Before 1998-99, John Stockton had the most assists, with 12,713 assists.

Interpreted as:

NBA most assists by a player through 1998

	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	12,713	1,126	32.6	13.5	2.7	11.3	2.3	0.2	4.8	9.3	52.0	0.6	1.5	38.5	3.3	4.0	82.3	61.3	0.6	2.0	3.0	36,684	15,238	2,999	2,620	226	3,362	3,056	+1156
2	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
3	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
4	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
5	Mark Jackson M. Jackson	7,538	877	32.6	11.0	4.1	8.6	1.4	0.1	4.2	9.3	45.5	0.5	1.5	31.8	2.0	2.6	76.6	52.4	1.2	3.0	2.7	28,550	9,654	3,623	1,267	92	2,352	1,629	+378
6	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
7	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
8	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
9	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
10	Kevin Johnson K. Johnson	6,687	729	34.2	18.0	3.3	9.2	1.5	0.2	6.2	12.5	49.2	0.2	0.7	30.4	5.4	6.4	84.0	58.5	0.7	2.6	3.1	24,948	13,087	2,388	1,080	176	2,251	1,535	+305
11	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
12	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
13	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
14	Derek Harper D. Harper	6,390	1,154	31.8	13.6	2.4	5.5	1.7	0.3	5.3	11.3	46.4	0.9	2.5	35.3	2.2	2.9	74.5	53.8	0.6	1.8	2.0	36,666	15,697	2,817	1,913	300	2,282	2,689	-278
15	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
16	Terry Porter T. Porter	6,337	1,004	29.3	13.4	3.2	6.3	1.4	0.1	4.7	10.1	46.5	1.0	2.7	37.6	3.0	3.6	83.9	57.4	0.6	2.5	2.3	29,404	13,448	3,176	1,388	134	2,303	1,850	+170
17	Muggsy Bogues M. Bogues	6,288	770	29.8	8.1	2.7	8.2	1.6	0.0	3.4	7.4	45.9	0.1	0.4	27.6	1.2	1.5	82.0	50.5	0.6	2.1	1.7	22,950	6,265	2,107	1,259	34	1,323	1,416	-33
18	Jerry West J. West	6,238	932	39.2	27.0	5.8	6.7	2.6	0.7	9.7	20.4	47.4				7.7	9.4	81.4	55.0	1.0	2.8		36,571	25,192	5,376	81	23		2,435
19	Clyde Drexler C. Drexler	6,125	1,086	34.6	20.4	6.1	5.6	2.0	0.7	7.7	16.3	47.2	0.8	2.4	31.8	4.3	5.5	78.8	54.7	2.4	3.7	2.7	37,537	22,195	6,677	2,207	719	2,977	3,285	+434
20	John Havlicek J. Havlicek	6,114	1,270	36.6	20.8	6.3	4.8	1.2	0.3	8.3	18.8	43.9				4.2	5.2	81.5	49.2	1.5	3.5	2.5	46,471	26,395	8,007	476	117	204	3,281
21	Rod Strickland R. Strickland	5,770	727	32.7	15.0	4.1	7.9	1.7	0.2	5.6	12.0	46.5	0.2	0.7	29.5	3.6	5.0	71.6	52.6	1.2	2.8	2.9	23,800	10,882	2,964	1,227	157	2,090	1,474	+178
22	Larry Bird L. Bird	5,695	897	38.4	24.3	10.0	6.3	1.7	0.8	9.6	19.3	49.6	0.7	1.9	37.6	4.4	5.0	88.6	56.4	2.0	8.0	3.1	34,443	21,791	8,974	1,556	755	2,816	2,279
23	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar K. Abdul-Jabbar	5,660	1,560	36.8	24.6	11.2	3.6	0.9	2.6	10.2	18.1	55.9	0.0	0.0	5.6	4.3	6.0	72.1	59.2	2.4	7.6	2.7	57,446	38,387	17,440	1,160	3,189	2,527	4,657
24	Tim Hardaway T. Hardaway	5,573	612	37.3	19.6	3.6	9.1	1.9	0.2	7.3	16.3	44.5	1.7	4.7	35.2	3.4	4.4	77.7	53.7	0.8	2.9	3.1	22,841	11,991	2,210	1,166	103	1,920	1,541	+989
25	Dennis Johnson D. Johnson	5,499	1,100	32.7	14.1	3.9	5.0	1.3	0.6	5.3	11.9	44.5	0.1	0.5	17.2	3.4	4.3	79.7	51.1	1.3	2.5	2.4	35,954	15,535	4,249	1,477	675	2,448	3,087