The Greatest All-Time NBA Assists Teams

Over the last few months, as I often do, we have been giving credit where it is due to some of the greatest players in NBA history. We released our NBA All-Scoring Teams featuring Michael Jordan and LeBron James, followed by our All-Defensive Teams led by Gary Payton and Hakeem Olajuwon. Now, with some more all-time greats on our minds, we figured it was time to release our all-time assists teams featuring the greatest passers in NBA history over the last 77 years. 

The following teams will feature players placed in First, Second, and Third Teams in an All-NBA style format. These teams were selected based on each player’s total number of assists, assists per game, and number of assists tiles as well. Regardless of which team each player is on, these are undoubtedly the 15 best passers in the history of the game.

Typically we would see a format of guard, guard, forward, forward, and center for these styles of teams. However, given that passing and assists have been dominated by guards over time, we altered that format to give you the best lineups of passing players that can be created.

Now, let’s take a look at the NBA’s all-time assists First, Second, and Third Teams.

All-Assists First Team

Guard – John Stockton

There simply cannot be any All-Assists Team that exists without the presence of John Stockton. As it stands, Stockton is the all-time leader in total assists for a career with 15,806 which is 3,715 ahead of the next closest player. Of the top 10 seasons with the most assists, Stockton owns seven of them including the top four with over 1,100 assists in each one. He also owns seven seasons with at least 1,000 assists. Only three other players have ever done that, and they only did it once.

Stockton averaged 10.5 assists per game for his career and won an NBA-record nine assists titles. All nine of those assists titles would come consecutively from 1988 through 1996 when he averaged 13.1 assists per game on that stretch.

While many would like to point to Karl Malone as the reason Stockton was so successful, I defer to the other players such as Jeff Hornacek, Donyell Marshall, and others who had career seasons thanks to Stockton’s ability to read the defense and almost always make the right play.

Guard – Magic Johnson

Just as automatic as Stockton’s presence is on the First Team, Magic Johnson also had his spot reserved here long ago. Johnson is the greatest passer and playmaker in NBA history. He was the leader of the high-octane Showtime Lakers who won five NBA championships during the 1980s and are one of the greatest dynasties in the history of the game.

Johnson’s 11.2 assists per game in his career is an NBA record that still stands today and is likely to remain for a very long time. Despite playing just 13 seasons in the NBA, all with the Lakers, Johnson still ranks seventh in NBA history with 10,141 assists as one of just seven players ever with 10,000 or more dimes in their careers.

In his career, Johnson earned four assists titles and recorded six seasons with at least 900 assists in each of them. Magic was on another level when it came to the NBA playoffs as well. He ranks first in NBA history with 2,346 career assists in the playoffs as well as first in assists per game with 12.4. There has never been a more efficient or precise passer in NBA history than Magic Johnson.

Guard – Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson is the original King of the Triple-Double, becoming the first player to ever average one for a full season in 1962. Other than being a scoring machine and massively talented rebounder, Robertson also remains one of the greatest passers in NBA history who ranks eighth in NBA history with 9,887 assists and third in assists per game with 9.5.

Oscar Robertson was ahead of his time as a passer who won seven assists titles in his first nine seasons in the NBA. From 1961 through 1966, he averaged at least 10.0 assists per game five times in six seasons and led the league each time. In his career, he recorded five seasons with at least 800 assists and seven seasons with at least 750 assists as well.

While Russell Westbrook may have passed Robertson in triple-doubles, there is still quite a bit of work to do if he ever hopes to catch his assists numbers.

Forward – LeBron James

If there is any non-guard in NBA history as of right now who can challenge for the title of greatest passer or playmaker in NBA history, that player is LeBron James. For 21 years we have watched James study, calculate, and pick apart defenses by doing exactly what needs to be done as an elite passer in the NBA.

As it stands right now, LeBron James ranks fourth in NBA history with 10,520 career assists behind only Chris Paul, Jason Kidd, and John Stockton. He ranks second in NBA playoff history with 2,023 assists as well making him one of two players ever with 2,000 assists in the playoffs for their careers.

In 21 seasons, LeBron has recorded one season with over 700 assists in 2018 and four seasons with over 600 assists. He has won one assists title in 2020 with the Lakers as well and has 12 total seasons with 500 assists or more. When it comes to the forward position, there is no player who belongs on this First Team than LeBron James.

