FIBA Basketball World Cup Top 50 rebounders: 25-1

MIES (Switzerland) - We reached the 50-day mark in the countdown for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on July 5, and commemorated the occasion by starting to highlight the top 50 rebounders in the competition's history dating back to the 1994 event in Toronto, when FIBA began keeping rebounding stats.

 

The players ranked 50-26 have already been announced and we continue our countdown here, looking at the next 25 players:

25. Rudy GOBERT

CENTER

Birth date: 26/06/1992

Rebounds: 115
Games played: 17
Participations: 2 (2014, 2019)
Medals:🥉(2014, 2019)

Gobert has been a major factor for Les Bleus reaching the podium in each of the World Cups he's been a part of. If his most famous play was a swat of a Pau Gasol shot in 2014 during the French upset of hosts Spain in the Quarter-Finals, the more important stat was his haul of 13 rebounds - four of them on the offensive glass.

It was his best output of the tournament. Perhaps even more impressive was his performance in the Quarter-Finals five years later against USA, when he had 16 rebounds to go with his 21 points in France's 89-79 triumph in China. 

24. Ersan ILYASOVA

FORWARD

Birth date: 15/05/1987

Rebounds: 115
Games played: 17
Participations: 3 (2006, 2010, 2019)
Medals:🥈(2010)

Ilyasova was robbed of a glorious upset when Turkey missed several late free-throws against USA in the Group Phase of the 2019 World Cup, a result that set the tone for an early exit for the Twelve Giant Men. His World Cup career has had better moments, though. He burst onto the national team scene in 2006 in Hamamatsu, Japan, where he helped Turkey not only survive a group of death but finish second to Greece, and then went on to a surprise berth in the Quarter-Finals.

Four years later and while on home soil when Turkey hosted the World Cup, Ilyasova three times had games of double-digit rebounds as his country finished runners-up.

23. Linas KLEIZA

FORWARD

Birth date: 03/01/1985

Rebounds: 116
Games played: 18
Participations: 2 (2006, 2010)
Medals:🥉(2010)

Kleiza was a terrific scorer yet he also was a tremendous rebounder. During Spain's Quarter-Final win over the Lithuanians en route to the title in 2006, Kleiza had 14 rebounds to go with his 15 points.

More significantly, the 2.03m (6'8") Kleiza not only led Lithuania in scoring at the 2010 World Cup in Turkey at 19 points per game but also rebounds at 7.1 rebounds per game, a big reason why they reached the podium.

22. Richard LUGO

CENTER

Birth date: 07/05/1973

Rebounds: 118
Games played: 10
Participations: 2 (2002, 2006)

As warriors on the boards go, Lugo was second to none. He was the top rebounder overall at both World Cups he played in. He was powerful for Venezuela, averaging 12.2 rebounds at the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, where he had back-to-back 16-rebound games, against Russia and Algeria, and finished with 14 boards against Canada.

Then in 2006, the 2.09m (6'10") Lugo had four straight games of dominance in rebounding - 13 against Lebanon and 14 against Nigeria, then 10 against Argentina and 13 against Serbia and Montenegro. 

21. Andres NOCIONI

FORWARD

Birth date: 30/11/1979

Rebounds: 120
Games played: 24
Participations: 4 (2002, 2006, 2014)
Medals:🥈(2002)

"Chapu" was such an intense competitor that no one wanted to get him upset and fuel his anger. In Argentina's second game at the 2002 World Cup against Russia, he had nine rebounds to go with his 10 points.

In his best game at the 2014 World Cup, Nocioni not only scored 18 points but had 11 rebounds - his most ever in the competition. His toughness was a big reason why Argentina were always among the most respected teams.

20. Jonas VALANCIUNAS

CENTER

Birth date: 06/05/1992

Rebounds: 120
Games played: 14
Participations: 2 (2014, 2019)

Valanciunas has been a monster on the inside for Lithuania at the World Cup, both in 2014 and 2019 in Spain and China, respectively. Three times in his first World Cup he collected 13 rebounds - in games against Angola, New Zealand and Turkey.

At the 2019 World Cup, he twice had double-digit efforts in rebounding. His 10.5 boards per game at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, and 10.2 rebounds per game in the following NBA season for New Orleans, are strong indicators that the Lithuanian great will be one of the best on the boards in Manila.  

