Nuggets legend Fat Lever is the franchise leader in steals.
The Nuggets have made 39 playoff appearances in franchise history. They won one championship along the way. Let’s highlight their top five all-time steals leaders.
1. Lafayette “Fat” Lever, 1,167 Steals
Lever played two seasons for the Trail Blazers before joining the Nuggets for the 1984-85 season. He was an excellent defender, averaging at least 2.0 steals in every season that he played for the franchise. That helped him finish inside the top eight for Defensive Player of the Year voting three times. He also made two All-Star teams and finished inside the top 10 in MVP voting two times. Over 474 career games with the franchise, Lever averaged 2.5 steals.
2. T.R. Dunn, 1,070 Steals
Dunn also spent time with the Trail Blazers, playing three seasons for them before joining the Nuggets for the 1980-81 season. He then played eight straight seasons for the Nuggets, averaging at least 1.6 steals in five of those seasons. Dunn played for the Suns in 1988-89 before finishing up his career with two seasons on the Nuggets. Over 734 career games with the Nuggets, Dunn averaged 1.5 steals. That’s despite averaging just 25 minutes per game with the team.
3. Nikola Jokić, 931 Steals
Jokić is one of the best draft picks in NBA history with the Nuggets selecting him 41st overall in the 2014 Draft. Entering the 2024-25 season, he has already won three MVP Awards. He also led the team to its lone championship in the 2022-23 season. While Jokić is known for his ability to rack up triple-doubles, he has also averaged 1.3 steals during his career with the Nuggets. As a current member of the franchise who just turned 30 in February 2025, Jokić has an excellent opportunity to continue to move up this list.
4. Alex English, 854 Steals
English was selected to eight All-Star teams while a member of the Nuggets. During the 1982-83 season, he led the NBA by averaging 28.4 points. He averaged at least 25.0 points per game in a season eight times with the Nuggets. In terms of steals, his best performance came when he averaged 1.4 during the 1982-83 season. Over 837 career games with the Nuggets, English averaged 1.0 steals.
5. Dan Issel, 798 Steals
Issel played in both the ABA and the NBA. He spent one season with the Nuggets in the ABA, then played all nine of his seasons in the NBA with the franchise. He made two All-Star teams with the Nuggets, once in the ABA and one time in the NBA. Injuries were never a real concern for him as he played in at least 76 games in every season of his career. In terms of steals, he averaged 1.2 for three straight seasons beginning in 1975-76. Across 802 career games with the Nuggets, Issel averaged 1.0 steals.
.