Top 5 all-time New York Knicks rebounders

The New York Knicks are one of the NBA’s oldest franchises, entering their 80th season in 2024-25. Over the decades, the team has boasted a storied history of legendary big men, including multiple Hall of Famers.

Here’s a closer look at the Knicks’ top five career rebound leaders, which span various eras of the team’s long history:

1. Patrick Ewing, 1985-2000 (10,759 rebounds)

Patrick Ewing is one of the three Hall of Famers on the Knicks’ career rebounds leaderboard. Ewing arrived in New York via the first overall pick in the 1985 draft after a standout college career at Georgetown. He won Rookie of the Year honors in 1985-96 with the help of 9.0 rebounds per game, and he’d only dip below that number twice (8.8 and 8.2 rebounds per contest) over his remaining 14 seasons with the Knicks. Beginning with the 1989-90 campaign, Ewing put together a run of 10 consecutive seasons with double-digit rebounding averages, cementing his spot atop this list for the foreseeable future.

2. Willis Reed, 1964-74 (8,414 rebounds)

Hall of Famer Willis Reed’s versatile skill set made him a dominant offensive force. He shot over 50.0% from the field in two separate seasons. However, the 6-foot-10 Reed was arguably just as prolific a rebounder, averaging between 11.6 and 14.7 boards per game in each of his first seven seasons, including at least 13.2 in six of those years. Reed remained productive through his final campaign, never recording less than 7.4 rebounds per contest.

3. Charles Oakley, 1988-98 (7,291 rebounds)

Charles Oakley was already one of the NBA’s top rebounders when he arrived in New York after spending the first three seasons of his career with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 13.1 and 13.0 rebounds per contest in the prior two campaigns. Oakley wouldn’t quite reach those types of figures again while sharing a frontcourt with Ewing, but he did record between 10.5 and 12.1 rebounds in four of his 10 seasons in New York. Oakley was consistently productive with the Knicks, averaging at least 8.5 rebounds per game in his other six seasons.

4. Harry Gallatin, 1948-57 (5,935 rebounds)

Harry Gallatin was one of the Knicks’ earliest luminaries, earning seven All-Star nods and NBA All First-Team honors on one occasion before settling into a successful coaching career after retirement. Gallatin was a tireless rebounder at 6-foot-6 and recorded a career-high 15.3 per contest during the 1953-54 season. Rebounds were not yet an official stat in Gallatin’s first two seasons, but he went on to average at least 10.0 boards per contest in each of his seven Knicks seasons after they began being tabulated with the 1950-51 campaign.

5. Willie Naulls, 1956-62 (5,015 rebounds)

After playing alongside Gallatin for a season, Naulls took over as the team’s star center. Like Gallatin, the 6-foot-6 Naulls exhibited a relentless work ethic on the glass, averaging over 13.0 rebounds per season twice during his time in New York and never falling below 8.7 boards per contest over the course of his Knicks tenure. Naulls accomplished his stellar work down low while also serving as a key figure on the offensive end, helping lead to four All-Star nods while in New York.