Westbrook Makes History: Soars Past Oscar Robertson for 8th Most All-Time Assists

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In a standout moment during the Denver Nuggets’ 129-93 win against the Utah Jazz on Friday night, Russell Westbrook made history by passing two NBA icons. He moved ahead of Oscar Robertson to claim the eighth spot on the all-time assists list and surpassed Kobe Bryant for sixteenth in all-time steals.

With 10:44 left in the second quarter, Westbrook intercepted a pass from Brice Sensabaugh, marking his 1,945th career steal. Shortly after, he assisted Zeke Nnaji for a dunk—his 9,888th career assist.

This achievement isn’t Westbrook’s first time overtaking Robertson in significant statistical rankings. On May 10, 2021, he achieved his 182nd career triple-double, making him the NBA’s all-time leader in that category, a record Robertson held for 47 years.

In his 17th season in the NBA, Westbrook continues to fill the stat sheet. Now predominantly coming off the bench, he is averaging 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.4 steals in his inaugural season with the Nuggets.

Congratulations to @russwest44 of the @nuggets for reaching 8th place on the all-time ASSIST leaderboard! https://t.co/hmISw4HNgY pic.twitter.com/sxbsuAiaol

— NBA (@NBA) March 29, 2025