19. Nemanja BJELICA

FORWARD

Birth date: 09/05/1998

Rebounds: 120
Games played: 25
Participations: 3 (2010, 2014, 2019)
Medals:🥈(2014)

Bjelica's best performance in his three World Cups was in 2014, when he averaged 6.9 rebounds per game and helped Serbia reach the Final.

At that event in Spain, the 2.09m (6'10") Bjelica had three games when he corralled 10 rebounds - against Iran and Spain in the Group Phase, and against Greece in the Round of 16. 

18. Rudy FERNANDEZ

SMALL FORWARD

Birth date: 05/04/1985

Rebounds: 120
Games played: 33
Participations: 4 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)
Medals:🥇(2006, 2019)

It's not surprising that Fernandez finds himself in the conversation about rebounds. First of all, he's had four World Cups to accumulate them but secondly and more importantly, players need to be hungry and go all out if they are going to grab rebounds.  Fernandez will do anything to get the ball, be it crashing the boards or diving on the floor or out of bounds.

And he doesn't just do this against inferior opponents. In the 2019 Final against Argentina in Beijing, Fernandez had a game-high 10 rebounds to go with his 11 points while helping Spain claim a second world title.

17. Omer ASIK

CENTER

Birth date: 04/07/1986

Rebounds: 121
Games played: 16
Participations: 2 (2010, 2014)
Medals:🥈(2010)

Asik was like the famous Galata Tower when he played for Turkey at the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup and helped the Twelve Giant Men reach the Final. He was imposing, both in terms of blocking shots and grabbing a lot of rebounds. The 2.13m (7'0") center averaged 6.9 rebounds per game and had 12 against Cote d'Ivoire on opening night and 13 later against China.

Asik's 8.4 rebounds per game were a team-high at the 2014 World Cup. While he twice had 10 rebounds in a game, against the Dominican Republic and Lithuania, his signature performance was a 20-rebound effort against Ukraine in the Group Phase in Bilbao, although Turkey lost the game.

16. Jianlian YI

FORWARD

Birth date: 27/10/1987

Rebounds: 124
Games played: 16
Participations: 3 (2006, 2010, 2019)

Yi's presence for China meant that they always had a player that would go up against any adversary in the hope of grabbing a rebound. His finest effort on the boards was in 2010, when China overcame a difficult Group Phase to advance to the Round of 16.

Yi led the team with an average of 10.2 per game. He had 14 rebounds to go with his 26 points in a hard-fought, opening-day defeat to Greece, and 12 rebounds along with 11 points against Lithuania in their last game. Yi also had nine-rebound efforts against Cote d'Ivoire and Russia.

15. Ming Yao

CENTER

Birth date: 12/09/1980

Rebounds: 128
Games played: 14
Participations: 2 (2002, 2006)

The Houston Rockets knew they were getting a great rebounder after watching Yao average 9.2 per game at the World Cup in 2002, just weeks before his rookie campaign. He had a 13-, 14- and 15-rebound games in Indianapolis.

In his second World Cup, in Japan, Yao had 10-rebound efforts against the USA and Slovenia and led China with an average of 9.0 rebounds per game.

14. Kerem GONLUM

FORWARD

Birth date: 22/11/1977

Rebounds: 128
Games played: 24
Participations: 3 (2006, 2010, 2014)
Medals:🥈(2010)

One reason why Turkey, without stars Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur, upset the odds and reached the Quarter-Finals of the 2006 World Cup, was because of Gonlum, who led the team in rebounding at 6.7 per game. He had 10 against Lithuania and 11 against France later in the tournament.

The 2.09m (6'10") Gonlum had a strong and powerful body. He featured in three World Cups and was always a combative presence. He played for the team that reached the Final when Turkey hosted in 2010.

13. Boris DIAW

FORWARD

Birth date: 09/05/1998

Rebounds: 129
Games played: 24
Participations: 3 (2006, 2010, 2014)
Medals:🥉(2014)

Diaw, who became captain late in his national team career and always contributed to France with his scoring, playmaking and leadership, grabbed his share of rebounds, too, though only once did he reach double digits.

