Muggsy Bogues is the Hornets’ all-time steals leader with 1,067.

The Charlotte Hornets have seen plenty of capable defensive players in franchise history. Let’s look at their career leaders list and highlight their top five steal leaders.

1. Muggsy Bogues, 1988-97 (1,067 steals)

Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues is best known for being the shortest NBA player in history (5-foot-3), but his defensive skills were elite. After beginning his pro career with a stellar season for the United States Basketball League’s Rhode Island Gulls and getting his feet wet at the NBA level with the Washington Bullets, Bogues arrived in Charlotte and immediately made an impact. He averaged 1.4 steals per game in his first season and followed with at least 2.0 steals per game in three of the next four seasons. Bogues never recorded fewer than 1.3 per game in any Hornets season where he played more than six games.

2. Gerald Wallace, 2004-11 (827 steals)

Gerald Wallace was an all-around contributor during his six-plus seasons in Charlotte, with notable defensive achievements. He averaged between 2.0 and a career-high 2.5 steals per game in three seasons, while generating between 1.2 and 1.7 steals per game in his other three-and-a-half Hornets seasons.

3. Kemba Walker, 2011-19 (799 steals)

Kemba Walker, now a member of the Hornets’ coaching staff, enjoyed the best years of his decade-plus playing career with the franchise. Selected ninth overall by the then Bobcats in 2011, Walker paired his offensive skills with defensive contributions, averaging between 1.1 and a career-high 2.0 steals per game in all but his 66-game rookie season.

4. Dell Curry, 1988-98 (747 steals)

Dell Curry, now widely recognized as “Steph’s dad” by younger NBA fans, was a foundational piece in the early years of the Hornets franchise. Selected in the 1988 expansion draft, Curry complemented his sharpshooting with solid defense, averaging between 1.0 and a career-high 1.5 steals per game in six of the first eight seasons of his decade-long career in Charlotte.

5. Raymond Felton, 2005-10 (565 steals)

Raymond Felton joined Charlotte as a fifth overall pick in 2005 after a stellar college career at North Carolina. From his rookie season, he contributed across the board, including on defense where he averaged between 1.2 and 1.5 steals per game over five seasons with the then Bobcats. Despite a shorter tenure than the others on this list, Felton’s impact earned him a top-five spot on the team’s steals leaderboard.