A full list of NBA players with 2,000 or more career steals

A stat first recorded in the 1973-74 season, there have been 14 players in NBA history to record at least 2,000 steals in regular season play.

With the 2026-27 NBA season underway, myself and many other fans are in awe of LeBron James’ continued durability as he plays in his 24th NBA season.

While his recent moves of embracing prediction markets and taking helicopters to commute to games in Philadelphia is a notable stain on his off-the-court legacy, James continues to be a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood as he still adds on to his illustrious career.

James is near the top on virtually all cumulative NBA leaderboards, and steals is no exception – a stat where the all-time record is a likely unbreakable figure from Utah Jazz legend John Stockton, who retired with 3,265 career steals. Chris Paul, the next-closest player to Stockton, wrapped up his playing days with 2,728 thefts.

As for LeBron, the NBA icon appears to be in solid position to pass Gary “The Glove” Payton to move into the top five all-time this year at over 2,400 steals, with a bit of a steeper hill to climb to reach 2,500 and Michael Jordan’s career-finishing mark of 2,514.

Steals were first recorded in the NBA in 1973-74, and have since become one of the five basic counting stats that are tracked for each player in each game, alongside points, rebounds, assists and blocks. While agile, defensive-minded guards often fare well on the steals leaderboards, several big men have racked up plenty of steals as well – with Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone standing out as two big men known for their swiping ability. Olajuwon and Malone are the only center and power forward to reach 2,000 career steals, respectively.

Throughout league history since the stat has been tracked, 14 different players have cracked the 2,000-steal milestone – while a whopping 184 players have recorded at least 1,000 career steals, showing the longevity and durability required to reach the lofty benchmark.

LeBron James is the only active player to have eclipsed 2,000 steals thus far, with Cavaliers guard James Harden currently just over 200 steals away from becoming the 15th player to hit the milestone. Mike Conley, Paul George, Stephen Curry and Jrue Holiday are the other active players to have recorded at least 1,500 steals.

As the regular season kicks into full swing, here’s a look at the 14 players to reach 2,000 or more career steals in the NBA:

1. John Stockton (Utah Jazz): 3,265 steals
2. Chris Paul (New Orleans Hornets*, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs): 2,728 steals
3. Jason Kidd (Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks): 2,684 steals
4. Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards): 2,514 steals
5. Gary Payton (Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat): 2,445 steals
6. LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers): 2,421 steals
7. Maurice Cheeks (Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, New Jersey Nets): 2,310 steals
8. Scottie Pippen (Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers): 2,307 steals
9. Clyde Drexler (Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets): 2,207 steals
10. Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets, Toronto Raptors): 2,162 steals
11. Alvin Robertson (San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors): 2,112 steals
12. Karl Malone (Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers): 2,085 steals
13. Mookie Blaylock (New Jersey Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors): 2,075 steals
14. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings): 2,038 steals