Center – Nikola Jokic

Although his career may still be in its early stages, we have never seen a player from the center position see the floor and make passes at the level Nikola Jokic does. Jokic is so elite with the ball in his hands, that the Denver Nuggets’ offense has no choice but to run through him. Whether he is throwing cross-court dimes to open shooters on the perimeter or picking apart defenses from the top of the key, Jokic is who you want with the ball in his hands when your team is in need of a bucket.

Despite Jokic’s career only being nine seasons old, he is already fourth in NBA history in triple-doubles and averages 6.7 assists per game for his career. Since 2019, Jokic has averaged 7.0 assists per game or more every season and over 8.0 assists per game on three separate occasions. He has five total seasons with over 500 assists as well. In 2022-23, Jokic recorded a career-high 678 assists or 8.9 assists per game to lead Denver to their first championship in franchise history.

All-Assists Second Team

Guard – Steve Nash

If there were more than 24 hours in a day, 50.0% of my time could be dedicated to watching Steve Nash passing the ball. Nash’s ability as a passer would lead him to all-time great playmaker status and allow him to capture two MVP awards at the height of defensive basketball during the 2000s.

In his career, Nash recorded 10,335 assists which ranks fifth in NBA history, and averaged 8.5 assists per game which ranks ninth. Nash would win a total of five assists titles in his career, all coming between 2005 and 2011 with the Phoenix Suns, the No. 1 offense in the game at the time thanks to him.

In his NBA career, Nash would record six seasons with at least 800 assists, seven seasons with at least 700 assists, and 10 seasons with at least 600 assists. Between 2005 and 2012, Nash averaged 10.9 assists to 3.5 turnovers giving him an assists-to-turnover ratio slightly better than 3:1. When it comes to cutting up defenses with speed and precision, few did it better than Steve Nash.

Guard – Chris Paul

Much like Nash, Chris Paul is often criticized for his lack of being able to deliver an NBA championship to any of the teams he played for. For those of us who watched Paul his entire career, we know how much of a special talent he is as a passer and playmaker. Paul is the consummate floor general who can control everything from the point guard spot. His passing abilities have routinely made every player he has played with better, especially frontcourt players who thrive off his precision on lobs at the rim and in the pick-and-roll.

Currently, Chris Paul ranks third in NBA history with 11,622 assists. He is one of only three players with 11,000 career assists or more. His 9.45 assists per game rank fourth in NBA history as well. In his career, Paul has won five assists titles with seven seasons of 10.0 assists per game or more.

In 18-plus seasons in the NBA, Paul has recorded one season with more than 900 assists, three seasons with at least 800 assists, and 10 seasons with at least 600 assists. Also in his 18 seasons of play, Paul has never averaged less than 7.5 assists per game which includes 2023-24 at 38 years old averaging 7.6 assists per game off the bench for the Golden State Warriors. How is that for consistency?

Guard – Jason Kidd

Other than Magic Johnson and LeBron James, there is no player in NBA history I would rather have running a fast-break offense than Jason Kidd. His accuracy and knowledge as a passer were the most evident aspects of his game when watching him play, consistently leading his teams well beyond expectations on the back of his superb playmaking skills.

Throughout his 18 seasons in the NBA, Jason Kidd earned himself five different assists titles with two different franchises from 1999 through 2004. Kidd is currently second in NBA history with 12,091 career assists while also ranking eighth in NBA history with 8.7 assists per game. In 2002 and 2003, Kidd took his game to another level, leading the New Jersey Nets to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances on the back of his playmaking ability.

Guard – Russell Westbrook

I understand that when fans are unhappy with how Russell Westbrook is playing the game, they point to his turnovers as a major issue. While at times that has been true, it doesn’t take away from the amazing passer he has been throughout his career. Currently, Westbrook ranks ninth in NBA history with 9,234 assists while also ranking 10th in NBA history with 8.3 assists per game.

During the 2010s, Westbrook’s passing took over the NBA as he shattered records and won awards for his complete play from the point guard position. From 2018 through 2021, he won three assists titles in four seasons while averaging a triple-double for the season four different times. In his 15-plus seasons, Westbrook has recorded three different seasons with at least 800 assists, five seasons with at least 700 assists, and eight seasons with at least 600 assists.

With his speed and freak athleticism, opponents rarely respected his passing ability. That lack of respect came back and burned them more often than not, making Westbrook an easy choice for All-Assists Second Team.

Forward – Larry Bird

To shake things up a bit, we have added the second-greatest non-guard passer in NBA history to the Second Team. Often, you hear stories of Larry Bird’s savage scoring stories when he told opponents what he was going to do and still did it with ease. However, it was his unpredictability that made him such an avid, willing, and precise passer.

