The NBA Players With The Most Assists Titles

Over the last 75 years of NBA history, the best players in the world have made their presence known in the NBA. We have seen tremendous scorers, rebounders, and defenders each carve out their own legacies. Today, we will be speaking about the best passers in NBA history. The players with the most assists titles are the best in NBA history at making their teammates better. They are the ones on fast breaks, dropping dimes for easy finishes. They are the ones who have chewed through defenses on pick-and-rolls. They are the floor generals and leaders for their respective franchises.

Most of the players you will see on this list today played their career at the point guard position. In today’s NBA, point guards have become more prominent for their scoring and ability to hit deep jump shots. The players with the most assists titles could score if need be but were much more interested in setting up others to score. The players on this list today are ranked among the best point guards and players to ever step foot on an NBA court. Their ability to run an offense and rack up assists are a big part of their legacies and standing in NBA history.

These are the NBA players with the most assists titles in history.

11T. Andy Phillip – 2 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1951, 1952

Andy Phillip played 11 seasons in the BAA/NBA with the Chicago Stags, Philadelphia Warriors, Fort Wayne Pistons, and Boston Celtics. Phillip was named to the All-Star team 5 times and to the All-NBA Second Team twice during his career. Phillip was a combo guard for most of his career, meaning that he could be put into a game as a point guard or a shooting guard on any given night. Phillip wasn’t known for his scoring as a career 9.1 PPG player. What he was known for was being a tremendous passer of his era and his 2 assists titles with the Warriors prove it.

Phillip played just 2 and a half seasons with the Philadelphia Warriors during the 1950s and won 2 assists titles in the process. In1951, Phillip averaged 6.3 APG to lead the NBA. He averaged just 11.2 PPG on 39.9% shooting, but his passing is what helped the Warriors win 40 games and win the Eastern Division. He would win the assists title for the final time the following season in 1952 with 8.2 APG. Phillip made 4 consecutive NBA Finals appearances to end his career and finally won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 1957.

11T. Guy Rodgers – 2 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1963, 1967

Guy Rodgers was one of the best playmakers of the 1960s. Not only did he win 2 assists titles during his career, but he finished second 6 times behind Bob Cousy as well. Rodgers spent the first 9 seasons of his career with the Philadelphia Warriors and spent some time alongside Wilt Chamberlain as the best players on the Warriors championship contending teams. Rodgers would go on to be named an All-Star 4 times during his career and play for the Bulls, Royals, and Bucks before retiring in 1970.

Rodgers would win his first assists title as a member of the Warriors in 1963. Rodgers averaged 13.9 PPG and 10.4 APG that season to lead the Warriors to just 31 wins. Five seasons later and in his only season with the Chicago Bulls, Rodgers would win his 2nd and final assists title. This time with the Bulls, Rodgers would average 18.0 PPG and 11.2 APG but the Bulls would win just 33 games. Rodgers was selected to the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame in 2014.

9T. Rajon Rondo – 3 Assists Titles

Year Won: 2012, 2013, 2016

Rajon Rondo is one of the better point guards and playmakers of the late 2000s and 2010s. It can be argued that Rondo was the engine that made those 2000s Celtics teams go. He was often the spark that ignited big runs with the rapid pace he played with and unbelievable court vision. Rondo has played for 9 different teams in his career, but it was his start in Boston that he will be most remembered for. Rondo earned all of his All-Star appearances, All-NBA Team selections, and All-Defensive Team selections as a member of the Celtics and the achievements didn’t stop there.

The first 2 of his career assists titles came in back-to-back seasons with the Celtics in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, Rondo averaged 11.7 APG and in 2013, he averaged 11.1 APG. it was the third year in a row that Rondo averaged over 11.0 APG with 2 assists titles to show for it. Rondo would win his 3rd and final assist title as a member of the Sacramento Kings in 2016. That season, Rondo averaged 11.7 APG once again and took home the assists title in his only season with the Kings in his career.

9T. Russell Westbrook – 3 Assists Titles

Year Won: 2018, 2019, 2021

In his prime, Russell Westbrook was the most unstoppable point guard in basketball. He became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season in 2017 and was named the MVP. Aside from the MVP, Westbrook has been named an All-Star 9 times and an All-NBA Team selection 9 times as well. With his 3 assists titles, have also come 2 scoring titles. However, they have never occurred in the same season. Recently, it is almost as if fans have forgotten how great he was in his prime as he struggles to adjust with the Los Angeles Lakers in his 2nd season with the team. Let us remind you and refresh your memory.

