Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard moved past NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon Saturday to take sole possession of 13th place on the league's all-time rebounding list.
In collecting his 10th board of the afternoon, Howard has now earned 13,749 career rebounds, one more than the former Houston Rocket.
Dwight moves to 13th on the all-time rebounds list! 👏
Congratulations, @DwightHoward! pic.twitter.com/uKFkKDiGdp
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 9, 2021
While Howard no longer secures rebounds at the same rate he did earlier in his career—at one point collecting over 14 rebounds per game during the 2011-12 NBA season—the big man has continued to be a force on the boards in limited minutes. Averaging just above six per game in 13 minutes of action this season with the Sixers, Howard has been instrumental on the offensive glass, where he averages nearly two put-backs per contest thus far.
Earning the nickname of “Superman”—or stealing it depending on who you talk to—Howard was known for his ability to elevate above the rim to snare off-line shots during his tenure with the Orlando Magic. Though he no longer possesses quite the same hops—or the Superman cape for that matter—Dwight has remained effective thanks to his habit of correctly positioning himself to box-out would-be offensive rebounders.
While the Sixers will gladly take his contributions on the boards, head coach Doc Rivers joked with reporters earlier Saturday that he would employ Dwight as his point guard in the aftermath of the team's COVID-19 outbreak. Though he wasn't serious, Rivers' joke underscored the dire straights the organization finds itself in, with only nine players left active on the roster. Thankfully for Dwight, all he needed to do was what he does best: crash the boards.
The Sixers currently trail the Nuggets by double-digits as the game winds down.
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