One-Man Bands
Players who have led their team in all five major statistical categories.
Since the NBA began tracking steals and blocks in 1973-74, only six players* have led their team in all five major statistical categories in a season: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. I thought it might be interesting to take a closer look at these occurrences.
* It’s actually happened seven times, as one of those players did so twice.
Dave Cowens, 1977-78 Boston Celtics
Statistics:
1,435 PTS (+113)
1,078 REB (+405)
351 AST (+23)
102 STL (+12)
67 BLK (+19)
FYI, the number in parentheses is the difference relative to the second-ranked player on the team. For example, Cowens scored 113 more points than the next-closest Celtic.
Record: 32-50 (.390)
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Cowens has the fewest points, assists, and steals and second-fewest blocks among the players to accomplish this feat. He also owns the smallest edge in points, assists, and steals.
The 1977-78 Celtics are the only team on this list to finish with a losing record, as well as the only team to miss the playoffs. They were an aging squad, with the league’s highest minutes-weighted age (almost 30 years). In fact, regular starters John Havlicek (38 at season’s end) and Dave Bing (34) retired following the season.
Scottie Pippen, 1994-95 Chicago Bulls
Statistics:
1,692 PTS (+421)
639 REB (+117)
409 AST (+37)
232 STL (+130)
89 BLK (+33)
Record: 47-35 (.573)
Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Semifinals
This was the Bulls’ second season following Michael Jordan’s first retirement (he would return to the team in March). In addition to playing most of the season without Jordan, the Bulls lost free agent Horace Grant to the Orlando Magic in September. Grant earned the lone All-Star selection of his career in 1993-94, averaging career highs of 15.1 PPG and 11.1 RPG for a Bulls team that went a surprising 55-27.
Pippen was left to pick up the slack, and that he did, recording the second-highest scoring (21.4 PPG) and rebounding (8.1 RPG) averages of his career. Pippen also led the league in steals and steals per game (2.9). It’s the only season in which Pippen led the NBA in a major statistical category other than games played.
By the way, with a listed height of 6-feet-8-inches, Pippen is the shortest player to lead his team in all five major statistical categories.
Kevin Garnett, 2002-03 Minnesota Timberwolves
Statistics:
1,883 PTS (+760)
1,102 REB (+598)
495 AST (+43)
113 STL (+35)
129 BLK (+13)
Record: 51-31 (.622)
Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference First Round
This was the first of three straight seasons in which Garnett was responsible for at least 20% of the Timberwolves points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Since the NBA began tracking steals and blocks in 1973-74, only two other players have recorded even one such season:
Larry Bird (1984-85 Boston Celtics)
David Robinson (1993-94 San Antonio Spurs)
It was also the fourth of six seasons in which Garnett ranked in the top 30 in the NBA in all five categories:
1997-98
1999-00
2000-01
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
The only other players to achieve this feat multiple times are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo, each of whom did so twice.
LeBron James, 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers
Statistics:
2,304 PTS (+861)
613 REB (+32)
587 AST (+258)
137 STL (+43)
93 BLK (+9)
Record: 66-16 (.805)
Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference Finals
The 2008-09 Cavaliers posted the best record in franchise history, winning 15 more games than any other team on this list. Their schedule-adjusted point differential of 8.7 PPG is easily the largest such figure in franchise history, and more than a point higher than any other team that season (Boston Celtics, 7.4).
This Cavaliers team also became the first in NBA history to win at least 65 games while having just one player average 18 PPG or higher. Since then, only one other team has accomplished the feat: the 2015-16 San Antonio Spurs (LaMarcus Aldridge’s scoring average rounds up to 18.0, but he actually averaged 17.9865 PPG).
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 2016-17 Milwaukee Bucks
Statistics:
1,832 PTS (+807)
700 REB (+168)
434 AST (+77)
131 STL (+39)
151 BLK (+73)
Record: 42-40 (.512)
Playoffs: Lost in Eastern Conference First Round
Antetokounmpo, who was 22 years old at season’s end, is the youngest player on this list. He ranked in the top 20 in the league in all five categories. Since the NBA began tracking steals and blocks in 1973-74, no other player has accomplished this feat.
This was the first of seven consecutive All-Star seasons (and counting) for Antetokounmpo. He won the Most Improved Player Award, then added consecutive MVP Awards in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Antetokounmpo is the only player to win both of these awards in his career.
LeBron James, 2017-18 Cleveland Cavaliers
Statistics:
2,251 PTS (+1,212)
709 REB (+163)
747 AST (+584)
116 STL (+48)
71 BLK (+37)
Record: 50-32 (.610)
Playoffs: Lost in NBA Finals
This was the second time James accomplished the feat; he’s the only player with two such seasons. James is also the oldest player on this list, as he was 33 years old at the close of the regular season.
James is one of only three players in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 700 rebounds, and 700 assists in a season (a total of six instances):
Oscar Robertson (3 times)
Russell Westbrook (2)
LeBron James
The 2017-18 Cavaliers are the only team on this list to reach the NBA Finals. It was their fourth straight Finals appearance, and the eighth in a row for James (the first four came with the Miami Heat).
Nikola Jokic, 2021-22 Denver Nuggets
Statistics:
2,004 PTS (+878)
1,019 REB (+580)
584 AST (+251)
109 STL (+46)
63 BLK (+19)
Record: 48-34 (.585)
Playoffs: Lost in Western Conference First Round
Jamal Murray missed the entire season with an ACL injury, leaving Jokic to carry a heavier-than-normal load. Jokic delivered, becoming the first (and thus far only) player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 500 assists in a season.
Jokic won his second consecutive MVP Award, recording the highest Player Efficiency Rating in NBA history (32.8). He led the NBA in rebounds, ranked fifth in points, sixth in assists, and 10th in steals. The only other player to finish a season ranked in the top 10 in all four of those categories is Russell Westbrook (twice, in 2016-17 and 2017-18).
Before I go, one final note. Five of the players above also led their team in all five per-game categories (minimum 50% of team games played):
Cowens
Pippen
Garnett
Antetokounmpo
Jokic
In addition, there have been two other seasons in which a player was his team’s per-game leader in all five categories:
Garnett (1998-99)
Tracy McGrady (2002-03)
Garnett and McGrady each fell one category short of leading their team in all five totals. For Garnett, it was assists (he recorded three fewer than Terrell Brandon, who appeared in just 21 of a possible 50 games). In McGrady’s case, it was steals (he recorded 11 fewer than Darrell Armstrong, who played all 82 games versus 75 for McGrady).
Another great article, Justin! I've always thought it would be fun to imagine a starting lineup with these players (this was before Jokic did it). They're al so versatile and good on D that you could do it several ways. But I'd do it this way:
C: Cowens
PF: Garnett
SF: Giannis
SG: Pippen
PG: LeBron
It would be very cool to see that team play together.