The all-time assists list got another serious but underrated shake-up this Saturday because of Russell Westbrook.
The Sacramento Kings guard reportedly surpassed Magic Johnson for seventh place at the 9:15 mark of the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks. The veteran star finished with 21 points, nine assists, and five rebounds. His number nine assist gave him 10,149 — eight more than Johnson.
His followers are very optimistic that he will soon be among the top five all-time assists leaders.
Russell Westbrook Surpasses Magic Johnson on Elite List
Johnson completed his 10,141 assists reportedly in 906 career games, but Brodie has taken a total of 1,268 to reach the same mark. He called it “an honor,” noting Magic did a lot for the underserved growing up in inner-city Los Angeles. He has also felt “grateful for the journey.”
Mark Jackson sits at No. 6 with 10,334 assists, and only one assist ahead of him is No. 5 Steve Nash with 10,335. So, Russ mathematically needs around 200 more assists to surpass both of them.
With the Kings having 51 games remaining before the postseason, he will likely crack the top five before regular season’s end if injury does not block his road to being elite.
Despite the accolades, Westbrook remains one of the league’s most underrated stars, who crashes boards like a big man, sets thunderous screens, and competes on every possession but remains under the shadow of big names.
10,142 and counting 💪👑
With his second assist at the 9:15 mark of Q1 today vs. DAL, Russell Westbrook has passed Magic Johnson (10,141) for seventh on the NBA’s all-time assist leaders list. pic.twitter.com/AHAgTlXnSf
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) December 27, 2025
Off the court, fans acknowledge his value. Days ago, he signed all ten jerseys for a tearful superfan after Sacramento’s overtime win against the Houston Rockets, then removed his game-worn jersey and signed that before giving it to her.
The Kings’ guard never takes plays for granted, but the league doesn’t always appreciate his grind. The league fined him $2,000 for flopping during Sacramento’s 136-127 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
His followers didn’t wait long to raise their voices about hypocrisy immediately after the fine. This suggests perspective regarding Brodie is changing, though very slowly.
Fans Rally Behind Westbrook’s Historic Climb
The reaction to Russ surpassing Magic flooded social media since it is in every way a historic climb.
One fan wrote, “This guy’s the king of being underrated.”
Another shared, “We appreciate you keeping the game alive for most of us.”
The third fan remarked, “Gonna be #5 by the end of the season!”
A fourth one added, “Russ has never cheated the game and I am grateful to witness him.”
At 37, Brodie’s still surpassing legendary names. After Steve Nash and Mark Jackson, LeBron James, at No. 4 with 11,673 assists, will be his ultimate target. Maybe that time, no one will brand him as underrated.