Westbrook won his first 2 assists titles while he was still with the Thunder in 2019 and 2019. He averaged 10.3 APG in 2018 and 10.7 APG in 2019. For those 2 seasons, the Thunder finished 97-67 as a team just in case you’re one of the people that suggest Westbrook’s play style doesn’t win games. Westbrook would win his 3rd and last assists title in 2021 as a member of the Washington Wizards. He once again averaged a triple-double for this season and helped the Wizards reach the playoffs. Westbrook may be struggling to adjust to L.A. but it wasn’t long ago that he was one of the best point guards in basketball.

7T. Kevin Porter – 4 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981

The era he played in always took away from just how good Kevin Porter was. Among guards like Pistol Pete, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, and many others, Porter still stood out as one of the league’s premier passers. He brought the flash of Magic Johnson before Magic Johnson was in the league with his signature yo-yo dribble that he held under maximum control. Porter was fast and surveyed the court as well as any of the NBA’s best point guards. Porter was never named an All-Star, but he got the ball in the best ways possible to the guys who were named All-Stars for their prolific scoring.

Porter played 11 seasons in the NBA for 3 different teams. He won his first assists title in 1975 with the Washington Bullets when he averaged 8.0 APG. The next 2 assists titles came as a member of the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 10.2 APG in 1978 and 13.4 APG in 1979 to win his 2nd and 3rd assists titles and would capture his 4th and final one in 1981. Again with the Bullets, Porter averaged 9.1 APG to clinch his 3rd assists title in 4 seasons.

7T. Magic Johnson – 4 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987

Magic Johnson is the greatest playmaker in the history of the NBA. It wasn’t just the fancy passes or insane court vision that made him this way. It was the fact that no one has ever run a transition or fast-break offense better than Magic. No one has ever worked with big men as Magic did. Magic was one of one when it comes to passing and playmaking and it is shown by the dominant 5-year stretch that saw him win 4 assists titles and 2 championships as a Los Angeles Laker.

Magic began his stretch of assists titles in 1983 when he averaged 10.5 APG. He would win 3 of the next 4 assists titles as well, averaging 12.1APG over this 5-year stretch. For his career, Johnson averaged 11.2 APG, which ranks 1st on the all-time list for career APG. Aside from his 4 assists titles, Magic has 2 steals titles, 3 MVP awards, and 3 Finals MVP awards to go with 5 NBA championships. There has never been a better passer or playmaker in NBA History than Magic Johnson and the work he did with the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s.

4T. Jason Kidd – 5 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004

Jason Kidd dominated the early 2000s as the best passer in the NBA. During this time with the Phoenix Suns and New Jersey Nets, Kidd was showing just how impactful he could be on the court. He took a Nets team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances when they had no business being there at all. He was a stellar two-way point guard that could turn the tides of a game with his elite passing, especially on fast breaks, and amazing defense. Kidd was a leader, and it all started with how he would direct his teammates and raise their games along the way.

Kidd would win his first 3 assists titles with the Phoenix Suns from 1999 through 2001. Over this stretch, Kidd averaged 10.2 APG and was named to the All-Star team twice. In 2003 and 2004 with the Nets, Kidd won back-to-back assists titles averaging 8.9 APG and 9.2 APG, respectively. This had given him all 5 of his assists titles in a 6-year span. For his career, Kidd averaged 8.7 APG and won 1 championship with the Mavericks in 2011. He was a 10-time All-Star, 6-time All-NBA Team selection, and a 9-time All-Defensive Team selection during his 19-year career.

4T. Steve Nash – 5 Assists Titles

Years Won: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011

Steve Nash during the mid to late 2000s was one of the greatest offensive basketball minds that we have ever seen. He was the leader of the famous 7 seconds or less offense in Phoenix and his efforts would make them perennial contenders for an NBA title. Nash was dangerous in the open court and certainly one of the guards you would choose first to lead an offense in that regard. However, what was most impressive about Nash was the way he could pick apart defenses in set offenses. Nash was patient and methodical, bursting through to his spots in the blink of an eye, leaving defenders bewildered at what they just saw.

