athlete. He played alongside Oscar Robertson in Cincinnati.
Plagued by injuries early in his career, Lucas would have to gradually reduce his usage rate. During his stint with the Knicks, Lucas spotted Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere. When the Knicks won the NBA Championship in 1973, Jerry Lucas became the first player to win championships at all levels- high school, collegiate, professional and Olympic.
For his career, Jerry Lucas averaged 17 points, 15.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists.