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When a defensive player forces a turnover by either pick-pocketing the ball from the ball-handler or deflecting a pass or dribble, he is said to have affected a steal. Dexterity and the ability to trace the path of the ball even before it has left the playmaker's hands is what ultimately leads to forcing a steal.
Usually, ball handlers with high basketball IQ are able to foretell the movements of the opposing team's ball movements and track them down to the last possession and play. Stealing the ball or deflecting it enough to force a turnover as well as avoiding body contact requires an elite level of adroitness. Suffocating the offence forces them to make lousy passes and/or take their eyes off the dribble, which eventually leads to transition buckets for the defensive side.
Steals are often overlooked in the clutter of throwdown dunks, swat-away blocks and long-range shooting in the fast-paced 48 minutes that basketball offers. Steals are risky in a sense that if not executed properly will leave the defender and his team looking helpless. There is no special formula or precise training involved in the art of stealing, it's just raw reflex and intuition hardwired into the playmaking fibre of naturally talented defenders.
Here are some of the all-time leaders in this particular field of defence. Let's pay them the attention and respect they so dearly deserve.
#10 Karl Malone - 2,085
Karl Malone is an unlikely entry into the top 10 all-time steals leaders, considering the fact that he stood 6 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 250 lbs, a body framework which does not resonate the agility required to steal the ball from the opposition.
He was a 3-time NBA All-defensive first team member(1997-99), averaging a career-high 1.9 steals per game in the 2001-02 season with the Utah Jazz. He was twice named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (1997 & 1999) and was named to the All-NBA first team a jaw-dropping 11 times.
In 2010, Malone was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
#9 Alvin Robertson - 2,112
Alvin Robertson was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the 7th pick in 1984 and went to play his first five seasons with the franchise, being named an All-star in 3 of those seasons. His stint with the Spurs is something worth remembering, as he led the NBA in steals in 1986 and 1987, was awarded the 'NBA's Defensive player of the year' in 1986 and was also the 'NBA's Most Improved Player' for the 1985-86 season.
He led the Spurs in steals four of the five seasons he was with the club, three times averaging more than three per game. His notched his career-best average of 3.7 steals per game in his iconic 1985-86 season. He has a career average of 2.7 steals per game, which tops the all-time average steals list of the NBA.
He is widely referred to as the 'Forgotten Legend' as his monstrous defensive presence on the court often goes unnoticed in modern-day conversations.
#8 Hakeem Olajuwon - 2,162
Olajuwon was drafted by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick of the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton.
His resume is stuffed with awards and accolades to the brim. Skimming through the top, we would see a 2-time NBA Champion, a 12-time All-star, NBA's regular season MVP for the 1993-94 season, a 2-time NBA Defensive Player of the year and a 2-time NBA Finals MVP. He played for the Houston Rockets for the major part of his career and led the team to a couple of NBA Championships. The Rockets franchise retired his #34 jersey as a sign of gratitude towards his invaluable contribution to Houston's legacy.
His tenacious defensive ability got him a career-high average of 2.7 steals per game in the 1988-89 season. Olajuwon ended his career in the top ten all-time in blocks, scoring, rebounding, and steals.
#7 Clyde Drexler - 2,207
Clyde "The Glide" Drexler was drafted 14th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 1983 NBA draft. Drexler led the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals in the 1989-90 season, averaging 26.4 points and 7.8 rebounds, but his team lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games. He got a ring eventually in 1995.
He has a total of 2,207 steals in his career, ranking 7th on the league's all-time steals list. Also, in 1992 he was selected to the US Men's basketball team for the Barcelona Olympics and so, has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice(for his individual career and as a member of the "Dream team").
In the 1991–92 season he made the All-NBA First Team(All-NBA second team in 1988 & 1991) and finished second to Michael Jordan in MVP voting. Having being named an All-Star on 10 occasions, Clyde's #22 jersey was retired by the Trailblazers organisation owing to his huge and everlasting presence on both ends of the court.
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#6 Scottie Pippen - 2,307
He was selected fifth overall in the 1987 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and traded to the Chicago Bulls. Pippen was a key contributor to the Bulls’ three consecutive NBA championships from 1991 to 1993, and, with Jordan’s retirement after the third title-winning season, Pippen became the primary star on the team. He ended his basketball career as a 7-time All-star & a 6-time NBA champion.
