For the NBA team to be great, every member has to be like an efficient seal in a well-made machine. No player could achieve great success without others, who help them through hopeless situations. Someone has to always know where to go, to whom to pass.
That’s why assists are considered as one of the five statistical categories. In many cases, without the assist, there wouldn’t be any baskets. Players who pass the ball are as crucial for the victory as those who actually score. In this article, we will be skimming through the assist leaders in the National Basketball Association.
All Time Assist Leaders NBA
Below are the NBA players who managed to get the most assists in NBA history and crushed the statistics.
#10: Gary Payton
Gary Payton played through his whole, long (1990-2007) career as a point guard and was considered one of the best defensive players. He made 8966 assists in his entire career, which gives him a tenth place among the NBA all-time assists leaders. He was also a great defender, and he won a Defensive Player of the Year in 1996.
#9 Isiah Thomas
Detroit Pistons star Isiah Thomas is considered one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. He won NBA championships twice, was chosen to The All-Star team 12 times, and became 2 time NBA Finals MVP. Isiah Thomas played as a point guard and was proficient with his assists. The growing number stopped at 9061 when he retired.
#8 LeBron James
LeBron James is an active player, so his numbers are expected to grow. As he started the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was on 9696 assists, which positions him at 8th place of all-time assists leader. This is even more impressive, recognizing that James is a forward, not a guard.
#7 Oscar Robertson
Oscar Robertson started his career in the 60s and is still considered one of the best players to ever grace the NBA. He was selected MVP in 1964 and he managed to become assists champion 6 times! His all-time assist points number is 9887. He was also the first player to average a triple-double for a season and managed to do that for his first five NBA seasons.
#6 Magic Johnson
3 times MVP and 5 times champion, Magic Johnson definitely deserves to be glorified for his amazing skills and indisputable talent. He made 10141 assists in his NBA career and he has the highest assist per game average of all time.
#5 Mark Jackson
Mark Jackson was a proficient shooter, rebounder and had a great skill for assists, finishing with 10334. After his amazing basketball career, Mark Jackson became a coach for the Golden State Warriors, but quickly was let go, despite leading them to the playoffs.
#4 Steve Nash
Two-time MVP, Canadian player, Steve Nash, occupies third place from the top when it comes to assists with 10335 in his lifetime career. Nash is considered one of the best Phoenix Suns players and he was awarded MVP two times.
#3 Chris Paul
Chris Paul is an active NBA player, as of 2020 playing for the Phoenix Suns. It was known from the beginning that Chris Paul would achieve great things, as he was selected Rookie of The Year when he debuted. Chris is number three of the assist leaders as he recently moved to this spot with 10558.
#2 Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd is second when it comes to assists. He retired with 12901 assists, which is a crazy number, especially considering that he was a regular triple-double threat (he had 107 triple-doubles in his career).
#1 John Stockton
John Stockton, forever faithful to Utah Jazz, played like a real champion, making the game of basketball look effortless. He still holds the NBA record, as he has 15806 assists. He is considered one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. His record is almost impossible to beat because Stockton missed only 22 games in 19 seasons he played.
What is the NBA record for assists in a game?
Orlando Magic player, Scott Skiles made 30 assists in a single game against Orlando Magic on December 20th 1990, and it is considered an unbreakable record. The only players who got close to that record are Kevin Porter, Bob Cousy, Guy Rodgers and John Stockton.
Kevin Porter made 29 assists for the New Jersey Nets players in a game against Houston Rockets on February 24th 1978. Bob Cousy was one point behind, when he made 28 assists for the Boston Celtics, in a game against Minneapolis Lakers, dated February 27th 1959. His score was repeated by Guy Rodgers on March 24th 1963 in a game between San Francisco Warriors and St. Louis Hawks.
Last, but not least, and not at all surprising is John Stockton with his 28 points for Utah Jazz in a game against San Antonio Spurs on January 15th, 1990. It is expected from John Stockton to be also on this list since he scored over 20 assists almost every game he played.
Conclusion
The hassles of playing without an assist in the NBA are many. Without the steady hand guiding players through uncharted waters, it can take time to readjust to constantly changing defenses, let alone set-ups for quick shots or fast passes. The difficulty is compounded by having to work off the ball, constantly creating space while not collapsing into one’s defender.