Nash would win all 5 of his assists titles as a member of the Phoenix Suns. He won the first 2 assists titles as a part of his back-to-back MVP seasons in 2005 and 2006. He also added a 3rd assists title in 2007, making it 3 in a row for the Canadian playmaker. Over this 3-year stretch, Nash averaged 11.2 APG and dished out a total of 2,571 assists. He would add his 4th and 5th assists titles in 2010 and 2011 with the Suns once again averaging over 11.0 APG in each of those 2 seasons. For his career, Nash recorded 10,335 assists which ranks 4th in NBA history.

4T. Chris Paul – 5 Assists Titles

Years Won: 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2022

Chris Paul has also emerged as one of the greatest playmakers in NBA history over the past 20 years. The “Point God” has been the epitome of leadership and consistency since his NBA debut in 2005. Paul is one of the very best in NBA history at elevating his team’s play on the court. Wherever he has gone, that team usually overachieves in the regular season and sets franchise records. The work he has done with big men during his career is legendary. He has made players like DeAndre Jordan, an All-NBA Team member, and Clint Capela an All-Star. Even recently, you can attribute Paul’s play to Deandre Ayton securing a long-term extension with the Suns. He is one of the 5 best point guards to ever play the game and his 5 assists titles speak volumes about his effort on the court.

Paul first won an assists title in back-to-back seasons in 2008 and 2009 with the New Orleans Hornets. He nearly won the MVP award in 2008 and during both of these seasons, he also took home the steals title. The next time that Paul would lead the league in assists would be in the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Paul won his 5th assists title as recently as last season with the Phoenix Suns as he averaged 10.8 APG upon turning 37 years old. Paul’s 10,998 assists rank 3rd all-time as he finds himself just 1,100 assists shy of Jason Kidd for 2nd all-time.

3. Oscar Robertson – 7 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969

One cannot have a conversation about the best point guards in NBA history without speaking about Oscar Robertson. The Big O was as complete of a point guard as you will come across as you travel through NBA history. He could score, rebound, pass, and defend among the best point guards of all time. He was the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season and only 1 of 2 to ever do it. During his NBA career, Robertson won 1 championship, 1 MVP award, was named an All-Star 12 times, and had an All-NBA Team selection 11 times.

Oscar wasted no time accumulating assist titles as he won it both in his rookie season and the following season with the Cincinnati Royals. Robertson then won three assists titles in a row from 1964 through 1966, giving him 5 assists titles in 6 years. Over this time, Robertson averaged 30.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 10.7 APG. His final 2 assists titles would come in 1968 and 1969 when he averaged 9.7 APG and 9.8 APG respectively. Oscar ranks 8th on the NBA’s all-time assists list with 9,887 career assists.

2. Bob Cousy – 8 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960

Bob Cousy can be considered nothing less than an innovator of the pint guard position and way ahead of his time. Cousy was nicknamed “The Houdini Of The Hardwood: for his flashy style of play the likes of which had never been seen to that point in the NBA. He was as fast with the ball as he was without it and defenders had no chance at stopping him once he got into the open court. Cousy won 6 NBA championships as a member of the Boston Celtics and dominated the 50s as the era’s best point guard.

What is most impressive about Bob Cousy’s 8 assists titles is that they came in 8 consecutive seasons during the 1950s. In each of these seasons, Cousy averaged 7.0 APG or better and his teams were consistently in title contention because of it. It was pretty much guaranteed that Cousy was good for 500 assists in a season every time he was healthy enough to play 60 to 75 games. Cousy would have been the all-time leader in assists titles had it not been for the only man who has won more and coincidentally enough, played a lot like him too.

1. John Stockton – 9 Assists Titles

Years Won: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

For some reason, John Stockton’s legacy has taken a hit recently with the modern-day NBA fan. They like to say that most of his assists came from dumping the ball off to Karl Malone in a pick-and-roll or down low in the post. This just simply is not true and I beg you to ask guys like Jeff Hornacek and Donyell Marshall how they looked with Stockton as their point guard and that was when he was almost 40. Stockton was cerebral in his approach. He didn’t make the pass unless he 100% knew it was going to work. He pushed the pace and slowed it when he needed to, and I would venture to say that Karl Malone isn’t Karl Malone without John Stockton.

Stockton is the NBA’s all-time assists leader. It is a record that will most likely never be broken as he dished out over 15,000 assists in his career. His pure dominance at the point guard position was on full display from 1998 through 1996. Over this period of time, Stockton won 9 straight assists titles and averaged an incredible 13.1 APG in 734 games played. That 9,615 assists of his 15,806 career assists in a 9-year span. When it comes to assists and the numbers accrued from them, John Stockton is the King. 

Next

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