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Giannis Antetokounmpo passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become Bucks’ all-time rebounds leader

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated18 Dec 2023

Giannis Antetokounmpo passes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become Milwaukee Bucks all-time rebounds leader

Giannis Antetokounmpo surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time rebounds leader during Sunday’s 128-119 win over the Houston Rockets.

Antetokounmpo, 29, has amassed 7,165 rebounds over the course of his 11-year career with Milwaukee. In six seasons in a Bucks uniform, Abdul-Jabbar grabbed 7,161 boards.

The seven-time All-Star broke Abdul-Jabbar’s record with a rebound of Tari Eason’s missed shot with 7:46 left in the fourth quarter. The Bucks showed a video of his career rebounding highlights at the next timeout.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, Antetokounmpo holds fourth-best odds to win MVP this season. Sportsbooks are showing better odds for Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid.


Moreover, Antetokounmpo ended his outing with 26 points, a season-high 17 rebounds, and three assists in 40 minutes played against Houston. He shot 10-of-22 (45.5%) from the floor and 5-of-11 (45.5%) at the foul line.

“It’s a big honor,” he said. “I don’t think anybody assumed the skinny kid from Greece that was drafted and supposed to play in the G-League was going to be in a position to break a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record.”

“I know for sure there’s going to be someone who is going to come along in time and break all of the records that Kareem set, Oscar Robertson, Marques Johnson, myself, Khris (Middleton).”

Giannis Antetokounmpo joins three NBA legends as only players to lead a franchise in points, rebounds, and assists

In his 11th season, Antetokounmpo leads the NBA in points (785), field goals (293), free throw attempts (284), and usage percentage (38.8%). Plus, he ranks sixth in total rebounds (274), 13th in steals (36), second in free throws (189), and fourth in player efficiency rating (29.9).

Furthermore, Antetokounmpo recorded a career-high 64 points on only 28 field goal attempts in last Wednesday’s 140-126 victory over the Indiana Pacers, the most points scored with fewer than 30 field goal attempts in a game in NBA history.

The 2021 NBA champ broke the team record of 57 set by Michael Redd in 2006 in a 113-111 loss to the Utah Jazz. His previous career high was 55 in a 123-113 win over Washington in January 2023.


In March 2022, the two-time MVP also passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks’ all-time scoring leader.

Additionally, Antetokounmpo owns almost every Bucks’ franchise record. He joins Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls), LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers), and Kevin Garnett (Minnesota Timberwolves) as the only player to lead a franchise in points, rebounds, and assists.

“I want to keep on playing the game at a high level,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to keep on taking care of my body and I know if I do that sometimes you break records. But at the end of the day, I’m beyond blessed to be the all-time leader in rebounds, but I got to keep going and keep moving forward.”

The Milwaukee Bucks won their 13th straight home game and improved to 14-1 at home while ending the Rockets’ five-game winning streak. Houston (13-10) dropped to 2-9 on the road.