List of National Basketball Association season assists leaders

In basketball, an assist is a pass to a teammate that directly leads to a score by field goal.^[1] The National Basketball Association's (NBA) assist title is awarded to the player with the highest assists per game average in a given season. The assists title was first recognized in the 1946–47 season when statistics on assists were first compiled by the Basketball Association of America (BAA), predecessor of the NBA.^[2] To qualify for the assist title, the player must play 70 games or record 400 assists. This has been the entry criteria since the 1974–75 season.^[3]

John Stockton holds the all-time records for total assists (1164) and assists per game (14.54) in a season, achieved in the 1990–91 and 1989–90 seasons, respectively.^[2] Mark Jackson holds the rookie records for total assists and assists per game when he had 868 and averaged 10.6 in the 1987–88 season.^[2][4] Among active players, Chris Paul had the highest season assists total (925) in the 2007–08 season and Steve Nash had the highest season assists average (11.63) in the 2006–07 season.

Stockton won the most assists titles in his career, with nine. Bob Cousy won eight assists titles, while Oscar Robertson won seven. Jason Kidd and Nash have won five assists titles, while Kevin Porter and Magic Johnson have each won four. Ernie Calverley, Paul, Andy Phillip and Guy Rodgers are the only other players to have won the title more than once. Stockton has also won the most consecutive assists titles, with nine. Three players have won both the assists title and the NBA championship in the same season: Cousy in 1957 and from 1959 to 1960 with the Boston Celtics; Jerry West in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers; and Johnson in 1987 with the Lakers.

Contents 1 Key 2 Assist leaders 3 Notes 4 References

Key

^		Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
*		Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (X)		Denotes the number of times the player had been the assists leader up to and including that season
G	Guard		F	Forward	C	Center

Assist leaders

Season	Player	Position[a]	Team	Games played	Total assists	Assists per game	References
1946–47	Calverley, ErnieErnie Calverley	G	Providence Steamrollers	59	202	3.42	[5][6]
1947–48	Calverley, ErnieErnie Calverley (2)[b]	G/F	Providence Steamrollers	47	119	2.53	[6][7]
1948–49	Davies, BobBob Davies*	G/F	Rochester Royals	60	321	5.35	[8][9]
1949–50	Phillip, AndyAndy Phillip*[c]	G/F	Chicago Stags	65	377	5.80	[10][11]
1950–51	Phillip, AndyAndy Phillip* (2)	G/F	Philadelphia Warriors	66	414	6.27	[11][12]
1951–52	Phillip, AndyAndy Phillip* (3)	G/F	Philadelphia Warriors	66	539	8.17	[11][13]
1952–53	Cousy, BobBob Cousy*	G	Boston Celtics	71	547	7.70	[14][15]
1953–54	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (2)	G	Boston Celtics	72	518	7.19	[15][16]
1954–55	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (3)	G	Boston Celtics	71	557	7.85	[15][17]
1955–56	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (4)	G	Boston Celtics	72	642	8.92	[15][18]
1956–57	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (5)	G	Boston Celtics	64	478	7.47	[15][19]
1957–58	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (6)	G	Boston Celtics	65	463	7.12	[15][20]
1958–59	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (7)	G	Boston Celtics	65	557	8.57	[15][21]
1959–60	Cousy, BobBob Cousy* (8)	G	Boston Celtics	75	715	9.53	[15][22]
1960–61	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson*	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	71	690	9.72	[23][24]
1961–62	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (2)	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	79	899	11.38	[24][25]
1962–63	Rodgers, GuyGuy Rodgers	G	San Francisco Warriors	79	825	10.44	[26][27]
1963–64	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (3)	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	79	868	10.99	[24][28]
1964–65	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (4)	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	75	861	11.48	[24][29]
1965–66	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (5)	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	76	847	11.14	[24][30]
1966–67	Rodgers, GuyGuy Rodgers (2)	G	Chicago Bulls	81	908	11.21	[27][31]
1967–68	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (6)[d]	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	65	663	9.74	[24][32]
1968–69	Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* (7)	G/F	Cincinnati Royals	79	772	9.77	[24][33]
1969–70	Wilkens, LennyLenny Wilkens*	G	Seattle SuperSonics	75	683	9.11	[34][35]
1970–71	Van Lier, NormNorm Van Lier	G	Cincinnati Royals	82	832	10.15	[36][37]
1971–72	West, JerryJerry West*[e]	G/F	Los Angeles Lakers	77	747	9.70	[38][39]
1972–73	Archibald, NateNate Archibald*	G	Kansas City-Omaha Kings	80	910	11.38	[40][41]
1973–74	DiGregorio, ErnieErnie DiGregorio	G	Buffalo Braves	81	663	8.19	[42][43]
1974–75	Porter, KevinKevin Porter	G	Washington Bullets	81	650	8.02	[44][45]
1975–76	Watts, SlickSlick Watts	G	Seattle SuperSonics	82	661	8.06	[46][47]
1976–77	Buse, DonDon Buse	G	Indiana Pacers	81	685	8.46	[48][49]
1977–78	Porter, KevinKevin Porter (2)	G	Detroit Pistons New Jersey Nets	82	837	10.21	[45][50]
1978–79	Porter, KevinKevin Porter (3)	G	Detroit Pistons	82	1099	13.40	[45][51]
1979–80	Richardson, Micheal RayMicheal Ray Richardson	G/F	New York Knicks	82	835	10.15	[52][53]
1980–81	Porter, KevinKevin Porter (4)	G	Washington Bullets	81	734	9.06	[45][54]
1981–82	Moore, JohnnyJohnny Moore	G	San Antonio Spurs	79	762	9.65	[55][56]
1982–83	Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson*	G/F	Los Angeles Lakers	79	829	10.49	[57][58]
1983–84	Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (2)[f]	G/F	Los Angeles Lakers	67	875	13.06	[58][59]
1984–85	Thomas, IsiahIsiah Thomas*	G	Detroit Pistons	81	1123	13.86	[60][61]
1985–86	Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (3)	G/F	Los Angeles Lakers	72	907	12.60	[58][62]
1986–87	Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (4)	G/F	Los Angeles Lakers	80	977	12.21	[58][63]
1987–88	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton*	G	Utah Jazz	82	1128	13.76	[64][65]
1988–89	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (2)	G	Utah Jazz	82	1118	13.63	[65][66]
1989–90	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (3)[g]	G	Utah Jazz	78	1134	14.54	[65][67]
1990–91	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (4)[h]	G	Utah Jazz	82	1164	14.20	[65][68]
1991–92	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (5)	G	Utah Jazz	82	1126	13.73	[65]
1992–93	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (6)	G	Utah Jazz	82	987	12.04	[65][69]
1993–94	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (7)	G	Utah Jazz	82	1031	12.57	[65][70]
1994–95	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (8)	G	Utah Jazz	82	1011	12.33	[65][71]
1995–96	Stockton, JohnJohn Stockton* (9)	G	Utah Jazz	82	916	11.17	[65][72]
1996–97	Jackson, MarkMark Jackson	G	Denver Nuggets Indiana Pacers	82	935	11.40	[73][74]
1997–98	Strickland, RodRod Strickland	G	Washington Wizards	76	801	10.54	[75][76]
1998–99[i]	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd^	G	Phoenix Suns	50	539	10.78	[77][78]
1999–00	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd^ (2)[j]	G	Phoenix Suns	67	678	10.12	[78][79]
2000–01	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd^ (3)	G	Phoenix Suns	77	753	9.78	[78][80]
2001–02	Miller, AndreAndre Miller^	G	Cleveland Cavaliers	81	882	10.89	[81][82]
2002–03	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd^ (4)	G	New Jersey Nets	80	711	8.89	[78][83]
2003–04	Kidd, JasonJason Kidd^ (5)[k]	G	New Jersey Nets	67	618	9.22	[78][84]
2004–05	Nash, SteveSteve Nash^	G	Phoenix Suns	75	861	11.48	[85][86]
2005–06	Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ (2)	G	Phoenix Suns	79	826	10.46	[86][87]
2006–07	Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ (3)	G	Phoenix Suns	76	884	11.63	[86][88]
2007–08	Paul, ChrisChris Paul^	G	New Orleans Hornets	80	925	11.56	[89][90]
2008–09	Paul, ChrisChris Paul^ (2)	G	New Orleans Hornets	78	861	11.04	[90]
2009–10	Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ (4)	G	Phoenix Suns	81	892	11.01	[86]
2010–11	Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ (5)	G	Phoenix Suns	74	845	11.42	[86]

