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Top 5 all-time Orlando Magic assist leaders
Aug 10 2026 08:17 · By Jerry Jiang, for NBA.com · 110 Reads
Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway is among the Orlando Magic franchise leaders in all-time assists.
Founded in 1989, the Orlando Magic joined the NBA as an expansion franchise.
Throughout their 37 seasons, they’ve made the playoffs 19 times and went to the NBA Finals twice in 1995 and 2009. They have two conference titles and eight division titles, with the most recent in 2025.
With that being said, check out their franchise assist leaders.
1.
Jameer Nelson
– 3,501 assists
Nelson was selected with the 20th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. Standing at 6’0 the 15-year NBA veteran played 10 seasons for the Magic. He averaged 5.4 apg during his time in Orlando, with his lone All-Star appearance in 2009.
During that season, Nelson led the Magic to the NBA Finals alongside Dwight Howard. He averaged 5.4 assists that season. His best assist season by average was in 2012-13, where he averaged 7.4 apg.
2.
Scott Skiles
– 2,776 assists
Skiles played five seasons with the Magic spanning from 1989 to 1994.
During those years, he’d average 7.2 apg. His best assist season by average was the 1990-91 season, where he’d average 8.4 apg. During that season, he won the Most Improved Player award as well.
Skiles finished his playing career with the Philadelphia 76ers before taking on coaching, where he’d return to Orlando to coach the Magic for the 2015-16 NBA season.
3.
Darrell Armstrong
– 2,555 assists
Despite going undrafted in the 1991 NBA Draft, Armstrong made himself into a 15-year NBA veteran. After starting his career internationally, Armstrong signed with the Magic as a free agent, where he’d spend nine seasons averaging 5.1 apg.
During the 1989-99 season, Armstrong won the Most Improved Player award as well as the Sixth Man of the Year Award. His best assist season was in 2000-01, where he averaged 7.0 apg.
4.
Anfernee Hardaway
– 2,343 assists
Hardaway was selected third overall in the 1993 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors but traded to the Orlando Magic for Chris Webber on draft night. Paired with Shaquille O’Neal, Hardaway finds himself in the top-5 list of the Magic’s assist leaders after many lobs and connections with O’Neal during his six seasons with the Magic.
He averaged 6.3 apg in Orlando and was named to four All-Star teams. During the Magic’s run to the Finals in the 1994-95 season, Hardaway averaged a career-best 7.2 apg in just his second season.
5.
Nick Anderson
– 1,937 assists
Anderson was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic. At 6-foot-6, Anderson had size as a guard and could slide to play the forward position.
In 10 seasons with the Magic, he averaged 2.8 assists per game.
His best assist season was the 1994-95 season, when he averaged 4.1 apg. Along with Hardaway and O’Neal, Anderson was part of the Magic team that made the franchise’s first Finals appearance.