Considering John Stockton was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame I’ve got to show some love to my boyhood hero. Growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Utah Jazz were the preeminent sports team of my youth. The Jazz meant everything to me and my favorite player was always Stock.
John Stockton played basketball like it was his livelihood, kind of like Vince Carter does only the exact opposite. John Stockton played in arguably the most talented era in the NBA. In a draft class with Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Hakeem Olajuwon, Stockton was overlooked from the get-go.
In terms of athletic ability, and physical prowess, Stockton was average. He was 6’1, 175 lbs, white and not flashy. In a shoot first, contract first, sponsor first league, Stockton broke the mold. He was a pass-first player. He was not brash, he was not vindictive, and he was not infatuated with himself. Most athletes crave fame; he genuinely didn't want or need it. Stockton played college ball in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. Following a successful college career at Gonzaga he was drafted 16th overall by the Utah Jazz. He was drafted to a mix of, as he put it, "who and boos." Those boos eventually turned into adulation as he and the greatest power forward in the history of the NBA (Karl Malone) led the struggling Utah Jazz out of obscurity into the most consistent franchise in the NBA.
Stockton was the epitome of consistency. He played every game in 17 of his 19 seasons. He missed 22 games his entire career. Stockton flawlessly orchestrated the Jazz offense for his entire career.
He was a leader. He was a floor general. And perhaps like no one else he made all of his teammates better. Besides Karl Malone he was working with the likes of Greg Foster, Antoine Carr, Shandon Anderson, Greg Ostertag, David Benoit, …. I could go all day.... if you’re not from Utah you probably don’t recognize any of these names. It didn’t matter. Stockton had the rare ability to lift those around him to a level they were incapable of reaching on their own.
Stockton worked his ass off. Jerry Sloan marveled that in the 18 years he coached Stockton, he lost wind sprints only once. The guy played until he was 41. He gave 110% everyday, every venue. His style being so impressive to John Wooden that the Hall of Fame coach once famously claimed Stockton was not only his favorite but was also the only player he'd pay to watch play.
He had a telepathic ability to read the game and his teammates. He saw the play develop before it actually did, he worked faster than real-time, which led to an NBA record 15,806 assists more than anybody in the league had ever dreamed of dishing out. Not to mention 3,265 steals in his career another NBA record. If Jason Kidd plays until he's 50 he might have a shot at catching Stock's record.
"John Stockton is the perfect point guard," Charles Barkley told NBA.com. "There has never been a pure point guard who made better basketball decisions with the ball — ever."
His conditioning and work ethic set him apart from other more naturally gifted athletes. He showed me that if you work hard you can hold your own against anybody, anywhere. I didn’t sense that watching Michael Jordan. Jordan transcended the game and was the first player to gain true international appeal while Stockton remained nearly anonymous his entire career. (See YouTube clip above)
He had a telepathic ability to read the game and his teammates. He saw the play develop before it actually did, he worked faster than real-time, which led to an NBA record 15,806 assists more than anybody in the league had ever dreamed of dishing out. Not to mention 3,265 steals in his career another NBA record. If Jason Kidd plays until he's 50 he might have a shot at catching Stock's record.
"John Stockton is the perfect point guard," Charles Barkley told NBA.com. "There has never been a pure point guard who made better basketball decisions with the ball — ever."
His conditioning and work ethic set him apart from other more naturally gifted athletes. He showed me that if you work hard you can hold your own against anybody, anywhere. I didn’t sense that watching Michael Jordan. Jordan transcended the game and was the first player to gain true international appeal while Stockton remained nearly anonymous his entire career. (See YouTube clip above)Stock taught me how to be a leader, how to earn the respect of teammates. He showed me how to love the game. He showed me the intangibles and what a quiet determination can get you.
He was durable, efficient, and a play-maker. He was, in a word, clutch. The Mailman may have been the go-to-guy but when the game was on the line I wanted the ball in Stock’s hands.
Larry Miller, the Jazz's late owner, marveled that Stockton never looked at the stat sheet, not at halftime, not even after the game. Miller knew this because he used to visit Stockton in his post-game training room hideout as the latter iced his feet, and Stockton never looked at the stats. Most players check their points, rebounds, assists, etc., but this was of no interest to Stockton. The only stat he cared about was whether his team won or lost.
"People ask me all the time what kind of person John Stockton is," Miller said. "I tell them he's exactly the kind of person you hope he is."
He was durable, efficient, and a play-maker. He was, in a word, clutch. The Mailman may have been the go-to-guy but when the game was on the line I wanted the ball in Stock’s hands.
Larry Miller, the Jazz's late owner, marveled that Stockton never looked at the stat sheet, not at halftime, not even after the game. Miller knew this because he used to visit Stockton in his post-game training room hideout as the latter iced his feet, and Stockton never looked at the stats. Most players check their points, rebounds, assists, etc., but this was of no interest to Stockton. The only stat he cared about was whether his team won or lost.
"People ask me all the time what kind of person John Stockton is," Miller said. "I tell them he's exactly the kind of person you hope he is."
I vividly remember Stockton’s retirement announcement. It was a somber day for me. When asked when would be the next time he picked up a basketball he smugly replied,
"Tomorrow, probably out in the yard. It's still a great game."
It is, but it will never be the same because Stock has bowed out.
Please leave your thoughts about the article and more importantly your thoughts about Stock.
1 comments:
John Stockton is one of the greatest players of all time. I really believe that his assist record will never be broken. He's the kind of athlete that I am going to want my sons to pattern themselves after.
Post a Comment