Basketball like most other sports is a game full of statistics. These numbers give us key insights on how well a team and individual players are performing. One of the most popular statics and one that is often talked about is an assist. So, you might be wondering what is an assist in basketball?
An assist is a statistic recorded when one player passes the ball to another player that directly leads to a made field goal. For example, if player A passes the ball to player B and player B immediately makes a three point shot, player A would be credited with an assist. Official assists are decided by the scorekeepers who determine if a pass meets the criteria of an assist.
Now that we have discussed what is consider an assist in basketball, let’s talk more about what it really means and how assists are actually determined.
Basketball Assists
To get a better idea of what exactly assist is and how it is determined let’s take a look at both the NBA and NCAA basketball statistical manual.
The NBA statistician’s manual says an assist should be “credited to a player tossing the last pass leading directly to a field goal, only if the player scoring the goal responds by demonstrating immediate reaction to the basket.” (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The NCAA statistician’s manual says something very similar: “A player is credited with an assist when the player makes, in the judgment of the statistician, the principal pass contributing directly to a field goal (or an awarded score of two or three points).
Only one assist is to be credited on any field goal and only when the pass was a major part of the play. The same player cannot be credited with an assist and a field goal made on the same possession”. (Source: NCAA Stat Manual)
Both of these descriptions sound pretty straightforward. An assist is a pass made that directly influences a shooter who scores. However, when trying to apply these simple definitions to a fast paced game it can often be challenging and sometimes very subjective.
There are not specific details within the guidelines that state how many steps shooters can make after receiving a pass; how many pivot moves can be taken’ nothing about shot fakes and no specific rules on how much time can elapse between the pass and the made shot.
Statisticians make a lot of judgment calls and will ultimately determine if an assist was made or not. To help you get a better idea of what is consider an assist and what is not here are a few examples.
What Counts as an Assist? (Examples)
- John makes a great pass to James who is wide open and makes a three-pointer. John would be credited with an assist.
- Maya makes a pass to her team mate who is wide open down the floor who then makes a layup. Maya would be credited with an assist.
- Kyrie passes to Kevin who drives to the basket and dunks the basketball, because the pass directly influenced the made field goal Kyrie would be awarded an assist.
What is Not an Assist (Examples)
- Allen makes an incredible pass to John for an easy layup but John misses the basket. No assist would be awarded because the field goal was not made.
- James throws a pass to himself off the backboard, then dunks the basketball. James would be credited with FGA and FGM, but will not be granted an assist.
- Durant passes to Allen. The ball is deflected by a defender and is caught by Williams who is open for a layup. No one would be credited with an assist
Why are Assists Important in Basketball?
One of the most important and well known stats that is tracked in basketball is an assist. You might be wondering why are assists so important for basketball teams and players? Assists are an important statistic because of its direct relationship to points that are scored.
A true assist is when a pass directly influences a made field goal. The more assists or shots that are made because of a good pass the more likely a team is going to win the game.
More assists equal more points which often results in more basketball games won. Shooting percentage also increases when a player makes a key pass that makes their team mates shots easier to make.
Most Assists in an NBA Game
There are certain NBA games and individual performances where players do something that no NBA player has ever done before.
Scott Skiles did just that when he dished out 30 assist during a victory over the Denver Nuggets in 1990 setting the record for the most assist during a single NBA game.
Over the years there have been several other record setting performances. Here is a look at the single game assist leaders since the 1983-84 season.
NBA Single Game Assist Leaders
| Rank | Player | Assists # |
| 1 | Scott Skiles | 30 |
| 2 | John Stockton | 28 |
| 3 | John Stockton | 27 |
| 4 | John Stockton | 26 |
| 5 | Rajon Rondo | 25 |
| 6 | Jason Kidd | 25 |
| 7 | Kevin Johnson | 25 |
| 8 | Nate McMillan | 25 |
| 9 | Isiah Thomas | 25 |
| 10 | Russell Westbrook | 24 |
Source: Basketball Reference
Who Has the Most Career Assists
Being on the all-time list for most career assist is something that many NBA players strive for but few end up achieving. So who has the most career NBA assists of all time?
John Stockton has the most career assists of all time and recorded 15,806 over the span of his NBA career. He has 3,715 more assist than Jason Kidd who as the second most assist of all-time with 12,091. John Stockton also averaged 10.51 assist per game and played in 1,504 gamers during his career.
However, Magic Johnson averaged 11.19 assists per game which is the record for the highest assist percentage in NBA history.
Here are the top ten NBA all-time assist leaders and how much they averaged per game:
NBA All-Time Assists Leaders
| Rank | Player | Number of Assists |
| 1 | John Stockton | 15,806 |
| 2 | Jason Kidd | 12,091 |
| 3 | Steve Nash | 10,335 |
| 4 | Mark Jackson | 10,334 |
| 5 | Magic Johnson | 10,141 |
| 6 | Oscar Robertson | 9,887 |
| 7 | Chris Paul | 9,691 |
| 8 | Lebron James | 9,380 |
| 9 | Isiah Thomas | 9,061 |
| 10 | Gary Payton | 8,966 |
Source: ESPN
NBA All-Time Assists Leaders (Average)
| Rank | Player | Assist Average |
| 1 | Magic Johnson | 11.19 |
| 2 | John Stockton | 10.51 |
| 3 | Oscar Robertson | 9.51 |
| 4 | Chris Paul | 9.46 |
| 5 | Isiah Thomas | 9.26 |
| 6 | John Wall | 9.22 |
| 7 | Kevin Johnson | 9.13 |
| 8 | Jason Kidd | 8.69 |
| 9 | Steve Nash | 8.49 |
| 10 | Russell Westbrook | 8.33 |
Source: Land of Basketball
Basketball Assists Q&A
Are assists good in basketball? An assist in basketball is a good indication of an overall team and individual performance level. The more assists a player or team has the better they are performing and the more points they are scoring.
Do assists count as points in basketball? Assists do not count as points in basketball. However, in order for an assist to be recorded a player does have to pass the ball to another player who must immediately score.
How many dribbles can you take for an assist? The NBA’s definition of an assists clearly states that assists are a subjective stat. “An assist is a pass that directly leads to a basket”. As long as the last players’ pass directly contributed to the made basket than an assist can be awarded regardless of how many dribble were made. This is a judgement call made by the statistician.
Final Thoughts
Assists are in important stat that is recorded at all competitive basketball games. They are often used as an indicator to tell us how well an overall team and individual players are performing. Assist are an important part of the game of basketball and is one that every team strives to excel at.