Before 1999-00, John Stockton had the most assists, with 13,087 assists.

Interpreted as:

NBA most assists by a player through 1999

	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	13,087	1,176	32.4	13.4	2.7	11.1	2.3	0.2	4.8	9.2	51.9	0.6	1.5	38.4	3.3	4.0	82.3	61.1	0.6	2.0	3.0	38,094	15,791	3,145	2,701	239	3,472	3,163	+1460
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	7,924	926	32.3	10.8	4.1	8.6	1.4	0.1	4.2	9.2	45.3	0.5	1.6	31.8	2.0	2.6	76.8	52.4	1.1	3.0	2.6	29,932	10,027	3,807	1,309	95	2,451	1,687	+574
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	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
12	Terry Porter T. Porter	6,483	1,054	29.2	13.3	3.1	6.2	1.4	0.1	4.6	10.0	46.5	1.0	2.7	37.8	3.0	3.5	83.9	57.5	0.6	2.5	2.3	30,769	13,973	3,316	1,436	145	2,377	1,947	+270
13	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
14	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
15	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
16	Muggsy Bogues M. Bogues	6,422	806	29.4	8.0	2.7	8.0	1.6	0.0	3.3	7.3	45.9	0.1	0.4	27.1	1.2	1.5	82.1	50.6	0.6	2.1	1.7	23,664	6,448	2,180	1,302	35	1,370	1,460	-43
17	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
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	Rod Strickland R. Strickland	6,204	771	33.0	15.0	4.1	8.0	1.7	0.2	5.6	12.1	46.1	0.2	0.7	29.4	3.6	5.0	71.8	52.4	1.2	2.9	2.9	25,432	11,572	3,176	1,303	162	2,232	1,565	+160
20	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
21	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
22	Tim Hardaway T. Hardaway	5,925	660	37.3	19.4	3.6	9.0	1.9	0.2	7.2	16.3	44.2	1.7	4.8	35.3	3.4	4.3	77.8	53.5	0.7	2.9	3.1	24,613	12,826	2,362	1,223	109	2,051	1,643	+1224
23	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
24	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
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