That happened in his third and last World Cup, in a Semi-Final thriller against Serbia. Diaw had 10 rebounds to go with his 13 points but Serbia scraped a 90-85 win to deny Les Bleus a spot in the Final. Even so, they rebounded with a nailbiting 95-93 victory over Lithuania in the Third-Place Game to reach the podium. 

12. Carlos JIMENEZ

FORWARD

Birth date: 10/02/1976

Rebounds: 129
Games played: 25
Participations: 3 (1998, 2002, 2006)
Medals:🥇(2006)

Jimenez is revered in Spain not only for being a member of the first Spain team to win the World Cup, but for having been its captain. Numerologists may find it interesting that he grabbed 49 rebounds at the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, and 49 also at the 2006 World Cup when Spain reached the top of the podium.

His best rebounding games were the most significant, too. Jimenez pulled down nine in the Semi-Final win over Argentina and 11 in the Final triumph over Greece - the most he ever grabbed in a World Cup game.

11. Tiago SPLITTER

CENTER

Birth date: 01/01/1985

Rebounds: 129
Games played: 26
Participations: 4 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)

The Brazilian center was big, strong, and physical and sadly had his career cut short due to injury, preventing him from playing at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. One of Splitter's best-remembered games was the one against the USA at the 2010 World Cup in Istanbul.

The connection between Splitter and Marcelinho Huertas gave the Americans fits and nearly created an upset, only for the USA to win at the death, 70-68. Splitter had 13 points and 10 rebounds in that game. When he wasn't going for the ball, he was always boxing someone else out so his teammate could grab it. 

10. Daniel SANTIAGO

CENTER

Birth date: 24/06/1976

Rebounds: 130
Games played: 30
Participations: 5 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)

From the time he made his World Cup bow in 1998, the tall, rangy, and athletic Santiago was an automatic selection for the Boricuas. His three top performances were in Indianapolis in 2002.

In an 85-83 win over eventual champions Yugoslavia, Santiago had 31 points and 10 rebounds. After falling, 65-63, to New Zealand in the Quarter-Finals, Santiago had 16 points and 18 rebounds in a six-point defeat to the USA and 19 points and 12 rebounds in the seventh-place game against Brazil. 

9. Joaquim GOMES

FORWARD

Birth date: 23/12/1980

Rebounds: 143
Games played: 30
Participations: 5 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)

Gomes, better known as "Kikas", was a linchpin in the Angola national team, which he spent a decade and a half playing for. His best World Cup performance was in 2006, when three times he had 10 or more rebounds in big games. Against Spain, Jimenez had 24 points and 11 rebounds but Angola fell to the eventual World Cup winners, 93-83.

In a famous game against Germany that went to triple overtime, Gomes had 21 points and 11 boards but again Angola fell, 108-103. At that World Cup, Angola advantaged to the Round of 16 but fell to France, 68-62. 

8. Hamed HADDADI

CENTER

Birth date: 19/05/1985

Rebounds: 154
Games played: 15
Participations: 3 (2010, 2014, 2019)

A member of Iran's FIBA Asia Cup golden generation, Haddadi has always been the center of attention because of his size, skill, and demeanor. He was solid in Iran's first World Cup, averaging 20.0 points and 8.6 rebounds in Turkey. Hamed had three 15-rebound games at the 2014 World Cup in Spain and averaged 11.4 - second best in the tournament.

Then in 2019 in China, Haddadi averaged 10.8 rebounds as Iran finished as the best Asian team and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. At that World Cup, the giant Haddadi had 16 rebounds against Puerto Rico, 11 against Tunisia, and 15 against Spain.

7. Dirk NOWITZKI

CENTER

Birth date: 19/06/1978

Rebounds: 157
Games played: 18
Participations: 2 (2002, 2006)
Medals:🥉(2002)

The MVP of the 2002 World Cup in Indianapolis, Nowitzki spearheaded Germany's run to the podium by averaging a tournament-high 24.0 points per game. His 8.2 rebounds per game was fifth best at the event, where he claimed at least 10 in four different games.

Nowitzki shone just as bright at the event four years later in Japan with his 23.2 points per game second-highest in the tournament and his 9.2 rebounds per game fourth-highest. He had three double-doubles in points and rebounds in Japan, including a 47-point, 16-rebound effort in a triple overtime win over Angola.

