Andre Drummond Passes Detroit Pistons Legend on All-Time List

Former Pistons All-Star continues to climb up all-time rebounding list.

Oct 30, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) dunks the ball against the Detroit Pistons during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

On Wednesday night, the Detroit Pistons were back in action to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. This would be an array of homecomings, as the two teams are intertwined in more ways than one.

The main storyline heading into this matchup was Tobias Harris squaring off against his old team. However, it also marked another occasion of Andre Drummond taking on the team that drafted him. The Pistons selected the athletic big man 9th overall in 2012, and he went on to spend seven-and-a-half years with the franchise.

With Joel Embiid sidelined, Drummond got the chance to start against his former team. He logged 27 minutes of action and finished with nine points and 11 rebounds on the night. With this outing, the former Pistons All-Star passed a franchise leged on the all-time rebounding list.

Seven of Drummond's 11 rebounds on Wednesday came on the defensive end. This allowed him to pass Ben Wallace for 28th most all-time (7,045 and counting). Drummond is also closing in on another Pistons great, Bill Laimbeer, who sits at No. 21 all-time.

Andre Drummond has moved past Ben Wallace for 28th on the NBA’s all-time defensive rebounding list.

— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) October 30, 2024

Early on his tenure with the Pistons, Drummond showed the potential of becoming an all-time great rebounder. Over a decade into his career, he's still one of the NBA's best in this facet of the game. During his tenure in Detroit, Drummond led the league in rebounding on four separate occasions and averaged as many as 16 a game.

With Embiid yet to debut this season, Drummond has had an opportunity to play extended minutes for the Sixers. He has anchored their defense, and continues to be a force on the glass. Drummond is currently third in the NBA in rebounds per game at 12.5. Only Jakob Poltl (12.6) and Ivica Zubac (13.5) are averaging more than him.