Former NBA center and current ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins revealed his list of the greatest passers in NBA history.
While Perkins did show the Los Angeles Lakers love on his list, he had two Laker greats listed behind players.
Perkins had Magic Johnson behind Utah Jazz legend John Stockton, and he also placed LeBron James behind Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
Top passers in NBA history (Via @KendrickPerkins on "NBA Today")
1. John Stockton
2. Magic Johnson
3. Nikola Jokic
4. LeBron James
5. Rajon Rondo#NBATwitter https://t.co/KxYZxafzsH pic.twitter.com/l9wSKPiJLa— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) August 16, 2022
Perkins is entitled to his opinion, and while some Lakers fans may not like his take on Stockton over Johnson, it is one that is hard to argue with.
Stockton is the NBA’s all-time assist leader with 15,806 in his career. Stockton averaged 10.5 assists per game in his career and had a nine-year stretch where he led the NBA in assists per game in each season.
There’s no doubt that Magic Johnson was an unbelievable passer, as he finished his career averaging 11.2 assists per game. However, Johnson’s career was cut short and cost him a chance to lead the NBA in assists all-time.
As for the James and Jokic debate, it’s really hard to compare the two players. Jokic is an unbelievably gifted passer at the center position. However, James has shown that he can play just about any position and still facilitate an offense.
Jokic’s passing ability has helped him win back-to-back MVP awards, and he averages 6.2 assists per game for his career. He has plenty of highlight-reel passes as well.
James averages 7.4 assists per game for his career, and he’s been insanely consistent, averaging at least 6.0 assists per game in every season since his sophomore campaign.
Perkins may have his own list, but there is certainly room for Lakers fans to argue for their favorite players based on their career numbers.
