Who has the most steals in NBA history?

The NBA has seen some accomplished defenders take up the court, ranging from yesteryear greats like Hakeem Olajuwon to modern legends like Chris Paul. Both of these players feature in the top-10 list for the most steals in NBA history, which is predominantly dominated by forwards and guards.

With Chris Paul currently chasing the summit for the title for most steals, fans might be wondering – who has the most steals in NBA history?

Which player leads has racked up the most number of steals in the history of the NBA?

Utah Jazz and NBA legend John Stockton leads the NBA in steals, with 3265 steals to his name. He is the leader by some margin, as Jason Kidd, who is second on the list, has 2684 steals.

Michael Jordan (2514), Gary Payton (2445) and Chris Paul (2332) round up the top-five. Paul is the only active player on the list and probably the only one with an outside chance of surpassing Payton on the list. Paul is currently 36-years-old, and is locked in a first-round playoff battle with the LA Lakers and LeBron James, who is 13th in the steals category.

John Stockton played for the Utah Jazz for 19 seasons, earning 10-time All-Star, 11-time All-NBA and 5-time All-Defensive team honors. He led the league in steals twice, in the 1988-89 season and the 1991-92 season. Stockton was the assist champion in a whopping 9 NBA campaigns, setting the goal standard for point guard play for years to follow.

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However, Stockton could never lift the elusive Larry O’Brien trophy, as he was denied by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. John Stockton, along with his partner-in-crime power forward Karl Malone, led the Utah Jazz to consecutive NBA finals in 1997 and 1998. However, they ultimately fell short as the Bulls won their 5th and 6th championships.

Stockton eventually ended his career with the Utah Jazz at the end of the 2002-2003 season, becoming one of the few star players to have played for a single franchise throughout his playing stint. He averaged a scintillating stat line of 13 points, 10.5 assists and 2.2 steals on 51.5% shooting from the field.

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