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The Charlotte Hornets’ five all-time rebounding leaders

The Charlotte Hornets’ five all-time rebounding leaders

Larry Johnson is one of Charlotte’s all-time leading rebounders in franchise history.

The Hornets have a storied history with two distinct periods in the city (1988-2002 and 2014-present). They had a lot of early first-round picks considering they were essentially an expansion company on two separate occasions.The Hornets invested a significant portion of their elite draft capital on versatile and traditional big men alike. Which of these players has proven to be the most prolific rebounder in the team’s strong history? Read on to find out.

1. Emeka Okafor, 2004-09 (3,516 rebounds)

Emeka Okafor was a highly-regarded junior who came out of UConn in 2004 and earned numerous awards, including Academic All-American of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year. The then-Charlotte Bobcats selected Okafor with the second overall pick, and he rewarded their investment by serving as a double-double machine over the next five seasons. Okafor averaged between 10.0 and 11.3 boards per contest during that span, with his endurance — which saw him play in all but one of 246 regular-season games during that span — certainly helping his cause.

2. Larry Johnson, 1991-96 (3,479 rebounds)

One of the Hornets’ earliest stars, Larry Johnson, spent his 10-year career between Charlotte and New York after being drafted first overall in 1991. In addition to his scoring prowess, the 6-foot-10 Johnson often proved to be a dominant player. For his size, he was a rebounder, managing between 7.2 and 11 boards per contest during his time in Charlotte. As a rookie, he averaged a career-high 11.0 boards while grabbing 10.5 rebounds per game in his second season.

3. Gerald Wallace, 2004-11 (3,398 rebounds)

Gerald Wallace began his career with the Sacramento Kings after just one college season at Alabama before being selected by the then-Bobcats in the 2004 expansion draft. After starting just nine games in his three seasons with the Kings, Wallace became a key player for Charlotte, starting 445 games and making a significant impact in his seven years with the team. In addition to averaging double-digit points each season and at least two steals per contest in three different seasons, Wallace averaged fewer than six rebounds only once in his six-plus seasons with the franchise.

4. Cody Zeller, 2013-21 (2,824 rebounds)

Zeller had his best years in Charlotte after being drafted fourth overall by the Bobcats in 2013. He left college early at Indiana and proved himself right by making the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. although there were only three starts this season. He became a much more regular starter in the following seven seasons, averaged a solid 6.4 rebounds in that span despite playing just 23.5 minutes per game.

5. Bismack Biyombo, 2011-15, 2018-21 (2,625 rebounds)

The relentless Bismack Biyombo is the second member of this list originally drafted by the Kings, but unlike Wallace, Biyombo never suited up for Sacramento as his rights were traded to the Bobcats on the same draft night in 2011. Biyombo was an efficient rebounder, averaging 6.1 rebounds per contest over 20.9 minutes per game during his first stint in Charlotte, and he recorded 5.2 rebounds over 18.1 minutes per contest upon his return later in the decade . Biyombo’s energy and tenacity in depth have helped boost his numbers.