6. Marc GASOL

CENTER

Birth date: 29/01/1985

Rebounds: 172
Games played: 32
Participations: 4 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)
Medals:🥇(2006, 2019)

One of two Spain stars to celebrate titles at both the World Cup in 2006 and 2019, Gasol did not have a double-digit rebound game in either. But he did once grab 10 rebounds at the 2014 World Cup, against Iran, and also 10 against Argentina in the Fifth-Place Game in 2010.

He was a solid rebounder, though. In 2006, Gasol was fourth on the team in rebounds, while in 2010 (6.4 rebounds per game), 2014 (6.3 rebounds per game), and 2019 (5.5 rebounds per game), he ranked No. 1 for Spain. 

5. Pau GASOL

CENTER

Birth date: 06/07/1980

Rebounds: 186
Games played: 24
Participations: 3 (2002, 2006, 2014)
Medals:🥇(2006)

Gasol had his best rebounding World Cup in 2006, when he was named MVP of the event in Japan after leading Spain to the title. The long-time star's 9.4 rebounds per game was second only to Richard Lugo. He had 16 rebounds in a win over Japan and 15 in a victory over Serbia and Montenegro.

Gasol had two other games of double-digit on the boards at the 2006 event.

4. Anderson VAREJAO

CENTER

Birth date: 28/09/1982

Rebounds: 195
Games played: 29
Participations: 5 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)

One way to appreciate Anderson's excellence on the boards is to know that he led Brazil in rebounding, even with Tiago Splitter on the team. Before he celebrated his 20th birthday, Anderson was a frizzy-haired bundle of energy on the boards, averaging a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game in 2002.

In 2006, he averaged a team-best 7.4, and in 2010 he pulled down 12 in a game against Croatia and led the team on average. In 2014, Anderson's 8.0 rebounds per game was highest on the team and in 2019, at his fifth World Cup, Anderson remained the top rebounder for Brazil at 7.0 per game.

3. Jose ORTIZ

CENTER

Birth date: 25/10/1963

Rebounds: 212
Games played: 33
Participations: 4 (1990, 1994, 1998, 2002)

Piculín Ortiz was strong, long, and combative. When there was a rebound to be had, he usually claimed it for Puerto Rico. At the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Piculín averaged 7.2 rebounds per game and twice had 11, against Greece and Canada. At the 1998 event, Piculín hauled in 10.5 rebounds per game - the best in the tournament.

A whopping five times in Athens, Piculín grabbed 10 or more rebounds. Even at his last World Cup, in 2002, Piculín was a force on the boards. Three times in Indianapolis he had 10 rebounds.

2. Fabricio OBERTO

CENTER

Birth date: 21/03/1975

Rebounds: 224
Games played: 32
Participations: 4 (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)
Medals:🥈(2002)

Oberto made a huge splash in the land of World Cup rebounding by averaging 10.4 per game at his first,  in 1998. He had 11 against Australia, 14 against Spain, Brazil, Lithuania, and 11 against Spain when he played them a second time.

While his numbers were never that good again, in the 2002 World Final against Yugoslavia, Oberto had 10 rebounds to go with his 28 points. His other double-digit rebound effort, 10, came against New Zealand in 2006. He was consistently one of Argentina's best rebounders.

1. Luis SCOLA

POWER FORWARD

Birth date: 30/04/1980

Rebounds: 280
Games played: 41
Participations: 5 (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2019)
Medals:🥈(2002, 2019)

The leading rebounder in World Cup history dating back to 1994, when FIBA began keeping rebound stats, is Luis Scola. That will come as no surprise to anyone that watched him play in five World Cups, including in 2019 when he was still at the top of his game and made the All-Star Five.

Scola's first huge game on the boards came in his second World Cup, a 13-rebound night against Serbia and Montenegro in Japan when he also scored 22 points. In 2010, he led the World Cup in scoring and was fourth in rebounding at 7.9 per game. Even at his last World Cup, Scola topped the rebounding charts for Argentina by averaging 8.1 per game as they reached the Final. In one of his best performances at the event, Scola had 13 rebounds to go with his 28 points in a Semi-Final win over France.

If you liked this editorial piece, please make sure to check the FIBA Basketball World Cup Top 100 scorers here.

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