NBA Single-Season Steals per Game Record Progression
Every season that raised the bar, and the leader in every season between.
The NBA single-season steals per game record is 3.7, set by Alvin Robertson in 1985. It has stood for 40 years. The mark has been raised 4 times since 1973.
Record Holders
5 marks since 1973| Year | Player | SPG | Stood for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 |
 Alvin Robertson
|
3.7 | still standing |
| 1976 |
 Don Buse
|
3.5 | 9 years |
| 1975 |
 Slick Watts
|
3.2 | 1 year |
| 1974 |
 Rick Barry
|
2.9 | 1 year |
| 1973 |
 Larry Steele
|
2.7 | 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.