NBA Honors: Assists Leaders, Year by Year
This is the complete list of NBA players that led the league in assists, year by year.
Current Assists Leader:
Tyrese Haliburton
2023-24 Assists Leader NBA Honors: Assists LeaderSince the 1969-70 NBA season, the assist leader is the player with the best assists per game average. Previously, from 1946-47 through the 1968-69 season, the NBA assist leader was the player with more total assists at the end of each season. James Harden was the assists leader in 2016-17 while Russell Westbrook was the scoring leader that season. They exchanged roles after that: Harden led the league in points the next two season while Westbrook did it in assists. In 2020 LeBron James led the NBA in assists in his season 17. In 2022 (and also in his season 17th) Chris Paul led the league for the 5th time. |
= NBA Champion that same year
NBA Assists Leaders Year by Year
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Season |
Player |
Team |
Assists Per Game |
Total Assists | Games | |
| 2023-24 | Tyrese Haliburton | Indiana Pacers | 10.9 | 752 | 69 | |
| 2022-23 | James Harden | Philadelphia 76ers | 10.7 | 618 | 58 | |
| 2021-22 | Chris Paul | Phoenix Suns | 10.8 | 702 | 65 | |
| 2020-21 | Russell Westbrook | Washington Wizards | 11.7 | 763 | 65 | |
| 2019-20 | LeBron James | |
Los Angeles Lakers | 10.2 | 684 | 67 |
| 2018-19 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 10.7 | 784 | 73 | |
| 2017-18 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 10.3 | 820 | 80 | |
| 2016-17 | James Harden | Houston Rockets | 11.2 | 907 | 81 | |
| 2015-16 | Rajon Rondo | Sacramento Kings | 11.7 | 839 | 72 | |
| 2014-15 | Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | 10.2 | 838 | 82 | |
| 2013-14 | Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | 10.7 | 663 | 62 | |
| 2012-13 | Rajon Rondo | Boston Celtics | 11.1 | 420 | 38 | |
| 2011-12 | Rajon Rondo | Boston Celtics | 11.7 | 620 | 53 | |
| 2010-11 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 11.4 | 855 | 75 | |
| 2009-10 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 11.0 | 892 | 81 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Assists Per Game |
Total Assists | Games | |
| 2008-09 | Chris Paul | New Orleans Hornets | 11.0 | 861 | 78 | |
| 2007-08 | Chris Paul | New Orleans Hornets | 11.6 | 925 | 80 | |
| 2006-07 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 11.6 | 884 | 76 | |
| 2005-06 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 10.5 | 826 | 79 | |
| 2004-05 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 11.5 | 861 | 75 | |
| 2003-04 | Jason Kidd | New Jersey Nets | 9.2 | 618 | 67 | |
| 2002-03 | Jason Kidd | New Jersey Nets | 8.9 | 711 | 80 | |
| 2001-02 | Andre Miller | Cleveland Cavaliers | 10.9 | 882 | 81 | |
| 2000-01 | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 9.8 | 753 | 77 | |
| 1999-00 | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 10.1 | 678 | 67 | |
| 1998-99 | Jason Kidd | Phoenix Suns | 10.8 | 539 | 50 | |
| 1997-98 | Rod Strickland | Washington Wizards | 10.5 | 801 | 76 | |
| 1996-97 | Mark Jackson | Denver Nuggets / Indiana Pacers | 11.4 | 935 | 82 | |
| 1995-96 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 11.2 | 916 | 82 | |
| 1994-95 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 12.3 | 1,011 | 82 | |
| 1993-94 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 12.6 | 1,031 | 82 | |
| 1992-93 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 12.0 | 987 | 82 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Assists Per Game |
Total Assists | Games | |
| 1991-92 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 13.7 | 1,126 | 82 | |
| 1990-91 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 14.2 | 1,164 | 82 | |
| 1989-90 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 14.5 | 1,134 | 78 | |
| 1988-89 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 13.6 | 1,118 | 82 | |
| 1987-88 | John Stockton | Utah Jazz | 13.8 | 1,128 | 82 | |
| 1986-87 | Magic Johnson | |
Los Angeles Lakers | 12.2 | 977 | 80 |
| 1985-86 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 12.6 | 907 | 72 | |
| 1984-85 | Isiah Thomas | Detroit Pistons | 13.9 | 1,123 | 81 | |
| 1983-84 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 13.1 | 875 | 67 | |
| 1982-83 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 10.5 | 829 | 79 | |
| 1981-82 | Johnny Moore | San Antonio Spurs | 9.6 | 762 | 79 | |
| 1980-81 | Kevin Porter | Washington Bullets | 9.1 | 734 | 81 | |
| 1979-80 | Micheal Ray Richardson | New York Knicks | 10.1 | 832 | 82 | |
| 1978-79 | Kevin Porter | Detroit Pistons | 13.4 | 1,099 | 82 | |
| 1977-78 | Kevin Porter | Detroit Pistons / New Jersey Nets | 10.2 | 837 | 82 | |
| 1976-77 | Don Buse | Indiana Pacers | 8.5 | 685 | 81 | |
| 1975-76 | Slick Watts | Seattle Supersonics | 8.1 | 661 | 82 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Assists Per Game |
Total Assists | Games | |
| 1974-75 | Kevin Porter | Washington Bullets | 8.0 | 650 | 81 | |
| 1973-74 | Ernie DiGregorio | Buffalo Braves | 8.2 | 663 | 81 | |
| 1972-73 | Tiny Archibald | Kansas City-Omaha Kings | 11.4 | 910 | 80 | |
| 1971-72 | Jerry West | |
Los Angeles Lakers | 9.7 | 747 | 77 |
| 1970-71 | Norm Van Lier | Cincinnati Royals | 10.1 | 832 | 82 | |
| 1969-70 | Lenny Wilkens | Seattle Supersonics | 9.1 | 683 | 75 | |
| 1968-69 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 9.8 | 772 | 79 | |
| 1967-68 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | 8.6 | 702 | 82 | |
| 1966-67 | Guy Rodgers | Chicago Bulls | 11.2 | 908 | 81 | |
| 1965-66 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 11.1 | 847 | 76 | |
| 1964-65 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 11.5 | 861 | 75 | |
| 1963-64 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 11.0 | 868 | 79 | |
| 1962-63 | Guy Rodgers | San Francisco Warriors | 10.4 | 825 | 79 | |
| 1961-62 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 11.4 | 899 | 79 | |
| 1960-61 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals | 9.7 | 690 | 71 | |
| 1959-60 | Bob Cousy | |
Boston Celtics | 9.5 | 715 | 75 |
| 1958-59 | Bob Cousy | |
Boston Celtics | 8.6 | 557 | 65 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Assists Per Game |
Total Assists | Games | |
| 1957-58 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 7.1 | 463 | 65 | |
| 1956-57 | Bob Cousy | |
Boston Celtics | 7.5 | 478 | 64 |
| 1955-56 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 8.9 | 642 | 72 | |
| 1954-55 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 7.8 | 557 | 71 | |
| 1953-54 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 7.2 | 518 | 72 | |
| 1952-53 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 7.7 | 547 | 71 | |
| 1951-52 | Andy Phillip | Philadelphia Warriors | 8.2 | 539 | 66 | |
| 1950-51 | Andy Phillip | Philadelphia Warriors | 6.3 | 414 | 66 | |
| 1949-50 | Dick McGuire | New York Knicks | 5.7 | 386 | 68 | |
| 1948-49 | Bob Davies | Rochester Royals | 5.4 | 321 | 60 | |
| 1947-48 | Howie Dallmar | Philadelphia Warriors | 2.5 | 120 | 48 | |
| 1946-47 | Ernie Calverley | Providence Steamrollers | 3.4 | 202 | 59 |