From there, Jackson experienced a career as somewhat of a journeyman — albeit a supremely talented one — with stints on the Indiana Pacers (twice), Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz, and Houston Rockets.Beyond the assists and the coaching, Jackson is also notable for prompting a rule change, sometimes referred to as the “Mark Jackson Rule,” in which offensive players are only allowed to back down a defense player with their back-to-the-basket for five seconds before incurring a penalty. This article provides two lists: A list of National Basketball Association players … Johnson was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.Unfortunately for Johnson, the problems surrounding his announcement that he had contracted HIV impacted the limitless potential he could have had in the statistical record books. NBA High Tops: Gary Payton Best Assists.
But does this new group of pass-first players have what it takes to overcome the greatest passers in NBA history? Magic Johnson, arguably the greatest point guard in NBA history, sits atop the leaderboard for most playoff career assists. Still, Nash’s 10,335 career assists put him at the number three all-time leader in assists, but for a player that has often been favorably compared to John Stockton, it’s disappointing that injuries prevented Nash from rising to his sky-high potential.Jason Kidd was one of the most balanced players to ever play the game, as a strength in rebounding on top of scoring and passing made him a regular triple-double threat. In second, is Utah Jazz … Jackson is also well-known for the use of a tear drop which has become an increasingly popular tool in recent years for smaller guards to shoot over a larger defenders.The Most recent active assist leader to wind up on the all time list, Steve Nash was chosen with the fifteenth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns, but struggled with low playing time due to playing behind established point guards Kevin Johnson, Sam Cassell, and later, Jason Kidd.But after being traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 1998, Nash’s potential was quickly made apparent as his numbers rose to elite levels before his return to the Suns in 2004, where he put up the best numbers of his career en route to two NBA MVP Awards as the floor general for the fast-paced Suns.Officially retired after an injury-filled stint with the Los Angeles Lakers that everyone would rather forget, Nash never managed to climb to the very top of the all-time assist leaders, which once seemed very possible.
Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980 and is considered one of the greatest players to ever play the game.Despite Robertson’s remarkable consistency as a scorer, rebounder, and passer, he still managed to lead the league in assists during seven different seasons. In second, is Utah Jazz … Here’s a list of the top eight career assist-leaders of all time for a sense of the tall climb these younger players have in front of them if they wish to be among the best ever.Starting off the list is Gary Payton, nicknamed “The Glove” — a name he acquired after playing lockdown defense on Kevin Johnson in the 1993 Western Conference Finals, which lead to his cousin telling Payton he was ”holding Johnson like a baseball in a glove.” Chosen with the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, Payton would soon establish himself as one of the greatest defense point guards to ever play the game, becoming the only point guard to ever win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.Payton is also a one-time NBA champion, a nine-time all-star, a nine-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on September 8, 2013.Payton is often considered one of the greatest all-around point guards to ever play the game — something that is evidenced by his rank at number eight on the all-time career assists list with 8,966 along with 21,813 points, good for number thirty on the all-time scoring list. Despite several lost seasons and retirements, not to mention the impact of the illness both physically and emotionally, Johnson still managed to dish out 10,141 career assists, good for number five on the all-time list. Chosen with the second overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft, Thomas would earn a bid to the 1982 NBA All-Star Game and would be instrumental in building up the Pistons as championship contenders in the late 1980s.During a career that spanned from 1981 to 1994 — entirely as a member of the Pistons — Thomas racked up 9,061 career assists en route to two NBA championships, an NBA Finals MVP, and twelve all-star appearances.
During a career that spanned from 1981 to 1994 — entirely as a member of the Pistons — Thomas racked up 9,061 career assists en route to two NBA championships, an NBA Finals MVP, and twelve all-star appearances. Want to know the NBA's top 25 all-time assists leaders? Additionally, Payton also ranks number four on the list of career steal leaders with 2,445 — just below Michael Jordan.Isiah Lord Thomas III, nicknamed “Zeke,” is considered one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game as a member of a championship Detroit Pistons team, nicknamed the “Motor City Bad Boys” for their physically aggressive, defense-oriented group of players.
This was due to Jackson’s penchant for backing down opposing point guards for a majority of the shot clock. NBA & ABA Career Playoff Leaders and Records for Assists. On top of his legendary assist total, Stockton’s steal total — 3,265 — is also good for number one by a huge margin and is possibly even tougher to break than his assist total.© Copyright 2020 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved.