History

Top 5 all-time LA Clippers steals leaders

Randy Smith sits atop the LA Clippers' all-time steals list.

Randy Smith leads the list as the Clippers’ all-time steals leader.

The LA Clippers have a rich history of players who have racked up steals in bunches while playing for the team. Let’s highlight their top five leaders in steals in franchise history.


1. Randy Smith – 1,072 steals

Smith’s tenure with the Clippers began when the franchise was known as the Buffalo Braves. He entered the NBA in 1971, when steals were not yet an official stat. The NBA began to officially track steals for the 1973-74 season. In the first season with the stat, he averaged 2.5 steals per game. Over 715 career games with the franchise, he averaged 1.9 steals. He also played for the Cavaliers, Knicks and Hawks during his career.


2. Chris Paul – 913 steals

Paul spent the first six seasons of his career with the Hornets. He was then traded to the Clippers before the 2011-12 season. He averaged 2.5 steals during his first season with the team, which led the NBA. He then led the league in steals in each of the next two seasons, as well. During his career, Paul has led the league in steals six times. Following six seasons with the Clippers, Paul went on to play for the Rockets, Thunder, Suns, Warriors and Spurs. He then re-signed with the Clippers in the summer of 2025.


3. Gary Grant – 747 steals

Grant spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Clippers. In his rookie season, he averaged 2.0 steals over just 27 minutes per game. He then logged 35 minutes per game the following season, which helped him average 2.5 steals. Over 446 regular-season games with the franchise, he averaged 8.7 points, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals. Following his time with the Clippers, he played for the Knicks, Heat and Trail Blazers.


4. Ron Harper – 606 steals

Harper played for the Cavaliers before being traded to the Clippers during the 1989-90 season. After the trade, he averaged 2.4 steals over 28 games with the Clippers. He then averaged at least 1.7 steals in each of the next four seasons with the team. Over 304 career regular-season games with the Clippers, he averaged 2.0 steals. After leaving the Clippers, Harper won five total championships during stints with the Bulls and Lakers.


T5. Danny Manning – 548 steals

The Clippers selected Manning with the first pick in the 1988 Draft. He appeared in 26 games in his first season, averaging 16.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.7 steals. Manning would eventually average at least 1.6 steals in three of his first four seasons in the league. During the 1993-94 season, Manning was traded from the Clippers to the Hawks. Across 373 career games with the Clippers, he averaged 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals. He also made two All-Star teams.


T5. Kawhi Leonard – 548 steals

The Clippers acquired Leonard in a blockbuster free agent signing during the 2019 offseason. Since then, Leonard has spent the past seven seasons with the Clippers. His 2025-26 campaign was one of his best defensive campaigns in LA as he averaged 1.9 steals per game. During his Clippers tenure, he averaged 1.7 steals per game. The seven-time All-Defensive Team member and two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year climbed up the Clippers steals ranks as he tied Manning in 5th place with 548 steals with the franchise.

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