Rebounding in Basketball By ESPN Kids Writer

Last Monday, Orlando Magic Center, Dwight Howard, grabbed 18 rebounds in the Magic's 101-95 win over the Miami Heat. Howard's rebound total was impressive because it gave him more than 5,000 rebounds for his career. Most amazing is that the 23-year-old Howard has only been in the NBA for four years. He is the youngest player to ever record 5,000 rebounds.

Before Howard reached the mark, the youngest player to reach 5,000 rebounds was the great Wilt Chamberlain. Chamberlain still holds the record for the player with the most rebounds in NBA history.

In basketball, a lot of emphasis is placed on scoring. The most famous players are usually the athletes who score the most points. This isn't necessarily wrong, as teams can't win games if they don't score baskets. However, rebounding is just as important as scoring.

During the course of a basketball game, players miss a lot of shots. The team that is able to get control of these missed shots through rebounds has a great advantage. If a player on the shooting team grabs an offensive rebound, their team gets another chance to make a basket. If a player on the defending team gets a rebound, their team has the opportunity to score. Usually, the team that gets more rebounds wins the game.

There are many keys to being a good rebounder. Obviously, being tall is a big help! Howard is almost 7-feet tall, and Chamberlain was over 7-feet. He was so tall that people called him "Wilt the Stilt." Players also have to be able to jump high, and most importantly, know where to position themselves near the basket in order to block the opposing players. This is called "boxing out." Two players who were very good at boxing out in their careers were Charles Barkley and Dennis Rodman. Although Barkley and Rodman were four or five inches shorter than 7-footers like Howard or Chamberlain, both are known as great rebounders.

Although rebounding may not be as flashy or exciting as scoring, it's also a big part of the game. The players who get the rebounds deserve just as much credit for a win as the players who score the baskets.

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