NBA Players with the Highest Assist Averages in Their Rookie Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 1st NBA season, ranked by regular season assists per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

1st

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Show: Season - Playoffs / Other Stats

Other Stats

Assists Per Game

3-Pointers Made Per Game

Total

Which NBA player averaged the most assists in the Regular Season in his rookie year?

Playing for the 1988 New York Knicks, Mark Jackson averaged 10.6 assists in 82 games — the highest assists per game average by any NBA player in his 1st season.

Assists Per Game, Rookie Season

10.6 apg
Mark Jackson
(1988 New York Knicks)

Note: No game minimums were used for this list / = NBA champion in this season.

Assists Per Game in a Player's Rookie Season - Top 50

Regular Season

		Assists			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Stl	Blk	3pm
1	Mark Jackson (1988 Knicks)	10.6	868	82	13.6	4.8	2.5	0.1	0.4
2	Oscar Robertson (1961 Royals)	9.7	690	71	30.5	10.1	-	-	-
3	Damon Stoudamire (1996 Raptors)	9.3	653	70	19.0	4.0	1.4	0.3	1.9
4	Tim Hardaway (1990 Warriors)	8.7	689	79	14.7	3.9	2.1	0.2	0.3
5	Phil Ford (1979 Kings)	8.6	681	79	15.9	2.3	2.2	0.1	-
6	Don Buse (1977 Pacers)	8.5	685	81	8.0	3.3	3.5	0.2	-
7	John Wall (2011 Wizards)	8.3	574	69	16.4	4.6	1.8	0.5	0.5
8	Ennis Whatley (1984 Bulls)	8.3	662	80	8.4	2.5	1.5	0.2	0.0
9	Nate McMillan (1987 Supersonics)	8.2	583	71	5.3	4.7	1.8	0.6	0.0
10	Brevin Knight (1998 Cavaliers)	8.2	656	80	9.0	3.2	2.5	0.2	0.0

		Assists			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Stl	Blk	3pm
11	Ricky Rubio (2012 Timberwolves)	8.2	336	41	10.6	4.2	2.2	0.2	0.8
12	Ernie DiGregorio (1974 Braves)	8.2	663	81	15.2	2.7	0.7	0.1	-
13	Ben Simmons (2018 76ers)	8.2	661	81	15.8	8.1	1.7	0.9	0.0
14	Jamaal Tinsley (2002 Pacers)	8.1	647	80	9.4	3.7	1.7	0.5	0.5
15	Trae Young (2019 Hawks)	8.1	653	81	19.1	3.7	0.9	0.2	1.9
16	Isiah Thomas (1982 Pistons)	7.8	565	72	17.0	2.9	2.1	0.2	0.2
17	Chris Paul (2006 Hornets)	7.8	611	78	16.1	5.1	2.2	0.1	0.6
18	Stephon Marbury (1997 Timberwolves)	7.8	522	67	15.8	2.7	1.0	0.3	1.5
19	Jason Kidd (1995 Mavericks)	7.7	607	79	11.7	5.4	1.9	0.3	0.9
20	Sherman Douglas (1990 Heat)	7.6	619	81	14.3	2.5	1.8	0.1	0.1

		Assists			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Stl	Blk	3pm
21	Zavier Simpson (2022 Thunder)	7.5	30	4	11.0	5.3	1.3	1.0	0.3
22	Ramon Sessions (2008 Bucks)	7.5	127	17	8.1	3.4	1.0	0.2	0.2
23	Allen Iverson (1997 76ers)	7.5	567	76	23.5	4.1	2.1	0.3	2.0
24	Magic Johnson (1980 Lakers)	7.3	563	77	18.0	7.7	2.4	0.5	0.1
25	Ja Morant (2020 Grizzlies)	7.3	488	67	17.8	3.9	0.9	0.3	0.9
26	Lonzo Ball (2018 Lakers)	7.2	376	52	10.2	6.9	1.7	0.8	1.7
27	Gary Grant (1989 Clippers)	7.1	506	71	11.9	3.4	2.0	0.1	0.1
28	Kenny Smith (1988 Kings)	7.1	434	61	13.8	2.3	1.5	0.1	0.2
29	Jacob Gilyard (2023 Grizzlies)	7.0	7	1	3.0	4.0	3.0	0.0	1.0
	RaiQuan Gray (2023 Nets)	7.0	7	1	16.0	9.0	0.0	1.0	2.0

		Assists			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Stl	Blk	3pm
31	Kelvin Ransey (1981 Trail Blazers)	6.9	555	80	15.2	2.4	1.1	0.1	0.0
32	Norm Nixon (1978 Lakers)	6.8	553	81	13.7	3.0	1.7	0.1	-
33	Kirk Hinrich (2004 Bulls)	6.8	517	76	12.0	3.4	1.3	0.3	1.9
34	Pooh Richardson (1990 Timberwolves)	6.8	554	82	11.4	2.6	1.6	0.3	0.3
35	Penny Hardaway (1994 Magic)	6.6	544	82	16.0	5.4	2.3	0.6	0.6
36	Steve Francis (2000 Rockets)	6.6	507	77	18.0	5.3	1.5	0.4	1.4
37	Mike Bibby (1999 Grizzlies)	6.5	325	50	13.2	2.7	1.6	0.1	0.3
	Elfrid Payton (2015 Magic)	6.5	533	82	8.9	4.3	1.7	0.2	0.1
39	Damian Lillard (2013 Trail Blazers)	6.5	531	82	19.0	3.1	0.9	0.2	2.3
40	T.J. Ford (2004 Bucks)	6.5	356	55	7.1	3.2	1.1	0.1	0.1

		Assists			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Stl	Blk	3pm
41	Gary Payton (1991 Supersonics)	6.4	528	82	7.2	3.0	2.0	0.2	0.0
42	Winston Garland (1988 Warriors)	6.4	429	67	12.4	3.4	1.7	0.1	0.2
43	Josh Giddey (2022 Thunder)	6.4	345	54	12.5	7.8	0.9	0.4	1.0
44	Derrick Rose (2009 Bulls)	6.3	512	81	16.8	3.9	0.8	0.2	0.2
45	Michael Carter-Williams (2014 76ers)	6.3	441	70	16.7	6.2	1.9	0.6	0.8
46	Isaiah Collier (2025 Jazz)	6.3	446	71	8.7	3.3	0.9	0.2	0.6
47	Norm Van Lier (1970 Royals)	6.2	500	81	9.5	5.0	-	-	-
48	Tyus Edney (1996 Kings)	6.1	491	80	10.8	2.5	1.1	0.0	0.7
49	LaMelo Ball (2021 Hornets)	6.1	313	51	15.7	5.9	1.6	0.4	1.8
50	Bobby Hurley (1994 Kings)	6.1	115	19	7.1	1.8	0.7	0.1	0.1

* The NBA began recording rebounds in 1951, steals and blocks in 1974, and added the 3-point line in 1980.