In hockey, the pass before the pass that sets up the goal is usually just as important to setting up the score, which is why secondary assists count just like any other.
This is true in basketball, too. Some passes bend the defence to free another player up for the score, same as in hockey, and the best playmakers in basketball know how to get the help rotating in order to free another player up down the line.
While these ‘hockey assists’ don’t count towards the official assist total that we all know about, they are a tracked statistic of their own by the NBA, known as secondary assists. Here’s who leads the NBA in helping the helper:
- Trae Young: 1.4 secondary assists per game
- Dennis Schroder: 1.3 secondary assists
- Paul George: 1.1 secondary assists
- Stephen Curry: 1.1 secondary assists
- Coby White: 1.0 secondary assists
As you can see, these hockey assists don’t happen as often as they do in hockey — there’s reason that they aren’t called basketball assists, which honestly just sounds a little ridiculous — but there is a skill to it. It isn’t surprising to see great point guards like Young and Curry on here, but someone like George, who isn’t known for his passing, grades out well here.
Honestly, even basketball players know about the importance of hockey assists by heart. After all, coaches always love to say: Make the extra pass!