You will not find Larry Bird’s name among the top 20 in either career assists or assists per game, mostly because it was cut extremely short due to back issues. Still, Bird’s passing was a major reason why he became a three-time MVP, three-time NBA champion, and a two-time Finals MVP. Bird ranks eighth in NBA playoff history with 1,062 assists as one of 14 players ever with over 1,000 assists in the playoffs. In 13 seasons, Bird had five years with over 500 assists and 10 seasons with at least 400 assists.

All-Assists Third Team

Guard – Rajon Rondo

At first glance, you may be asking what Rajon Rondo is doing here. If you watched his career develop in the 2000s and 2010s, you may be asking why he isn’t on the Second Team rather than on the Third Team. Rajon Rondo is one of the few passers in NBA history who could truly change a game with his passing ability, doing so for almost the entire time he was in the NBA from 2007 through 2022.

Rajon Rondo earned three assists titles in his career including back-to-back with the Boston Celtics in 2012 and 2013. He recorded four seasons with at least 10.0 assists per game and six seasons with at least 9.0 assists per game. Rondo also recorded one 800-assist season, three 700-assist seasons, and seven 500-assist seasons in his career and helped the Celtics win an NBA championship in 2008.

Guard – Bob Cousy

Bob Cousy is easily one of the greatest passers in NBA history. He was well before his time during the 1950s and 1960s, winning eight straight assists titles from 1953 through 1960. Cousy’s nickname, “The Houdini of the Hardwood”, came from his unique handles and playmaking skills, the likes of which were never seen before he hit the court.

Cousy was one of the leaders of six NBA championship teams with the Boston Celtics in his career. He was the 1957 MVP as well. Even with limited advancements across the board for his time, Cousy was still able to record one 700-assist season, two 600-assist seasons, and nine 500-assist seasons in 14 years of play. Although he may be wrongly criticized for the era he played in, there is no way we could have All-Assists Teams without the presence of the point guard who paved the way for so many to be successful at the position.

Guard – Mark Jackson

Mark Jackson is as underrated as it gets for point guards in NBA history. Jackson played 17 seasons in the NBA and ranks sixth all-time in total career assists with 10,334. He averaged 8.0 assists per game for his career as well with one assists title and two seasons of over 10.0 assists per game.

Jackson is not one of the biggest names when it comes to passing in NBA history but he proved how valuable he could be season after season from 1988 through 2004 with the Knicks, Pacers, Jazz, Clippers, Raptors, Nuggets, and Rockets. Jackson recorded one 900-assist season in his career as well as two 800-assist seasons and 11 600-assist seasons. Hopefully, these numbers put a bit more attention on the type of passer he was in his career.

Guard – Isiah Thomas

There are many reasons why Isiah Thomas holds the legendary status that he does in NBA history. He was the leader and face of one of the most iconic teams in NBA history, the Bad Boy Detroit Pistons. He defeated Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson en route to the first of two NBA titles in 1989 and 1990. He is one of the greatest ball-handlers in NBA history as well. Very little emphasis has ever been put on his passing ability which was just as sensational.

Currently, Thomas ranks 10th in NBA history with 9,061 total assists in just 13 years with the Pistons from 1982 through 1994. Thomas would win just one assists title in 1985 but recorded four consecutive 10.0-assist seasons from 1984 through 1987. Thomas’ 9.3 assists per game are good enough for fifth in NBA history and he is also just one of three players in NBA history to ever record 1,000 assists in a season.

Guard – Kevin Johnson

The final member of our All-Assists Third Team is none other than the most underrated player in NBA history, Kevin Johnson. That’s right, Kevin Johnson was a force for the Phoenix Suns throughout his 13-year career having been traded from Cleveland during his rookie season. Johnson was explosive and athletic with an apt for scoring the ball but it was his passing that made him an all-around offensive threat.

Although he never won an assists title in his career, Johnson recorded four straight seasons with 10.0 assists per game from 1989 through 1992. He helped lead the Suns to three Conference Finals and one NBA Finals in his career as well, with his passing taking center stage. Johnson’s 9.1 assists per game rank sixth in NBA history and his 6,711 assists rank 26th. In his 13 seasons, Johnson would record one season with over 900 assists, three seasons with over 800 assists, and four seasons with over 700 assists.

Now, you may see why I call him the most underrated player in NBA history despite the overwhelming evidence that he should be far more celebrated.