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nov 04 2026The Lithuanian from Leyma Coruña leads the rebounding statistics after six games
Lukas Uleckas grabbed 12 rebounds in the dominant victory by the team coached by Carles Marco against La Laguna Tenerife. In today's game, that's a striking number, as with the average minutes on the court it's difficult to reach double digits in this statistic. So it's very notable that the Lithuanian has achieved it in three consecutive games. So much so that it's the best rebounding streak since the 2022-23 season, when Tyson Pérez grabbed ten or more rebounds in games 28, 29, 30, and 31. And what stands out above all is that Lukas Uleckas is a small forward.
In the 2023-24 season, Ante Tomic and Ethan Happ also managed to string together three consecutive games in double-digit rebounds. Neither in the 2024-25 nor in the 2025-26 season has any player done it more than two consecutive games. It's very clear that what Uleckas has done at the start of this season is a recent statistical milestone.
We Have a Galician Duel of Rebounding Wings
Leo Meindl posted a strong double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, being the best local player in Monbus Obradoiro's heavy defeat in the first Galician derby of this season. The Brazilian small forward is also a notable rebounder, as confirmed by his position as the first player behind Uleckas in the standings. His 6.3 rebounds place him 11th in this classification, and last season he was 12th with 5.2, tied with Álex Reyes and behind the 5.3 of Sander Raieste (10). Meindl was also eighth in the 2020-21 season with 5.8.
There has also been another small forward who achieved a double-double of points and rebounds, and that's Tyrese Martin. The FC Barcelona wing grabbed 13 rebounds in the victory against Valencia and averages 5.7, which places him 17th in the rebounding classification. The first Spanish perimeter player to appear in that statistic is Oriol Paulí at 23rd with 5.2.
Historical Anomaly
Lukas Uleckas currently leads the rebounding classification with 7.7, ahead of the 7.3 of Edy Tavares and Amine Noua. As in other articles, it's still too early to predict how the Lithuanian's position in this statistic will evolve, but it can already be said that this leadership is a notable fact, since no small forward has led rebounds in a complete season in the entire history of the ACB.
Carlos Jiménez, Walter Hermann, Tarik Kirsay, Pete Mickeal, Dani Díez, Andy Panko, and Tadas Sedekerskis, the Best Precedents
The tall wing who came closest to leading the rebounding classification was Walter Hermann in the 2002-03 season. The Argentine made his ACB debut that season with Jabones Pardo Fuenlabrada. He was 2.06 with great physicality and enormous hands, and he played that year in his natural position of small forward. In his subsequent career, playing for Unicaja and Caja Laboral Baskonia, he played more in the power forward position, but with the Madrid team the centers were Richard Scott and David Wood, both shorter than Hermann.
Walter Hermann averaged 9.7 rebounds and finished second behind Felipe Reyes (10.4).
It was obvious that this list would include the quintessential Spanish tall wing. Carlos Jiménez exemplified like no one else the figure of the small forward who contributed in rebounds, defense, and intangibles like no other. Like other players of these characteristics, he ended up playing power forward, but that was during his time at Unicaja. With Estudiantes he was always a true small forward.
In the 2005-06 season he finished second in rebounds in the regular season with 7.5 behind Felipe Reyes' 8.
Tarik Kirsay was another great example of a rebounding small forward. The native of the Bronx stood out in rebounding with his 1.99 height and made his debut with Cajasol Sevilla in the 2009-10 season, in which he finished third in rebounds in the regular season with 7.2 behind Paulao Prestes' 7.3 and Esteban Batista's 8.4. He also played for Asefa Estudiantes and Iberostar Tenerife, but when he stood out especially again was during his time at FIATC Joventut. In the 2013-14 season with the green-and-blacks he finished fifth with 6.6 tied with Edy Tavares.
Pete Mickeal is another of the historic small forwards in ACB basketball and the one who had the most successful career at the club level among those mentioned here. After making his debut with Leche Río Breogán in 2005-06, he became one of the best American players in the competition playing for TAU Cerámica and Regal Barcelona. In the season in which Felipe Reyes and Carlos Jiménez led the classification, he was fourth with 7.3 with the Lucense team. He repeated the position with the Vitoria team in 2007-08, averaging 6.4 with Marc Gasol as the leader with 8.3.
Dani Díez is another one of those players who has alternated between the small forward and power forward positions throughout his career, but in the best season of his career with Gipuzkoa Basket GBC the centers were Will Hanley and David Doblas. In that 2014-15 season he averaged 6.8 rebounds and finished fourth, with Edy Tavares as the leader with 8.1.
Andy Panko was a notable shooting small forward at 2.04 who ended up playing his best seasons as a power forward. But in his first year at Bruesa GBC he still played most of the time as a small forward, having teammates like Lou Roe, Bernard Hopkins, Denis Marconato, or David Doblas alongside him. In that 2008-09 season he averaged 6.8 rebounds and was fourth in a statistic led by Curtis Borchardt with 9.9. The following season he tied for fifth place with Richard Hendrix with 6.9, but there he was already alternating more between the small forward and power forward positions with Michal Ignerski (2.07).
Tadas Sedekerskis would be the best example of a rebounding small forward in recent ACB seasons if it weren't for the fact that he has been converted full-time into an interior player. Still, it's worth noting that in the 2023-24 season he still shared many minutes with players like Kotsar, Costello, Moneke, and Khalifa Diop. That season he averaged 6.3 rebounds and finished fifth in another title for Edy Tavares with 7.
