Probably nothing defined Dennis Rodman’s career more than his rebounding abilities. The Worm won the titles 7 times that too, consecutively from 92 to 98. And thus has the second most titles after the late great Wilt Chamberlain (11). Another former Pistons player who won the award is Andre Drummond. 4 titles, including a three-peat, the current Philadelphia 76ers player has pursued Rodman’s records and earned comparisons. But in his Mount Rushmore of great rebounders, 2 of the three names here did not make the list.

Appearing on teammate Paul George’s podcast, Drummond spoke about the art of rebounding and whom he considers the best in the field. One name he had no doubt about. “Dennis Rodman, no question,” he says. “Moses Malone, Bill Russell, and lastly Tristan Thompson,” make the list next. The 2x NBA All-Star had the chance to include himself but opted out. Now that would be a surprise, considering Drummond has previously claimed himself to be the best rebounder in NBA history, earning some criticism.

But he has earned his place in the conversation. During his two-year stint with the Chicago Bulls, his 17.9 rebounds per start became the most by a Bull since Rodman. He also joined the legend and Charles Oakley as only the third Bull ever to log multiple 25-rebound games. Moreover, he became the first player since The Worm to average over half a rebound per minute in a season last year. Having shared a jersey and some records, the similarities have been notable between the two.

However, Drummond was clear about why he had each of the icons on the list, starting with Rodman’s impressive numbers.

“Dennis Rodman, obviously, his numbers speak. I mean, he won a game getting like 26 rebounds and no points, so that’s unbelievable that’s insane in itself. So just him he’s up there no question.”

There have been multiple instances where the 7x Rebounding champion did not score a single point, but scored more than 20 rebounds, perfectly showcasing his playing style. As per StatMuse, the 2x DPOY scored 20+ boards 7 times without scoring a single point.

Two of those instances were in the 1993-94 NBA season, which Drummond was referring to. In 2 back-to-back games, Dennis Rodman scored 0 points and got a combined total of 49 rebounds. At the time he was with the Spurs, and the first game was against the Suns (25 rebounds) and the second, against the Sacramento Kings (24 rebounds). However, he isn’t the only one Drummond is impressed by.

Apart from Dennis Rodman, why did the 76ers select others?

As stated previously, Chamberlain has the most rebounding titles, with 11, and Dennis Rodman with 7. Next up on the list is Moses Malone with his 6 titles. From 81 to 85, he dominated the league with his skills and won the title 5 times consecutively. “Then Moses Malone, obviously just for his skill set and the art of his rebounding, be able to tip the ball in and get his finishes.”

Andre Drummond next had Bill Russell on his list, but made an honest confession about the legend. The 31-year-old added the late great Celtics legend to the list based only on stats. “His numbers were insane. I mean, I’ve never seen like real game tape of Bill Russell, but the numbers yeah, his numbers is crazy from what I’ve seen,” he says. Russell holds the franchise record for the most rebounds with 21,620, while making 3 of the top 4 40+ rebound games.

Apart from these legends, and Dennis Rodman, Drummond added Tristan Thompson to the list, one he shared the court with. “I just remembered, like just years of battling with this dude in the paint that shi- used to be like a fight. He definitely has a knack for like somebody who has a knack. He definitely has it for sure,” he asserts. Ranking 43rd all-time in rebounds himself, of course, Drummond would recognize the skills through the decades.