NBA Players with the Highest Steal Averages in Their 3rd Season

Explore the NBA players who delivered the best stats ever in a 3rd NBA season, ranked by regular season steals per game. See how the all-time greats compare in this top-50 historical list.

Year:

3rd

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Show: Season - Playoffs / Other Stats

Other Stats

Steals Per Game

3-Pointers Made Per Game

Total

Which NBA player averaged the most steals in the Regular Season in his 3rd year?

Playing for the 1987 San Antonio Spurs, Alvin Robertson averaged 3.2 steals in 81 games — the highest steals per game average by any NBA player in his 3rd season.

Steals Per Game, 3rd Season

3.2 spg
Alvin Robertson
(1987 San Antonio Spurs)

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

Steals Per Game in a Player's 3rd Season - Top 50

Regular Season

		Steals			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	3pm
1	Alvin Robertson (1987 Spurs)	3.2	260	81	17.7	5.2	5.2	0.4	0.2
2	Slick Watts (1976 Supersonics)	3.2	261	82	13.0	4.5	8.1	0.2	-
3	Dyson Daniels (2025 Hawks)	3.0	229	76	14.1	5.9	4.4	0.7	1.1
4	Micheal Ray Richardson (1981 Knicks)	2.9	232	79	16.4	6.9	7.9	0.4	0.3
5	Michael Jordan (1987 Bulls)	2.9	236	82	37.1	5.2	4.6	1.5	0.1
6	Eddie Jordan (1980 Nets)	2.7	223	82	13.3	3.3	6.8	0.3	0.1
7	Chris Paul (2008 Hornets)	2.7	217	80	21.1	4.0	11.6	0.1	1.2
8	Larry Steele (1974 Trail Blazers)	2.7	217	81	9.7	3.8	4.0	0.4	-
9	Magic Johnson (1982 Lakers)	2.7	208	78	18.6	9.6	9.5	0.4	0.1
10	Clyde Drexler (1986 Trail Blazers)	2.6	197	75	18.5	5.6	8.0	0.6	0.2

		Steals			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	3pm
11	Scottie Pippen (1990 Bulls)	2.6	211	82	16.5	6.7	5.4	1.2	0.3
12	Metta World Peace (2002 more than 1 team)	2.6	141	55	13.2	4.9	2.3	0.7	1.0
13	Johnny Moore (1983 Spurs)	2.5	194	77	12.2	3.6	9.8	0.4	0.1
14	Michael Phelps (1988 Clippers)	2.5	5	2	4.5	1.0	1.5	0.0	0.0
15	Isiah Thomas (1984 Pistons)	2.5	204	82	21.3	4.0	11.1	0.4	0.3
16	Randy Smith (1974 Braves)	2.5	203	82	15.5	3.8	4.7	0.0	-
17	Fat Lever (1985 Nuggets)	2.5	202	82	12.8	5.0	7.5	0.4	0.1
18	M.L. Carr (1979 Pistons)	2.5	197	80	18.7	7.4	3.3	0.6	-
19	Eric Murdock (1994 Bucks)	2.4	197	82	15.3	3.2	6.7	0.1	0.8
20	Maurice Cheeks (1981 76ers)	2.4	193	81	9.4	3.0	6.9	0.5	0.0

		Steals			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	3pm
21	Darwin Cook (1983 Nets)	2.4	194	82	13.2	2.9	5.5	0.6	0.1
22	Eddie Jones (1997 Lakers)	2.4	189	80	17.2	4.1	3.4	0.6	1.9
23	Mookie Blaylock (1992 Nets)	2.4	170	72	13.8	3.7	6.8	0.6	0.2
24	Gus Williams (1978 Supersonics)	2.3	185	79	18.1	3.2	3.7	0.5	-
25	Derrick Walton Jr. (2022 Pistons)	2.3	7	3	6.3	3.3	7.0	1.3	1.0
26	Ricky Rubio (2014 Timberwolves)	2.3	191	82	9.5	4.2	8.6	0.1	0.5
27	David Robinson (1992 Spurs)	2.3	158	68	23.2	12.2	2.7	4.5	0.0
28	Cason Wallace (2026 Thunder)	2.3	58	25	8.4	3.1	2.4	0.2	1.5
29	Allen Iverson (1999 76ers)	2.3	110	48	26.8	4.9	4.6	0.1	1.2
30	Doc Rivers (1986 Hawks)	2.3	120	53	11.5	3.1	8.4	0.2	0.0

		Steals			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	3pm
31	Ron Harper (1989 Cavaliers)	2.3	185	82	18.6	5.0	5.3	0.9	0.4
32	Jason Kidd (1997 more than 1 team)	2.3	124	55	10.9	4.5	9.0	0.4	1.1
33	Hersey Hawkins (1991 76ers)	2.2	178	80	22.1	3.9	3.7	0.5	1.4
34	Jim Price (1975 more than 1 team)	2.2	111	50	16.1	4.0	5.7	0.5	-
35	Gary Payton (1993 Supersonics)	2.2	177	82	13.5	3.4	4.9	0.3	0.1
	John Stockton (1987 Jazz)	2.2	177	82	7.9	1.8	8.2	0.2	0.1
37	Ricky Sobers (1978 Pacers)	2.2	170	79	18.2	4.1	7.4	0.3	-
38	Baron Davis (2002 Hornets)	2.1	172	82	18.1	4.3	8.5	0.6	2.1
39	Ben Simmons (2020 76ers)	2.1	119	57	16.4	7.8	8.0	0.6	0.0
40	Nate McMillan (1989 Supersonics)	2.1	156	75	7.1	5.2	9.3	0.6	0.2

		Steals			Other stats
Rk	Player (Team)	Per Game	Total	Gms	Pts	Reb	Ast	Blk	3pm
41	Micheal Williams (1991 Pacers)	2.1	150	73	11.1	2.4	4.8	0.2	0.0
42	Muggsy Bogues (1990 Hornets)	2.0	166	81	9.4	2.6	10.7	0.0	0.1
43	Michael Adams (1988 Nuggets)	2.0	168	82	13.9	2.7	6.1	0.2	1.7
44	Phil Chenier (1974 Bullets)	2.0	155	76	21.9	5.1	3.1	0.9	-
45	Lester Conner (1985 Warriors)	2.0	161	79	8.1	3.1	4.7	0.2	0.1
46	Ray Williams (1980 Knicks)	2.0	167	82	20.9	5.0	6.2	0.3	0.1
47	Tim Hardaway (1992 Warriors)	2.0	164	81	23.4	3.8	10.0	0.2	1.6
48	Penny Hardaway (1996 Magic)	2.0	166	82	21.7	4.3	7.1	0.5	1.1
49	Rod Strickland (1991 Spurs)	2.0	117	58	13.8	3.8	8.0	0.2	0.2
50	Wilbur Holland (1978 Bulls)	2.0	164	82	16.6	3.6	3.8	0.2	-
	Andre Iguodala (2007 76ers)	2.0	152	76	18.2	5.7	5.7	0.4	0.6
	Randy Livingston (1999 Suns)	2.0	2	1	12.0	2.0	3.0	0.0	0.0
	Rodrick Rhodes (2000 Mavericks)	2.0	2	1	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	0.0