Published 22:12 IST, December 2nd 2019
Joel Embiid overtakes Tim Duncan, becomes fastest to hit 2,000 rebounds in NBA history
Joel Embiid reached his 2,000th board during a 33-point, 11-rebound performance which saw the Sixers ending on the winning side against Indiana Pacers.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has always dominated the court with his size and that is one of the main reasons why he became the quickest player to amass 2,000 rebounds in his career since Tim Duncan of San Antonio Spurs in 1999. In Sixers' history, Embiid took just six more matches (174 games) to achieve the record. The other person to reach such milestone was George McGinnis, who reached the same figures in 168 games.
NBA: Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid equals Tim Duncan record
Embiid’s 2,000th rebound came during a 33-point, 11-rebound performance which saw the Sixers on the winning side against Indiana Pacers. In the last three consecutive games, Embiid has 25 points and 10 rebounds, with him notching double-digit rebound totals in the last seven games. Last season, he averaged 13.6 rebounds per contest, the second-most in the league behind only Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons. Currently, in 2019-20, he is averaging 12.3 boards which have taken him to eighth in the league.
The centre, who is in his fourth season as an NBA player, entered this season with MVP aspirations. In order to even come close to that, he is yet to play more than 64 games in a single regular season. He has continued to dominate the glass in the current season as well. If Embiid does remain injury-free throughout the season, then 76ers fans will continue to see him make more history and give them a better shot at winning the NBA championship.
Updated 22:29 IST, December 2nd 2019