In the main 5 statistical categories that exist in the NBA, assists are one of the most important ones. Delivering assists to your teammates is difficult and requires tremendous effort.
Who has the most 10 assist games in NBA history? John Stockton of the Utah Jazz has 863 regular-season games where he had 10 or more assists. Stockton is also a leader in the all-time assists list and no other player is close in both of these categories.
The record which John Stockton holds may be one of the hardest ones to break. Let’s have a look at other players and Stockton’s career in more detail.
John Stockton – 863 Games
John Stockton is widely considered one of the best point guards of all time and the record for most assists is still unbreakable in the history of the NBA. He also has the most games where he managed to collect 10 or more assists – 863. This is incredible! Alongside Karl Malone he was pivotal in the success of the Utah Jazz, when they managed to reach the playoffs for 19 consecutive seasons. Sadly, Stockton never won a championship ring, playing in the era of Michael Jordan.
Jason Kidd – 569 Games
Jason Kidd was a universal player, achieving near triple-double statistics in the majority of his games. He was a fantastic passer and great offensive player, who finished his career with 12,091 assists. To his account, Kidd has 569 games having 10 or more assists and that’s when he was also scoring a decent amount of points and grabbing rebounds. Kidd led the NBA five times in the assists category.
Jason Kidd helped the New Jersey Nets reach the Finals in 2002 and 2003, but they lost the series on both of these occasions. Kidd won his only championship ring at the end of his career with the Dallas Mavericks, where they defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in 2011. This was also the first title for Dirk Nowitzki.
Chris Paul – 531 Games
On our list Chris Paul is the only active player and for sure the number of games where he has 10 or more assists will increase. At the moment, he has 531 games to his account. The veteran player is 36, playing for the Phoenix Suns and he does not show signs of slowing down. Still, Chris Paul is a classical example of a point guard, who reads the game comprehensively and delivers productive assists.
Paul is also gifted offensively. He can shoot from any range and is known for his leadership. Like Stockton and Nash, he has still not won a championship ring. He had a chance during the 2020/2021 season when the Suns reached the Finals, playing against the Milwaukee Bucks, but could not deliver the final touch.
Paul has 2-3 good seasons ahead of him and he will surely surpass Jason Kidd. However, reaching John Stockton looks impossible from the current perspective.
Magic Johnson – 520 Games
Hardly anyone will find words to properly describe the “magic” Earvin Johnson delivered on a basketball court. His assists are certainly from another dimension and when the Lakers put up a show back in the 1980s he was instrumental in the success of the team. What makes Magic even more special, is his height, which is unusual for point guards. Still, he had excellent ball-handling skills and the ability to deliver magnificent assists to teammates.
Magic has 520 games with 10 or more assists and he would have got more, had it not been for the early retirement, because of the illness. The three-time MVP averaged 11.2 assists and he finished the career with 10,141 assists.
Alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he led the Lakers to 5 championships. Retiring at the age of 32, Johnson is still an influential player in the NBA and it would be notable to remember that he once played as a centre in the playoffs!
Steve Nash – 509 Games
Playing alongside Steve Nash was utterly satisfying for every NBA player. He would deliver assists, where you need nothing more than jump and put the ball in the basket. His assists are mesmerizing and the Canadian is deservedly one of the greatest point guards of all time. The 2-time NBA MVP mainly played for the Phoenix Suns but did not win a championship title. Everyone thought he had a chance in 2012, where he joined the Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant but the team failed to live up to expectations.
Steve Nash has 509 games where he collected 10 and more assists. The member of the Hall of Fame played 18 seasons in the NBA and finished his career with 10,335 assists. In addition to great passing skills, he was a fantastic shooter, and Nash is a member of the 50-40-90 club.
Notable Mentions
There are quite a lot of players who were not included on the list, but we should definitely mention them. The next one is Isiah Thomas, who played for the Detroit Pistons. From active players, we can also say a few words about Russell Westbrook and Rajon Rondo. The former is a triple-double machine and already managed to become a leader in the number of triple-doubles, surpassing Oscar Robertson. LeBron James is also a player who as a small forward makes plenty of assists and only increases his tally. At the age of 37, he is still one of the best players in the league.