Notes

References

General

Specific

NBA season assists leaders 1947: Calverley 1948: Calverley 1949: Davies 1950: Phillip 1951: Phillip 1952: Phillip 1953: Cousy 1954: Cousy 1955: Cousy 1956: Cousy 1957: Cousy 1958: Cousy 1959: Cousy 1960: Cousy 1961: Robertson 1962: Robertson 1963: Rodgers 1964: Robertson 1965: Robertson 1966: Robertson 1967: Rodgers 1968: Robertson 1969: Robertson 1970: Wilkens 1971: Van Lier 1972: West 1973: Archibald 1974: DiGregorio 1975: Porter 1976: Watts 1977: Buse 1978: Porter 1979: Porter 1980: Richardson 1981: Porter 1982: Moore 1983: Johnson 1984: Johnson 1985: Thomas 1986: Johnson 1987: Johnson 1988: Stockton 1989: Stockton 1990: Stockton 1991: Stockton 1992: Stockton 1993: Stockton 1994: Stockton 1995: Stockton 1996: Stockton 1997: Jackson 1998: Strickland 1999: Kidd 2000: Kidd 2001: Kidd 2002: Miller 2003: Kidd 2004: Kidd 2005: Nash 2006: Nash 2007: Nash 2008: Paul 2009: Paul 2010: Nash 2011: Nash

NBA statistical leaders Career Points • Rebounds • Assists • Steals • Blocks • Turnovers • Three-point field goals • Free throws • Games played Playoffs Points • Rebounds • Assists • Steals • Blocks • Turnovers • Three-point field goals • Free throws Season Points (PPG / Rookie PPG) • Points (Playoffs) • Rebounds (RPG / Rookie RPG) • Assists • Steals • Blocks • Field goal percentage Game Points • Points (Playoffs) • Rebounds • Assists • Steals • Blocks Others Tallest • Shortest • Age