He averaged a stellar 2.9 steals per game in the 1994-95 season and led the league in steals. Scottie was also named in the NBA's All-defensive first team for 8 consecutive years starting from 1992 to 1999 and his 2,307 career steals are ranked 6th on the NBA's all-time steals list. Also, Pippen ranks 2nd on the all-time playoffs steals list with 395 steals in 208 postseason appearances.
An interesting fact about Pippen is that he is the only NBA player to have won an NBA title and Olympic gold medal in the same year twice (1992, 1996).
#5 Maurice Cheeks - 2,310
Cheeks played 15 years as a point guard in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers. His #10 jersey has been retired by the Philadelphia 76ers. Cheeks was well regarded for his unselfish team play and excellent defensive skills.
At the time of his retirement from the NBA in 1993, Cheeks was the NBA all-time leader in steals and currently ranks 5th with 2,310 career steals. In his rookie year, Cheeks averaged 4.1 steals per game in the 1979 NBA Playoffs, an NBA record for one playoff run.
Maurice won his solo NBA championship in 1983 with the Sixers, averaging 2.3 steals per game and was also a member of the NBA All-defensive first team for 4 years in a row from 1983-86. In 2001, he was hired as Portland Trail Blazers head coach. He led the team to two playoff berths in four years as coach, but could not get past the first round.
#4 Gary Payton - 2,445
Payton was the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and spent his first 12 and a half seasons with the Sonics.
Gary Payton was NBA's Defensive Player of the year in 1996, averaging an astounding 2.9 steals per game in the 1995-96 season. He led the league in steals in the very same season & became the only point guard in the league to win the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. He was a member of the NBA All-defensive First team for 9 years(1994-2002) in a row.
He stacked up a mammoth total of 2,445 steals and is currently ranked 4th on the all-time steals list. Led by Dwyane Wade and Payton’s contemporary Shaquille O’Neal, the Heat won the NBA title in 2006, giving Payton his one and only NBA Championship ring.
Gary was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
#3 Michael Jordan - 2,514
Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest all-around player in the history of the game. Being named in the All-NBA First team 10 times plus 9 times in the NBA All-Defensive first team emboldens his impact on both ends of the floor.
Jordan led the league in steals in 1988, 1990 and 1993, averaging a career-high 3.2 steals per game in the 1987-88 season. He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) five times (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998) and was also named Defensive Player of the Year in 1988.
MJ has 2,514 career steals currently ranking 3rd on NBA's all-time steals list(with 376 steals in the post-season also ranking 3rd on the all-time playoffs steals list).
In 1996 the NBA named him one of the 50 greatest players of all time, and in 2009 he was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
#2 Jason Kidd - 2,684
He was selected with the second pick of the 1994 NBA draft by the Dallas Mavericks and traded to the Phoenix Suns two years later. Kidd was as complete a basketball player as could be, which is evident from the fact that he was a 5-time All-NBA first team member and also a 4-time NBA All-Defensive first team member.
In his first year playing for the Golden Bears in college, his 110 steals set an NCAA record for most steals by a freshman and set a school record for most steals in a season. His career average of around 2 steals per game in the NBA earned him 2,684 steals during his time in the league, which is currently ranked 2nd on the all-time steals list.
A 10-time All-star and key member of the 2008 Men's Olympics basketball 'Redeem Team' USA failed to capture gold in 2004) which won the Olympic gold, his greatness was finally recognized by the NBA as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
#1 John Stockton
He was a first-round pick by the Jazz in the 1984 NBA Draft and played for the franchise throughout his time in the league, averaging 2.2 career steals per game. Stockton became the team’s starting point guard in his fourth season, and he promptly led the league in assists in his first year leading the Jazz offense. Stockton garnered 10 career All-Star Game selections and was named first-team All-NBA twice (1993–94, 1994–95).
He led the league in steals twice during his career, once in 1989 averaging a career-high 3.2 steals per game and the other instance in 1992. He was also a 5-time All-NBA second defensive team member.
His career total of 3,265 steals is more than 500 steals clear of the person that comes second(Jason Kidd) on the league's all-time steals list, making him NBA's steals leader for a fairly large amount of time to come. He retired in 2003 having never won an NBA championship but possesses two Olympics Medals from 1992(Dream team) and 1996.
