Stats explained · REB%
Rebound percentage (REB%)
A game full of missed shots is full of rebounds, so raw totals depend on the game around a player. Rebound percentage counts how many of the available rebounds he actually got.
The formula
The share of available rebounds a player or team gets while on the floor. For a player the full formula also adjusts for his minutes; for a whole team it comes down to this. REB% does the same for all rebounds.1
Worked example
Example (made-up numbers)
His team: 12 offensive rebounds. The opponent: 33 defensive rebounds.
12 ÷ (12 + 33) = 26.7% offensive rebound percentage
Wilt Chamberlain, 2 March 1962
25 rebounds in all 48 minutes. The two teams had 60 rebounds each2.
25 ÷ (60 + 60) = 20.8% of all rebounds
In 1962 rebounds were not yet split into offensive and defensive3, so for Chamberlain only REB% works.
Rebound percentage, 2 March 1962
| Player | REB% | 100 × REB × 48 ÷ (MIN × 120) |
|---|---|---|
| Wilt Chamberlain, Warriors | 20.8%2 | 100 × 25 × 48 ÷ (48 × 120) |
| Dave Budd, Knicks | 14.8%2 | 100 × 10 × 48 ÷ (27 × 120) |
| Willie Naulls, Knicks | 6.5%2 | 100 × 7 × 48 ÷ (43 × 120) |
Our calculation with Wikipedia's rebound-rate formula: 48 is the team's minutes ÷ 5, 120 all rebounds of both teams. Budd's 10 rebounds in 27 minutes are worth more than Naulls's 7 in 431.
What it tells you
How well a team finishes defensive possessions and how many second chances it creates.
What it does not
Rebounds a teammate got because he boxed out his man. Centres rebound more by role, so compare players in similar positions.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Rebound rate (version of 8 May 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game (version of 13 August 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
- Wikipedia: Rebound (basketball) (version of 20 September 2026), CC BY-SA 4.0 checked 21 October 2026
Checked on 20 October 2026, unless a source has its own date. Wikipedia content is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; we take single numbers and facts from the versions linked above and say where a number is our own calculation. Spotted a mistake or a record that fell? Write to hello@boxscorestories.com.
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