Most Steals in NBA History

John Stockton holds the NBA record for the most career steals, with 3,265 collected over 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz from 1984 to 2003. His total sits nearly 600 steals clear of anyone else, one of the largest margins for any major record in the sport.

Steals reward anticipation, quick hands and defensive instinct, the traits that turn defense into instant offense. While the assist and scoring lists draw more attention, the steals leaderboard is a tribute to the game’s great disruptors. Here is the full leaderboard of the NBA’s best ball-hawks, the careers behind the numbers, and why Stockton’s mark is so hard to reach. All figures are as of the 2025 season.

The record holder: John Stockton and 3,265 steals

Stockton spent his entire career with the Jazz, and his defense was every bit as relentless as his passing. He led the league in steals twice and averaged more than two per game across 19 seasons, pairing pickpocket timing with the durability that let him keep accumulating them long after most guards slow down.

The scale of his lead is what sets the record apart. At nearly 600 steals ahead of second place, Stockton’s total would require a player to average two steals a game for close to two decades just to threaten it, which is why it ranks among basketball’s safest records.

The full leaderboard of career steals leaders

The table below ranks the NBA’s all-time career steals leaders. Active players are noted.

Rank	Steals	Player	Career
1	3,265	John Stockton	1984-2003
2	2,700+*	Chris Paul	2005-present
3	2,684	Jason Kidd	1994-2013
4	2,514	Michael Jordan	1984-2003
5	2,445	Gary Payton	1990-2007
6	2,310	Maurice Cheeks	1978-1993
7	2,307	Scottie Pippen	1987-2008
8	2,207	Clyde Drexler	1983-1998
9	2,162	Hakeem Olajuwon	1984-2002
10	2,112	Alvin Robertson	1984-1996

*Chris Paul is active; his total is current through the 2025 season and still climbing.

The list is a who’s who of great two-way players, from perimeter stoppers like Gary Payton and Scottie Pippen to Hakeem Olajuwon, the only center in the top 10, whose quick hands made him a rare shot-blocking and steal-generating force.

Chris Paul, Jason Kidd and the chase

Chris Paul has passed Jason Kidd into second place, a fitting reward for one of the craftiest defensive point guards of his era. Yet even Paul, still active, remains roughly 500 steals behind Stockton, a gap that underlines how far ahead the record holder is. Jason Kidd’s 2,684, built across a Hall of Fame career, held second for years before Paul overtook him, mirroring their order on our most assists in NBA history leaderboard.

Michael Jordan and the two-way greats

Michael Jordan is the highest-ranked non-point guard on the list, a reminder that he was an elite defender as well as the game’s greatest scorer, a case explored on our most points in NBA history leaderboard. His 2,514 steals, alongside Gary Payton’s and Scottie Pippen’s totals, show how the best perimeter defenders turned takeaways into a signature part of their games.

Why the record matters

The career steals record honors defense, anticipation and longevity, the quiet skills that swing possessions and win games without filling a highlight reel. Stockton’s 3,265 stands as the definitive measure of NBA ball-hawking, and its huge margin over the field suggests it will remain there for a long time. That he holds both the steals and assists records makes him arguably the most complete floor general the league has produced.

The short version: John Stockton holds the NBA career steals record with 3,265, nearly 600 ahead of second place. Chris Paul, still active, is second, with Jason Kidd (2,684) and Michael Jordan (2,514) next. Stockton’s mark, from a 19-year career in Utah, has stood since 2003 and looks secure through the 2025 season.