Pedro Oliveira
Nowadays, after scoring ability, the defensive level of players is perhaps one of the most valuable and sought-after characteristics in the entire league, with the large number of scorers that the league has developed in recent years. The art of defending and getting extra possessions, with easier opportunities to score, is one aspect that separates the great players from the regulars.
Here we present a list of the 5 players with more steals in the history of the NBA, and examine their career briefly.
Chris Paul
The current Phoenix Suns point guard is the only player still active on this list, with 36 years and 16 seasons under his belt, he is not only an incredibly capable and effective offensive player, defense is also one of his strong points, and when it comes to recovering possessions, his lifetime average of 2.1 is one of the most solid in the league, even more so when we take into account that he averages only 2.2 personal fouls per game.
CP3 is ranked fifth in the NBA’s all-time steals ranking, with 2397 total steals, with the possibility of continuing to move up the ranks. Paul has led the league 6 times in this category, something no one else has accomplished in his career.
Gary Payton
Considered the best defensive point guard in history, the second overall pick in the 1990 draft is also the most iconic player of Seattle’s absent SuperSonics franchise. Payton led the franchise in points, assists and steals during his existence, and spent 13 seasons wearing his uniform.
In addition to this, he has been the only player at his position to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, when he achieved it in the 1995-1996 season (averaging 19.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 2.9 steals per game).
With 9 All-Star Game selections and a championship ring won with the Miami Heat in 2006, Payton ranks fourth all-time in NBA history in steals with 2445.
Michael Jordan
MJ was not only an outstanding player offensively, but he was also a torment to his opponents defensively.
With Defensive Player of the Year honors for his 1987-1988 season (where he averaged 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game), and 3 steals championships in his 15-year NBA career, Jordan possesses a defensive facet that is hard to appreciate for what a legendary offensive player he was.
The shooting guard ranks third all-time in steals, stealing possession from his opponents a total of 2514 times.
Jason Kidd
Although Kidd never stood out as a defensive specialist, perhaps it is because he was so complete in other areas of his game that these took the lion’s share of the attention. But the point guard was one of the most capable and consistent defenders during his time in the league, which is why he is so high in this ranking.
Jason accumulated 2684 steals during his 19-year career, finishing with an average of 1.9 steals per game. He also earned 9 NBA All-Defensive Team selections.
Kidd is the sign that without out-of-the-ordinary numbers, it is also possible to showcase the great defensive skills that a player brings to the table throughout his career.
1.- John Stockton
And if we’re going to talk about consistency, there’s no better example than the Utah Jazz’s ageless point guard. Stockton had a 19-year career in which he only missed a total of 22 games, while averaging 2.2 steals per game during the 1504 games he played in his NBA career.
Stockton was one of the most difficult players on defense, to the point of being considered by several teammates at the time as the second-dirtiest player in the league behind Dennis Rodman. Accumulating 3265 steals, he is the NBA player with the most steals in history, and by far.
Stockton never won a championship but his career and numbers will be extremely difficult to replicate or even surpass. Add in 10 All-Star Game appearances, 9 assists championships, 2 steals championships, and 11 All-NBA team selections, coming close to having a career like John’s would be a resounding success for any player.
