There aren’t many things more important in basketball than rebounding, and that includes in NBA 2K26. Cleaning the glass can be the difference between winning and losing games. Grabbing defensive boards prevents the opposing team from getting potentially easy baskets. Meanwhile, if your team is grabbing offensive rebounds, you’re giving your squad second chances to score more buckets.
That’s why it’s always important to have a center with some size in your lineup if you want a better shot at winning. Sure, not every 6’11” or seven-footer is an elite rebounder, but the NBA is still about matchups, and sometimes, size just excels as long as the players are talented enough. The Warriors’ iconic Death Lineup was a rare case where a small-ball team won championships. And although Draymond Green’s a smaller big man, he was still a great rebounder on those teams.
That being said, despite the importance of size, there have still been some terrific rebounders in NBA history who were on the smaller side. The aforementioned Green, Dennis Rodman, Charles Barkley, and even a small forward like Shawn Marion all come to mind. Rodman, in particular, is arguably the greatest rebounder of all time.
And just like in the real NBA, rebounding is very critical when playing games in NBA 2K26, as we mentioned. Whether you’re playing NBA games, Park games, Theater games, or Rec games, cleaning the glass is very impactful, even in this year’s game, where players online are making more shots than ever. It’s that one miss, that one rebounder, that can turn the tide. Here are some key things to keep in mind when grabbing boards in 2K26.
Relax In The Paint
Defensive and offensive rebounding are two different animals. Starting with defense, you can be better prepared to grab the defensive board and avoid any successful offensive rebound attempt from the opponent. As you’re close enough to your matchup, you can stay in the paint without getting a violation.
Now, if your opponent is behind the three-point line in the corner, then you will get hit with a violation because you aren’t close enough. Plus, you should stay on your matchup and not give him any room on the corner because, as we mentioned earlier, it’s much easier to hit shots in NBA 2K26 than it is in 2K25, so you kind of have to suffocate your opponent a bit.
But if your matchup is trying to get open on the inside, you can almost chill out in the paint, but of course, I don’t mean to just stand there; you should always keep a close eye on your man. But just know that you have the advantage for the rebound when on defense.
Be Aware On Offense
As we mentioned, defensive and offensive rebounding are two different animals. On defense, you can stay in the paint as long as you’re close enough to your matchup. That luxury can lead to easy defensive boards but on offense, you will be penalized with a 3-second violation if you hang in the paint too long and this makes getting offensive boards much harder in NBA 2K26. That’s why career offensive rebound averages are low throughout NBA history.
So the key is to hover around the paint, especially if you know your teammate is trying to get a good shot off. If you’re playing Park/Rec games with randoms, you’ll pick up on how guys like to play, even over the course of just one game. You might have a teammate who’s pretty trigger-happy and so you’ll know to get in position for an offensive rebound in case he misses the shot.
Due to the difficult nature of getting offensive rebounds, they’re really satisfying to get, and of course, they can lead to some important buckets, whether it’s a putback attempt by you or a kick-out to a shooter on the outside.
Vertical Is Very Important
Sure, you have your rebound attributes in NBA 2K26, and that’s always priority number one when it comes to making a solid glass-cleaning MyPLAYER build. But never sleep on the Vertical attribute, as this can play a big role in the success of your board snatching.
Don’t make the same mistake I made; back in NBA 2K23, I made a balanced 6’8″ power forward who had a high defensive rebound rating, but his vertical was only at 75. With a MyPLAYER that short, that 75 rating would haunt me a bit in my pursuit of boards, although 75 is solid for a taller build. Sure, I’d get about seven rebounds per game in The Rec, which isn’t bad, but with a 93 Defensive Rebound rating and Hall of Fame Rebound Chaser badge, you’d expect more. Plus, his arms were pretty short, too.
And to this day, vertical is still important. If you’re creating a rebound-heavy MyPLAYER build, keep in mind your height and vertical rating. If you’re shorter, then have a high enough rating, and if you have a build that’s between 7’2″and 7’4″, your max vertical will already be on the lower side, usually in the low to mid 70s. Try to max it out if you can. Somewhere in the low 80s, at least, is ideal if you’re 7’0″ or 7’1″, and if you’re even shorter, then try to make the vertical a bit higher if possible. You can also lean on Cap Breakers to help you reach your vertical attribute (and other attributes) goals as you hoop it up in The City and MyCAREER.
Swoop In For Rebounds
One of the powerful things about the Rebound Chaser badge in NBA 2K26 (and any other 2K) is that it affects more than just your ability to grab boards from right under the basket. This badge can really put the chase in rebound chasing. When a missed shot seems a bit out of reach, a player with a high-rated Rebound Chaser badge can leap for the ball more easily.
There are a lot of times when there might be players in the paint who are trying to fight for the board. But you can swoop in pretty quickly to snag the rebound. That’s part of why that badge is so powerful. Being able to come in and jump up and grab the ball like that can be a huge advantage for your team.
Don’t Sleep On Pogo Stick
Rebound Chaser and Boxout Beast are clearly the most essential badges for rebound-oriented MyPLAYERs in NBA 2K26. However, there’s another badge that can also be very beneficial in your pursuit of glass cleaning excellence.
Pogo Stick is a badge you can simply earn points towards if your Vertical is at least 63. This will net you the bronze version of the badge. And you only need a 70 Vertical for the silver badge. This badge lets you quickly jump back up again after you land.
It’s a great badge if you miss a rebound opportunity. Let’s say you jumped a tad too early (guilty as charged) at a rebound attempt. Well, having Pogo Stick can help you leap back up in a hurry and still let you grab the board if the ball is in the air long enough. The badge is also great if you want to go back up for a quick block attempt on defense, and arguably, this is what the badge is most noted for. But don’t sleep on it as a helpful rebound badge as well.
