5 NBA players with the most assists in the 21st century

#3 Steve Nash - 9,444 assists

Steve Nash cheers on at Los Angeles Lakers v Phoenix Suns, Game 6

Steve Nash is known for his playmaking ability. An extremely orthodox game style based on the use of the pick-and-roll, Steve Nash found his bigs with a precision that was hard to match.

Often known for his time with the Phoenix Suns, Nash ran the pick-and-roll to perfection with his teammate, Amare Stoudemire. The two wreaked havoc in the Western Conference, challenging Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers in the playoffs. He also ranks at third in the NBA's all-time assists leader with 10,335 assists.

Steve Nash is a two-time MVP. He led the Phoenix Suns to the Western Conference Finals in the 2004-05 season. With the playing style fit for the quintessential point guard, Steve Nash enters in at third on this list.

ICYMI... Check out the TOP 10 ASSISTS of @SteveNash's illustrious career!https://t.co/GGRkyrmNRB

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2015

#2 LeBron James - 9,696 assists

LeBron James directs traffic at the Minnesota Timberwolves v Los Angeles Lakers matchup

LeBron James consistently enters the conversation for the greatest of all time. There are many reasons for this. While he is also the third highest scorer of all time, LeBron is also amongst the top 10 in the NBA's all-time assist leaders, ranking eighth.

LeBron has always been a gifted playmaker, as seen from his early days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. It is only with time that he has developed this aspect of his game and gradually turned into a point-forward. Essentially with a similar playing style to Magic Johnson from the LA Lakers, LeBron has a knack for finding his shooters in tight corners and wing players on dives to the rim.

“He’s gonna go down as one of the all-time great scorers, and it’s his SECOND best skill…His PASSING is truly magical.”- Jeff Van Gundy on LeBron James pic.twitter.com/nhuxQ3lZRw

— LeBron History 🏀 (IG: @lbjhistory) (@bronhistory) August 30, 2021

With his height and build, he is already a matchup nightmare for guards at his position. LeBron also led the league in assists in the 2019-20 season with 10.2 assists per game. Taking on more playmaking duties with the Lakers, LeBron James enters second place on this list.

#1 Chris Paul - 10,275 assists

Chris Paul in conversation with head coach, Monty Williams.

Chris Paul is one of the most gifted point guards of this era. With an elite ability to handle the ball and a genius level basketball IQ, Chris Paul is often referred to, by many, as a "point god."

Chris Paul routinely makes use of pick-and-roll situations to create opportunities for his team to score. Its most effective form was seen in his time with the LA Clippers when he was paired alongside Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. The style of creating alley-oop situations by making defenses wary of players rolling off the screen and then lobbing it up to the big man in the dunker's spot under the rim led to the nickname "Lob City."

In his current campaign with the Phoenix Suns, Chris Paul brought veteran leadership and a holistic skillset. With the innate ability to run both halfcourt sets, as well as the quickness to run the fastbreak without making mistakes, Paul is always a threat on the offense. His ability to create off the dribble and get his own bucket also makes defenses that much more likely to commit to him while straying off of teammates.

Given Chris Paul's ingenuity with the ball in his hands and his ability to do as he demands, he tops the list with over 10,000 assists under his belt.

Congrats to @CP3 of the @Suns for moving up to 10th on the #NBAPlayoffs ASSISTS list! #ThatsGame pic.twitter.com/NVSj5HQETu

— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2021