List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders
# List of National Basketball Association rookie single-season rebounding leaders

This list exhibits the National Basketball Association's top rookie single-season rebounding averages based on at least 70 games played or 800 rebounds. The NBA did not record rebounds until the 1950–51 season.

| ^ | Active NBA player |
| - | - |
| * | Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Bold | Denotes NBA season leaders |
| Rank | Season | Player | Team | Games | Rebounds | RPG |
| 1 | 1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain* | Philadelphia Warriors | 72 | 1,941 | 27.0 |
| 2 | 1956–57 | Bill Russell* | Boston Celtics | 48 | 943 | 19.6 |
| 3 | 1961–62 | Walt Bellamy* | Chicago Packers | 79 | 1,500 | 19.0 |
| 4 | 1968–69 | Wes Unseld* | Baltimore Bullets | 82 | 1,491 | 18.2 |
| 5 | 1963–64 | Jerry Lucas* | Cincinnati Royals | 79 | 1,375 | 17.4 |
| 6 | 1968–69 | Elvin Hayes* | San Diego Rockets | 82 | 1,406 | 17.1 |
| 7 | 1955–56 | Maurice Stokes* | Rochester Royals | 67 | 1,094 | 16.3 |
| 8 | 1971–72 | Elmore Smith | Buffalo Braves | 78 | 1,184 | 15.2 |
| 9 | 1970–71 | Dave Cowens* | Boston Celtics | 81 | 1,216 | 15.0 |
| 10 | 1958–59 | Elgin Baylor* | Minneapolis Lakers | 70 | 1,050 | 15.0 |
| 11 | 1964–65 | Willis Reed* | New York Knicks | 80 | 1,175 | 14.7 |
| 12 | 1969–70 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* | Milwaukee Bucks | 82 | 1,190 | 14.5 |
| 13 | 1992–93 | Shaquille O'Neal* | Orlando Magic | 81 | 1,122 | 13.9 |
| 14 | 1954–55 | Bob Pettit* | Milwaukee Hawks | 72 | 994 | 13.8 |
| 15 | 1963–64 | Gus Johnson* | Baltimore Bullets | 78 | 1,064 | 13.6 |
| 16 | 1951–52 | Mel Hutchins | Milwaukee Hawks | 66 | 880 | 13.3 |
| 17 | 1953–54 | Ray Felix | Baltimore Bullets | 72 | 958 | 13.3 |
| 18 | 1964–65 | Lucious Jackson | Philadelphia 76ers | 76 | 980 | 12.9 |
| 19 | 1981–82 | Buck Williams | New Jersey Nets | 82 | 1,005 | 12.3 |
| 20 | 1991–92 | Dikembe Mutombo* | Denver Nuggets | 71 | 870 | 12.3 |
