Before 2015-16, John Stockton had the most assists, with 15,806 assists.

Interpreted as:

most career assists by a player before 2016

	NAME	AST	GP	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	PTS	REB	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	+/-
1	John Stockton J. Stockton	15,806	1,504	31.8	13.1	2.7	10.5	2.2	0.2	4.7	9.1	51.5	0.6	1.5	38.4	3.2	3.9	82.6	60.8	0.6	2.1	2.8	47,764	19,711	4,051	3,265	315	4,244	3,942	+2941
2	Jason Kidd J. Kidd	12,091	1,391	36.0	12.6	6.3	8.7	1.9	0.3	4.5	11.2	40.0	1.4	4.1	34.9	2.2	2.8	78.5	50.7	1.3	5.0	2.9	50,111	17,529	8,725	2,684	450	4,003	2,572	+3868
3	Steve Nash S. Nash	10,335	1,217	31.3	14.3	3.0	8.5	0.7	0.1	5.2	10.6	49.0	1.4	3.2	42.8	2.5	2.8	90.4	60.5	0.5	2.5	2.9	38,069	17,387	3,642	899	102	3,478	1,982	+5043
4	Mark Jackson M. Jackson	10,334	1,296	30.2	9.6	3.8	8.0	1.2	0.1	3.7	8.3	44.7	0.6	1.7	33.2	1.7	2.2	77.0	52.2	1.0	2.8	2.4	39,121	12,489	4,963	1,608	117	3,155	2,230	+402
5	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	10,141	906	36.7	19.5	7.2	11.2	1.9	0.4	6.9	13.2	52.0	0.4	1.2	30.3	5.5	6.5	84.8	61.0	1.8	5.5	3.9	33,245	17,707	6,559	1,724	374	3,506	2,050
6	Oscar Robertson O. Robertson	9,887	1,040	42.2	25.7	7.5	9.5	1.1	0.1	9.1	18.9	48.5				7.4	8.8	83.8	56.4	1.0	3.0		43,886	26,710	7,804	77	4		2,931
7	Isiah Thomas I. Thomas	9,061	979	36.3	19.2	3.6	9.3	1.9	0.3	7.3	16.2	45.2	0.4	1.4	29.0	4.1	5.4	75.9	51.6	1.0	2.6	3.8	35,516	18,822	3,478	1,861	249	3,682	2,971
8	Gary Payton G. Payton	8,966	1,335	35.3	16.3	3.9	6.7	1.8	0.2	6.5	14.0	46.6	0.8	2.7	31.7	2.4	3.4	72.9	52.8	1.0	2.9	2.3	47,117	21,813	5,269	2,445	285	3,030	3,217	+1928
9	Andre Miller A. Miller	8,437	1,265	31.5	12.8	3.8	6.7	1.2	0.2	4.7	10.3	46.0	0.2	0.7	21.7	3.2	3.9	80.7	53.2	1.1	2.7	2.4	39,807	16,134	4,744	1,530	227	3,084	2,836	+778
10	Rod Strickland R. Strickland	7,987	1,094	30.7	13.2	3.7	7.3	1.5	0.2	5.0	10.9	45.4	0.2	0.6	28.2	3.1	4.4	72.1	51.6	1.1	2.7	2.6	33,634	14,463	4,084	1,616	215	2,862	2,048	-270
11	Maurice Cheeks M. Cheeks	7,392	1,101	31.6	11.1	2.8	6.7	2.1	0.3	4.5	8.5	52.3	0.1	0.2	25.5	2.1	2.7	79.3	57.2	0.6	2.2	2.1	34,845	12,195	3,088	2,310	294	2,268	2,258
