Who has the most assists in NBA history? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LeBron James continues to climb the NBA’s all-time leaderboard. No, not that leaderboard.
James may be only days away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the league’s leading scorer, but he’s also nearing the top of the list for most assists in NBA history.
James had 28 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 129-123 overtime win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. During the game, he passed Mark Jackson and Steve Nash to move into fourth among the league’s career assist leaders with 10,338.
He trails only Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and John Stockton, the leader by a wide margin.
James simultaneously passing and shooting his way to the top of two of the NBA’s most prominent statistical lists, particularly when the outcome of each on an offensive possession is mutually exclusive, illustrates his unique skill set.
The 38-year-old James entered Tuesday’s game with career averages of 27.2 points and 7.3 assists per game over his 20-year career. He now trails Abdul-Jabbar for the scoring record by just 89 points after increasing his career total to 38,299. He sits roughly 900 assists away from Paul, who at 37 years old is averaging 8.7 assists per game this season. James is nearly 5,500 assists away from Stockton’s seemingly unbreakable record.
Here’s a look at the NBA’s all-time assists leaders.
Who is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists?
1. John Stockton – 15,806 (10.5 per game)
2. Jason Kidd – 12,091 (8.7)
3. Chris Paul* – 11,246 (9.5)
4. LeBron James* – 10,338 (7.3)
5. Steve Nash – 10,335 (8.5)
6. Mark Jackson – 10,334 (8.0)
7. Magic Johnson – 10,141 (11.2)
8. Oscar Robertson – 9,887 (9.5)
9. Isiah Thomas – 9,061 (9.3)
10. Russell Westbrook* – 8,984 (8.4)
*-Active
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