NBA Career Steal Total Comparison (All-Time Leaders)
NBA all-time steal leaders, from Stockton 3265 down to Iverson 1983. Basketball Reference totals with linked converter tool. See all 15 thieves listed here.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Stockton Top row here. Pairs 15806 dimes. | 3,265 steals | 1984-2003 Jazz | Basketball-Reference career steals #1 + ESPN: Stockton 3265 |
| Chris Paul Active. Passed Kidd. | 2,728 steals | 2005-2026 active | Basketball-Reference career steals #2: Paul 2728 |
| Jason Kidd Hall of Fame. | 2,684 steals | 1994-2013 | Basketball-Reference career steals #3: Kidd 2684 |
| Michael Jordan Best per game here. | 2,514 steals | 1984-2003, 1072 games | Basketball-Reference career steals #4: Jordan 2514 |
| Gary Payton The Glove. | 2,445 steals | 1990-2007 | Basketball-Reference career steals #5: Payton 2445 |
| LeBron James Active. Will pass Payton. | 2,417 steals | 2003-2026 active | Basketball-Reference career steals #6: James 2417 |
| Maurice Cheeks Philly blur. | 2,310 steals | 1978-93 | Basketball-Reference career steals #7: Cheeks 2310 |
| Scottie Pippen Three behind Cheeks. | 2,307 steals | 1987-2004 | Basketball-Reference career steals #8: Pippen 2307 |
| Clyde Drexler NBA only row. | 2,207 steals | 1983-98 NBA only | Basketball-Reference NBA list: Drexler 2207 (combined 2272 with ABA) |
| Hakeem Olajuwon Center steals record. | 2,162 steals | 1984-2002 | Basketball-Reference career steals #10: Olajuwon 2162 |
| Alvin Robertson Quadruple double man. | 2,112 steals | 1984-96 | Basketball-Reference career steals: Robertson 2112 |
| Karl Malone Power forward thief. | 2,085 steals | 1985-2004 | Basketball-Reference career steals: Malone 2085 |
| Mookie Blaylock Hawk hawk. | 2,075 steals | 1989-2002 | Basketball-Reference career steals: Blaylock 2075 |
| Russell Westbrook Active and moving. | 2,038 steals | 2008-2026 active | Basketball-Reference career steals #14: Westbrook 2038 |
| Allen Iverson Lowest row here. Next Harper 1957. | 1,983 steals | 1996-2010 | Basketball-Reference career steals #15: Iverson 1983 |
About this converter
Regular season steals run 1,983 to 3,265 since tracking began in 1973-74. Stockton leads with 3,265, Paul active at 2,728, Kidd at 2,684, Jordan at 2,514, Payton at 2,445, James active at 2,417, Cheeks at 2,310, Pippen at 2,307, Drexler at 2,207 NBA only, Olajuwon at 2,162 as the center record, Robertson at 2,112, Malone at 2,085, Blaylock at 2,075, Westbrook active at 2,038 and Iverson at 1,983. Drexler combined with ABA reaches 2,272, but NBA only rows here. Paul passed Kidd while James nears Payton.
How to use it
Pick two thieves and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Stockton against Iverson to see the one point six to one gap. Switch to thousands for whole career math.
Playoff steals stay out, matching Basketball-Reference tables. Pre-1974 legends never logged steals, so Russell and Wilt stay out entirely. Jordan owns the best per game rate among the top five. Harper at 1,957 and Kobe at 1,944 wait past the cut. Hand checking rule changes shaped steal rates across eras.
FAQ
Who has the most steals ever?
John Stockton with 3,265. Pairs his 15,806 assist record.
Are Paul and LeBron still adding?
Yes. Both were active through 2026 reports.
Why no Russell or Wilt?
Steals tracked only since 1973-74. Earlier stars never logged any.
Are playoff steals included?
No. Regular season totals per Basketball-Reference tables.
Sources
- Basketball-Reference career steals leaders (Stockton 3265 through Iverson 1983)
- ESPN NBA steals history leaders + Land of Basketball totals (cross-check)
Last verified: 2026-10-01 · 15 entries
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