12	Lenny Wilkens L. Wilkens	7,211	1,077	35.3	16.5	4.7	6.7	1.3	0.2	5.7	13.3	43.2				5.0	6.5	77.4	51.1	0.8	2.0		38,064	17,772	5,030	174	26		3,285
13	Terry Porter T. Porter	7,160	1,274	27.8	12.2	3.0	5.6	1.2	0.1	4.3	9.2	46.3	1.0	2.6	38.6	2.7	3.2	83.6	57.6	0.6	2.5	2.1	35,354	15,586	3,872	1,583	181	2,666	2,203	+1405
14	Tim Hardaway T. Hardaway	7,095	867	35.3	17.7	3.3	8.2	1.6	0.1	6.5	15.1	43.1	1.8	5.0	35.5	2.9	3.8	78.2	53.0	0.6	2.7	2.9	30,626	15,373	2,855	1,428	129	2,481	2,027	+1691
15	Bob Cousy B. Cousy	6,955	924	35.3	18.4	5.2	7.5			6.7	17.8	37.5				5.0	6.2	80.3	44.6				30,165	16,960	4,786				2,242
16	Chris Paul C. Paul	6,950	699	36.2	18.7	4.4	9.9	2.3	0.1	6.6	13.9	47.4	1.1	2.9	36.4	4.4	5.2	86.1	57.8	0.7	3.7	2.4	25,305	13,060	3,070	1,641	69	1,683	1,724	+2886
17	Guy Rodgers G. Rodgers	6,917	892	32.1	11.7	4.3	7.8			4.6	12.2	37.8				2.4	3.4	72.1	42.6				28,663	10,415	3,791				2,630
18	Muggsy Bogues M. Bogues	6,726	889	28.6	7.7	2.6	7.6	1.5	0.0	3.2	7.0	45.8	0.1	0.4	27.8	1.2	1.4	82.7	50.6	0.6	2.0	1.6	25,429	6,858	2,318	1,369	39	1,433	1,582	-40
19	Kevin Johnson K. Johnson	6,711	735	34.1	17.9	3.3	9.1	1.5	0.2	6.1	12.5	49.3	0.2	0.7	30.5	5.4	6.4	84.1	58.5	0.7	2.6	3.1	25,061	13,127	2,404	1,082	176	2,258	1,541	+348
20	Derek Harper D. Harper	6,577	1,199	31.5	13.3	2.4	5.5	1.6	0.3	5.2	11.2	46.3	0.9	2.5	35.4	2.1	2.9	74.5	53.7	0.6	1.8	1.9	37,786	16,006	2,884	1,957	304	2,334	2,755	-353
21	Nate Archibald N. Archibald	6,476	876	35.6	18.8	2.3	7.4	1.1	0.1	6.7	14.4	46.7	0.1	0.3	22.4	5.3	6.6	81.0	54.3	0.5	1.6	2.7	31,159	16,481	2,046	719	81	1,123	2,002
22	Stephon Marbury S. Marbury	6,471	846	37.7	19.3	3.0	7.6	1.2	0.1	6.8	15.7	43.3	1.2	3.6	32.5	4.5	5.7	78.4	52.8	0.7	2.3	3.0	31,891	16,297	2,516	1,022	121	2,547	2,014	-1016
23	John Lucas J. Lucas	6,454	928	27.5	10.7	2.3	7.0	1.4	0.1	4.2	9.4	44.9	0.4	1.2	30.3	2.0	2.6	77.6	50.9	0.5	1.8	2.1	25,556	9,951	2,151	1,273	73	1,803	1,691
24	Reggie Theus R. Theus	6,453	1,026	33.7	18.5	3.3	6.3	1.2	0.2	6.9	14.6	47.1	0.3	1.0	25.2	4.5	5.5	82.6	54.5	1.2	2.1	3.4	34,603	19,015	3,349	1,206	236	3,493	3,008
25	Norm Nixon N. Nixon	6,386	768	35.5	15.7	2.6	8.3	1.5	0.1	6.8	14.1	48.3	0.2	0.6	29.4	2.0	2.6	77.2	51.7	0.6	2.0	3.1	27,250	12,065	1,991	1,187	71	2,368	1,983