Dallas Mavericks icon Jason Kidd names the greatest passer in NBA history

Before becoming head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, Jason Kidd was one of the most accomplished players in the league across nearly two decades. During his career, he won an NBA title and earned numerous individual accolades, establishing himself as one of the most influential point guards of all time. Now, he has revealed who he believes is the greatest passer in league history.

Kidd made the comments during an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, where he was asked to name, in his opinion, the best passer of all time. “Best passer. I’m gonna go with (John) Stockton,” he said after pausing briefly to think.

Explaining what made the Utah Jazz legend so special, Jason was clear. “I think the bounce pass, he had big hands, could take it off the dribble, could pause with it. Some would say it’s maybe double-dribble,” the Mavericks coach joked. “I think he knew how to manipulate the ball off the dribble and being able to find his target and he had some pretty good targets.”

That joke led Patrick to ask: “When did carrying become legal in the NBA?” The former point guard, again with a smile, replied: “In 1960. It’s always been a part of the game.” The host continued on that theme. “Now you can have the hand on the bottom of the ball and then go…” (he mimicked an upward motion with his hand). “Was it (Allen) Iverson who started it?”

Jason again thought for a moment and gave his take. “I don’t think it was Iverson. I think it’s the guy we were just talking about. If you look at Stockton, he knew how to manipulate the dribble,” said the NBA champion with Dallas in 2011. “Was he dirty?” Dan Patrick asked about Stockton. “He was smart,” Kidd replied with another grin.

The case for John Stockton

It’s no surprise that Jason Kidd named John Stockton as the greatest passer of all time. After being selected by the Utah Jazz with the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft—the same class that featured Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon—the point guard gradually earned his spot until solidifying his role in the 1987–88 season.

Starting that year, Stockton averaged more than 10 assists per game for a full decade, earning nine straight NBA assists titles from 1988 through 1996. That’s not all—he still holds the record for most assists in a single season (1,164 in 1990–91) and the highest assists-per-game average for a season (14.54 in 1989–90).

Those numbers make John Stockton the NBA’s all-time assists leader by a wide margin. The point guard totaled 15,806 assists over his 19-year career with the Jazz. In second place is Chris Paul, who currently sits at 12,499, making him the top active player in that category.

Jason Kidd was an elite passer, too

For years, Jason Kidd was the closest challenger to John Stockton in the assist rankings—until Chris Paul passed him during the 2024–25 season. In his 19 NBA seasons, the legendary point guard totaled 12,091 assists across stints with the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, and New York Knicks.

That figure places Kidd third on the all-time list, behind only Stockton and Paul. In addition, the two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA led the NBA in assists five times—1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, and 2004. With the exception of his final title, all those seasons overlapped with Stockton’s career, which further underscores Kidd’s remarkable consistency and skill.