Andre Drummond is one of the finest rebounders in recent NBA history, but did you know that he has more 20-point, 20-rebound games than even Hakeem Olajuwon and Shaquille O'Neal? Well, Drummond has 45 such games, while Olajuwon has 42 and O'Neal has 34.
The two-time All-Star ranks 15th all-time on the 20-20 list and let's have a look at what the top 25 actually looks like, via Basketball Reference.
1. Wilt Chamberlain - 589
2. Bill Russell - 196
3. Bob Pettit - 171
4. Nate Thurmond - 144
5. Jerry Lucas - 138
6. Walt Bellamy - 124
T7. Elvin Hayes - 120
T7. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 120
9. Elgin Baylor - 117
10. Moses Malone - 109
11. Dave Cowens - 61
12. Willis Reed - 55
13. Dwight Howard - 51
14. Bob Lanier - 46
15. Andre Drummond - 45
16. Bob McAdoo - 43
T17. Dolph Schayes - 42
T17. Hakeem Olajuwon - 42
T17. Charles Barkley - 42
20. Gus Johnson - 38
21. Wes Unseld - 35
22. Shaquille O'Neal - 34
23. Bill Bridges - 32
24. Neil Johnston - 30
25. Maurice Stokes - 28
As tends to be the case with a lot of scoring and rebounding records, Wilt Chamberlain is simply in a league of his own. We talk about LeBron James setting some unbreakable records, but some of these records that Chamberlain set are impossible to break.
The only modern-day player on that list along with Drummond is Dwight Howard, which again tells you just how great he was at his peak. Howard unfortunately gets remembered in a bit of a negative light, but at his best, he was a special talent.
Drummond has a chance to pass him, but he'll have to start games for that. He started for the very first time in this 2023-24 season for the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks. It was because Nikola Vucevic suffered a groin strain, and Drummond made the most of that opportunity that was given to him.
The 30-year-old recorded 24 points, 25 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, as the Bulls beat the Hawks 118-113. With Vucevic out for about a week or two, Drummond will get a few cracks at putting up more 20-20 games.
Andre Drummond On Whether It Is Hard To Be A Backup
Drummond has been a starter for much of his career, but prior to that game against the Hawks, hadn't started even once for the Bulls, after signing with them in 2022. It wouldn't have been easy to be backup for so long, and when asked just how hard it is. Drummond gave a terrific response.
“It’s not hard to be a good teammate.”
Drummond clearly believes he is a starter, but won't cause a fuss because he is a backup. This is the kind of attitude you wish every player in the league had, but that's obviously not possible. In this day and age when everyone seems to be looking out only for themselves, Drummond appears to be a rare exception.
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