Top 5 all-time Oklahoma City Thunder steals leaders

Russell Westbrook has 1,442 steals with the OKC Thunder, which is good for No. 3 with the franchise.

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s franchise lineage traces back to 1967, when the team began a 31-year run as the Seattle SuperSonics. Here’s a closer look at the top five steals suppliers in its proud history:

1. Gary Payton, 1990-2003 (2,107 steals)

Hall of Famer Gary Payton built a well-earned reputation as one of the best backcourt defenders of his era and did so largely during his 12-plus seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics. Payton secured nine NBA All-Defensive First Team nods between the 1993-94 and 2001-02 seasons, and he was the NBA Steals Leader during the 1995-96 campaign. Payton averaged 2.0 steals per contest as a rookie, and he recorded between 2.2 and a career-high 2.9 swipes per contest in seven of his next eight campaigns as well to quickly tunnel his way up the franchise leaderboard.

2. Nate McMillan, 1986-98 (1,544 steals)

Nate McMillan has gone on to a successful NBA coaching career, but prior to that, he was a Seattle stalwart on the hardwood who made some of his most valuable contributions on the defensive end. McMillan averaged 1.8 steals per contest as a rookie, and he collected 2.1 per contest in each of his next two seasons. Before his career was over, McMillan had averaged between 2.1 and a career-high 3.0 steals in three additional seasons. He didn’t finish with any less than 1.3 per contest until his final campaign.

3. Russell Westbrook, 2008-19 (1,442 steals)

Russell Westbrook has been a pesky defender who averaged between 1.3 and a career-high 2.1 steals during each of his 11 Thunder seasons.

4. Fred Brown, 1971-84 (1,149 steals)

Fred Brown was a career-long SuperSonic who distinguished himself on the defensive end. Brown recorded 1.7 steals per contest in the 1973-74 season, the first in which the league began tracking the category. Brown went on to average between 1.1 and a career-high 2.3 steals per contest in six of the next seven seasons to solidify his spot in the top five.

5. Gus Williams, 1977-84 (1,086 steals)

Gus Wiliams had already forged a solid defensive reputation over his first two seasons in Golden State before arriving in Seattle, where he promptly averaged 2.3 steals in his first season. Williams went on to contribute between 2.1 and a career-best 2.4 steals in each of his remaining SuperSonics seasons, achieving the latter figure on two occasions. 

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