Between the 1979-80 and 1988-89 seasons, Maurice Cheeks got the most steals, with 1,768 steals.

Interpreted as:

NBA most steals by a player in the 1980s

	NAME	STL	GP	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	BLK	TOV	PF
1	Maurice Cheeks M. Cheeks	1,768	771	33.9	12.6	3.0	7.5	2.3	0.3	5.1	9.6	52.9	0.1	0.2	25.0	2.5	3.1	79.4	57.8	0.7	2.3	2.3	26,174	9,744	2,284	5,781	260	1,777	1,736
2	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	1,464	716	36.9	19.5	7.4	11.2	2.0	0.4	7.1	13.3	53.0	0.2	0.7	23.9	5.2	6.2	83.4	60.6	1.9	5.6	3.9	26,417	13,943	5,303	8,025	310	2,800	1,685
3	Micheal Ray Richardson M. Ray Richardson	1,363	484	35.9	16.1	5.8	7.6	2.8	0.4	6.7	14.5	46.0	0.3	1.2	22.0	2.5	3.6	70.1	50.1	1.9	4.0	3.5	17,371	7,784	2,823	3,686	188	1,713	1,671
4	Isiah Thomas I. Thomas	1,338	635	36.7	20.3	3.7	9.8	2.1	0.3	7.7	16.7	46.3	0.3	1.2	27.8	4.4	5.8	76.1	52.5	1.0	2.7	3.8	23,276	12,862	2,372	6,220	181	2,437	2,105
5	Larry Bird L. Bird	1,300	717	38.4	25.0	10.2	6.1	1.8	0.8	9.8	19.6	50.3	0.6	1.7	37.7	4.6	5.3	88.0	57.0	2.2	8.0	3.2	27,560	17,899	7,319	4,396	603	2,261	1,906
6	Fat Lever F. Lever	1,287	557	32.4	14.5	6.0	6.9	2.3	0.3	5.9	13.1	45.3	0.1	0.6	27.0	2.5	3.2	76.6	49.9	1.9	4.1	2.1	18,065	8,059	3,330	3,847	166	1,181	1,398
7	Rickey Green R. Green	1,140	669	27.2	10.8	2.2	6.5	1.7	0.1	4.3	9.1	47.9	0.0	0.2	21.2	2.0	2.5	82.2	53.0	0.5	1.6	1.9	18,200	7,208	1,448	4,346	41	1,272	1,102
8	T.R. Dunn	1,131	768	25.5	5.2	4.8	1.8	1.5	0.3	2.1	4.6	46.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.4	72.2	50.4	1.9	2.9	0.9	19,610	4,016	3,700	1,416	216	661	1,735
9	Alvin Robertson A. Robertson	1,128	389	32.2	16.2	5.4	5.4	2.9	0.5	6.6	13.7	48.2	0.2	0.6	26.8	2.8	3.7	75.4	52.7	2.1	3.3	3.0	12,525	6,285	2,087	2,094	204	1,148	1,336
10	Clyde Drexler C. Drexler	1,101	478	33.0	19.8	5.9	5.6	2.3	0.7	7.8	15.9	49.2	0.1	0.6	23.0	4.0	5.1	78.0	54.5	2.7	3.2	2.9	15,777	9,484	2,798	2,677	320	1,367	1,544
11	Julius Erving J. Erving	1,081	602	34.1	22.0	6.4	3.8	1.8	1.6	8.7	17.0	51.1	0.1	0.3	26.1	4.6	5.9	77.4	56.2	2.5	3.9	2.9	20,506	13,263	3,861	2,282	983	1,770	1,621
12	Dennis Johnson D. Johnson	1,055	783	34.9	15.3	3.9	5.6	1.3	0.6	5.7	12.9	44.6	0.1	0.6	18.0	3.7	4.5	81.9	51.4	1.2	2.7	2.5	27,325	11,954	3,078	4,381	456	1,976	2,265
