5-time NBA champ claps back at Andre Drummond for cocky claim

Former NBA guard Ron Harper won five NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, and he took exception to Philadelphia 76ers big man Andre Drummond’s claim that he is the greatest rebounder in league history.

At the very least, Drummond is one of the top rebounders of his generation. Since he joined the NBA, he has led the league in rebounding four times and pulled down a career-high 16.0 boards per contest in the 2017-18 regular season.

Drummond has also averaged 12.4 rebounds per game for his career, which is the highest mark among all active players in the league. Rudy Gobert boasts the second-highest career average of any player in the NBA today, as he has pulled down 11.8 rebounds per contest in the pros.

But Drummond’s case for being the greatest rebounder of all time is far from foolproof when putting his rebounding numbers in a historical context. For one, Drummond has grabbed 10,671 rebounds over the course of his pro career, but he is nearly 1,000 boards away from cracking the list of the top 25 rebounders ever in terms of volume. Patrick Ewing ranks 25th on the all-time rebounding list, and he totaled 11,607 during his 17 years in the league.

Drummond has also averaged far from the most rebounds per game of any player in NBA history for his career. A whopping 13 players put together careers during which they pulled down more rebounds per contest, and Wilt Chamberlain leads the pack, as he averaged 22.9.

Perhaps Harper clapped back at Drummond for his claim because the 60-year-old spent part of his playing career as teammates with an all-time great rebounder in Dennis Rodman. Harper and Rodman were teammates on Bulls squads that were led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Rodman stood at 6-foot-7, yet he was one of the most prolific rebounders ever to play in the NBA. He led the NBA in rebounding an unbelievable seven times in his 14 years in the league and averaged 13.1 boards per contest for his pro career.