NBA Single-Season Total Assists Record Progression
Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.
The NBA single-season total assists record is 1,164, set by John Stockton in 1990. It has stood for 35 years. The mark has been raised 12 times since 1951.
Record Holders
13 marks since 1951| Year | Player | AST | Stood for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 |
 John Stockton
|
1,164 | still standing |
| 1989 |
John Stockton
|
1,134 | 1 year |
| 1987 |
John Stockton
|
1,128 | 2 years |
| 1984 |
 Isiah Thomas
|
1,123 | 3 years |
| 1978 | Kevin Porter | 1,099 | 6 years |
| 1972 |
 Nate Archibald
|
910 | 6 years |
| 1966 |
 Guy Rodgers
|
908 | 6 years |
| 1961 |
 Oscar Robertson
|
899 | 5 years |
| 1959 |
 Bob Cousy
|
715 | 2 years |
| 1955 |
Bob Cousy
|
642 | 4 years |
| 1954 |
Bob Cousy
|
557 | 1 year |
| 1952 |
Bob Cousy
|
547 | 2 years |
| 1951 |
 Andy Phillip
|
539 | 1 year |
The earliest marks here are records only in the sense that nobody had done better yet. Season length, schedule and the rules themselves have all changed, so a figure from the 1870s is not comparable with a modern one and is not offered as though it were.