13	Darwin Cook D. Cook	1,044	612	23.1	9.5	2.1	3.7	1.7	0.3	4.1	8.9	45.3	0.1	0.5	19.6	1.3	1.7	76.4	49.0	0.7	1.4	1.8	14,156	5,820	1,308	2,248	203	1,122	1,315
14	Gus Williams G. Williams	1,034	511	33.6	18.7	2.6	6.8	2.0	0.3	7.6	16.5	46.1	0.2	0.9	23.8	3.2	4.3	74.8	50.6	1.0	1.6	2.5	17,149	9,540	1,329	3,464	176	1,267	916
15	Johnny Moore J. Moore	985	467	27.7	10.2	3.2	8.1	2.1	0.2	4.2	9.0	46.3	0.2	0.7	25.3	1.7	2.3	71.5	50.8	0.8	2.4	2.4	12,914	4,772	1,496	3,784	113	1,124	1,270
16	Reggie Theus R. Theus	968	787	33.7	18.7	3.4	6.7	1.2	0.2	6.9	14.5	47.4	0.2	0.9	23.0	4.7	5.7	82.7	54.9	1.2	2.2	3.4	26,545	14,729	2,671	5,239	171	2,712	2,313
17	Michael Cooper M. Cooper	965	790	27.6	9.1	3.2	4.4	1.2	0.6	3.6	7.5	47.6	0.5	1.4	34.3	1.5	1.8	82.9	54.9	0.9	2.4	1.7	21,777	7,208	2,542	3,451	487	1,337	2,122
18	Michael Jordan M. Jordan	962	345	39.0	32.6	6.2	5.9	2.8	1.2	11.9	23.3	51.3	0.2	0.8	20.2	8.6	10.1	84.8	58.9	1.9	4.3	3.3	13,442	11,263	2,129	2,046	411	1,150	1,085
19	Ray Williams R. Williams	962	493	29.5	16.2	3.8	5.9	2.0	0.4	6.3	13.9	45.0	0.2	0.8	23.7	3.5	4.4	81.1	51.3	1.3	2.5	3.2	14,542	8,001	1,870	2,912	174	1,572	1,680
20	John Stockton J. Stockton	948	410	27.6	10.6	2.2	9.6	2.3	0.2	3.8	7.3	52.7	0.1	0.5	25.9	2.8	3.4	82.3	60.4	0.6	1.7	2.6	11,296	4,340	920	3,941	65	1,052	1,142
21	Dudley Bradley D. Bradley	940	600	17.0	5.2	1.8	1.9	1.6	0.3	2.0	4.6	44.0	0.2	0.6	29.2	1.0	1.3	73.0	50.0	0.5	1.3	1.1	10,192	3,131	1,098	1,147	182	682	1,220
22	Allen Leavell A. Leavell	929	700	23.2	9.5	1.7	4.8	1.3	0.2	3.6	8.1	45.0	0.2	0.9	23.4	2.1	2.5	83.4	52.0	0.4	1.2	1.9	16,248	6,684	1,164	3,339	120	1,324	1,489
23	Jim Paxson J. Paxson	918	712	28.2	15.1	2.1	3.0	1.3	0.1	6.1	12.2	50.0	0.1	0.6	22.4	2.7	3.4	80.6	55.0	0.7	1.4	1.5	20,074	10,739	1,516	2,163	88	1,090	1,327
24	Gerald Henderson G. Henderson	908	775	23.1	9.7	1.8	3.9	1.2	0.1	3.8	8.1	47.3	0.2	0.7	32.4	1.8	2.3	77.6	53.1	0.7	1.1	1.9	17,904	7,479	1,365	2,995	95	1,501	1,813
25	Mike Woodson M. Woodson	905	710	26.6	14.8	2.4	2.5	1.3	0.4	5.9	12.5	47.1	0.2	0.6	27.1	2.9	3.5	81.6	52.7	0.9	1.6	1.8	18,878	10,523	1,737	1,741	259	1,270	1,729