The 76ers center showed respect to a longtime division foe.
Patrick Andres | Jan 22, 2025
In this story:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Detroit Pistons
As rebounders go, there weren't many better than Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond in his late-2010s glass-cleaning prime. From 2016 to '20, Drummond won four rebounding titles; his 16 boards per game in 2018 are a century high for any player.
However, when it came time to create a Mount Rushmore of rebounding on Monday's edition of Podcast P with Paul George, Drummond opted for a different—and surprising—big man to represent modernity.
"My Mount Rushmore of rebounders?" Drummond said. "Dennis Rodman, Moses Malone, Bill Russell and Tristan Thompson."
Malone, Rodman and Russell are all in the Hall of Fame. Thompson has never even made an All-Star team (for that matter, the hoops lifer only averaged double-digit rebounds in two seasons).
"And Tristan? That’s personal. Battling with him in the paint was always a fight," Drummond said. "He’s got a natural feel for rebounding. Those guys inspired me to be the best rebounder I could be."
Drummond and Thompson had a spirited battle in the first round of the 2016 playoffs, which the latter's Cleveland Cavaliers won over the former's Detroit Pistons in four games. They were also briefly teammates in 2020; clearly, these two episodes helped shape Drummond into the player he is today.