Magic Johnson stands alone as the best assist-man in Lakers history.
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers boast an impressive all-time leaderboard when it comes to assists among other statistical categories. One of the league’s greatest facilitators called Los Angeles home for his entire career and that is why Magic Johnson leads Lakers in assists all-time.
Magic Johnson was one of a kind, especially for his era. At 6-foot-9 with fluid athleticism, Johnson could handle all five positions on the floor but was at his best as a point guard. Magic led won the assists title in four different seasons and topped out in 1984 with 13.1 assists per game. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in assists per game at 11.19 APG and the highlight reels of his on-court wizardry are a must-watch for any NBA fan.
Bryant was best known for his remarkable scoring ability, clutch performances and defensive prowess but his passing ability should not be brushed aside. Bryant never had an elite season in terms of assists totals but he consistently averaged around 5.0 assists per game over his 20-year career which allowed him to pile up a strong final number of helpers.
Mr. Clutch could take over the game in a number of ways and his passing was a strong suit. West was more of a pure scorer earlier in his career when he was routinely averaging upwards of 30 points per game and just over 5.0 assists per game. From 1969 to 1973, West became more of a facilitator and averaged 8.5 assists per game in that span. He even won the assist title in 1972.
The Magic-Kobe-West trifecta stands as a tier of its own on the Lakers’ assists leaderboard but Nixon was the next-best thing in that regard. Stormin’ Norman averaged 7.9 assists per game during his six-year stint with the Lake Show and was a key part of two championship teams. He once dropped 19 assists in a game against the Knicks in 1978, his personal best while with the Lakers.
Cooper rounds out the Lakers’ Top 5 assists leaders list as he racked up well over 3,000 assists during his time in Inglewood. He played all 12 of his NBA seasons in Purple and Gold and was a valuable contributor off the bench during his tenure. Cooper topped out with 5.9 assists per game in the 1984 season, the first of three seasons in which he averaged at least 5.0 assists per game.
