<P> In basketball, a rebound is the act of gaining possession of the ball after a missed field goal or free throw . An offensive rebound occurs when a player recovers the ball after their own or a teammate's missed shot attempt, while a defensive rebound occurs when a player recovers the ball after an opponent's missed shot attempt . The National Basketball Association's (NBA) rebounding title is awarded to the player with the highest rebounds per game average in a given season . It was first recognized in the 1950--51 season, which was the second season after the league was created in 1949 by merger of the 3 - year - old BAA and 12 - year - old NBL . Players who earned rebounding titles before the 1973--74 season did not record any offensive or defensive rebounds because statistics on them were not recorded before that season . To qualify for the rebounding title, a player must appear in at least 70 games (out of 82) or have at least 800 rebounds . This has been the entry criteria since the 1974--75 season . The rebounding title was originally determined by rebound total through the 1968--69 season, after which rebounds per game was used to determine the leader instead . The person with the most rebounds at the end of every season get 1.4 million dollars </P> <P> Wilt Chamberlain holds the all - time records for total rebounds (2,149) and rebounds per game (27.2) in a season; both records were achieved in the 1960--61 season . He also holds the rookie records for total rebounds, with 1,941 in the 1959--60 season . Among active players, Dwight Howard has the highest season rebound total (1,161 in the 2007--08 season) and Kevin Love has the highest season rebounding average (15.23 in the 2010--11 season). At 22 years, 130 days, Howard is the youngest rebounding leader in NBA history (achieved in the 2007--08 season), while Dennis Rodman is the oldest at 36 years, 341 days (achieved in the 1997--98 season). </P> <P> Chamberlain has won the most rebounding titles in his career, with 11 . Dennis Rodman has won a record seven consecutive rebounding titles . Moses Malone has won six rebounding titles . Dwight Howard has won five rebounding titles . Kevin Garnett and Bill Russell have won four rebounding titles each . Elvin Hayes, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Ben Wallace, and DeAndre Jordan are the only other players who have won the title multiple times . Five players have won the rebounding title and the NBA championship in the same season: Mikan in 1953 with the Minneapolis Lakers; Russell in 1959, 1964, and 1965 with the Boston Celtics; Chamberlain in 1967 and 1972 with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; Malone in 1983 with the 76ers; and Rodman in 1996, 1997, and 1998 with the Chicago Bulls . </P>

Who averaged the most rebounds per game in nba history