Chris Paul is undoubtedly a Hall of Famer in the NBA, with an impeccable career that continues with the Los Angeles Clippers. While he has yet to win a championship, Paul has been rewarded with revolutionary play, mastering the classic point guard role while respecting certain statistical benchmarks and records—one of which belongs to Utah Jazz legend John Stockton.
Speaking recently with Ben Golliver of The Washington Post, Paul didn’t hesitate to set the record straight. The record in question is the NBA’s all-time assists mark, held by Stockton—a feat that may never be matched.
“I don’t like saying never, but ain’t nobody catching that. I don’t know who the statistician was who used to do the stats in Utah, but ain’t nobody catching that,” Paul said. Stockton’s record isn’t just impressive—it’s superhuman. He finished his career with 15,806 assists, nearly 3,300 more than Paul, who ranks second all-time with 12,515.
The top assist leaders in NBA history
What makes the list even more impressive is that only three players in the top 10 are still active, meaning it could be decades before anyone approaches Stockton’s record. Here’s the top 10 all-time assist leaders in the NBA:
Utah Jazz legend John Stockton
- John Stockton – 15,806 assists
- Chris Paul (active) – 12,515 assists
- Jason Kidd – 12,091 assists
- LeBron James (active) – 11,584 assists
- Steve Nash – 10,335 assists
- Mark Jackson – 10,334 assists
- Magic Johnson – 10,141 assists
- Russell Westbrook (active) – 9,944 assists
- Oscar Robertson – 9,887 assists
- Isiah Thomas – 9,061 assists
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Comparing Paul and Stockton
Stockton’s consistency is what makes his record untouchable. He played 19 seasons in the NBA, completing all 82 games in 15 of those seasons. That kind of durability is nearly impossible in today’s league, where load management, injuries, and shorter careers prevent players from accumulating such totals.
To even approach Stockton’s mark, a player would need to average 10 assists per game for 19 consecutive seasons without missing a single contest. That level of production and endurance is almost nonexistent in modern NBA play, where scoring-focused offenses dominate and pass-first point guards are rare.
Paul, in comparison, has averaged 9.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game over 21 seasons while maintaining career marks of 17.0 points and 2.0 steals. His longevity and consistency are remarkable, but even he remains thousands of assists short of Stockton’s legendary total.
