Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks may not be a household name in the NBA, but that didn't stop him from surpassing Hall of Famer, Magic Johnson, on Sunday night. Daniels, in his third season in the NBA, is leading the league (by a wide margin) in steals per game (3.0).
Five players find themselves in a distant-second-place in steals per game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Tyrese Maxey, Kris Dunn, and Cason Wallace, are all averaging 1.8.
Daniels grabbed five steals in a 132-119 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, bringing his grand total to 202 steals on the season. As Daniels grabbed steal No. 200 early in the third quarter, he became the youngest player in NBA history to have 200 or more steals in a season (22 years, six days).
Johnson was the previous youngest when he grabbed 208 steals in the 1981-82 NBA season. Steal 200 for Johnson came when he was 22-years, and 240-days-old).
Dyson Daniels is now the youngest player in NBA history to record 200+ STL in a season (22 years, 6 days).
The previous youngest?
Magic Johnson (22 years, 240 days) in 1981-82 https://t.co/fJo5OVcyGQpic.twitter.com/NQSetokxuT
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) March 24, 2025
Daniels was originally drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He was then involved in the five-player-trade during this past offseason that sent him (and four others) from the Pelicans to the Hawks in exchange for Dejounte Murray.
Daniels has started all 66 games he's played in this season with the Hawks, averaging career highs in every statistical category (13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.1 steals).
Daniels, alongside star point guard, Trae Young, has this Hawks team in the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference (35-36).
Daniels' stellar defensive play has him in consideration for the Defensive Play of the Year award. His current odds to win the award, as per FanDuel Sportsbook are plus-1500. He trails only Evan Mobley at minus-115 and Draymond Green at minus-105 to win the award.
Related: Magic Johnson Sends Clear Message After LeBron James Makes NBA History
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 12:00 AM.