John Stockton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
John Stockton

Stockton in 2022
Personal information
Born	(1962-03-26) March 26, 1962 (age 63) Spokane, Washington, U.S.
High school	Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Washington)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
College	Gonzaga (1980–1984)
NBA Draft	1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Pro career	1984–2003
Career history
As player:
1984–2003	Utah Jazz
As coach:
2015–2016	Montana State (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
10× NBA All-Star (1989–1997, 2000) NBA All-Star Game co-MVP (1993) 2× All-NBA First Team (1994, 1995) 6× All-NBA Second Team (1988–1990, 1992, 1993, 1996) 3x All-NBA Third Team (1991, 1997, 1999) 5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997) 9× NBA assists leader (1988–1996) 2× NBA steals leader (1989, 1992) NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th) No. 12 retired by Utah Jazz WCAC Player of the Year (1984) 2× First-team All-WCAC (1983, 1984) No. 12 retired by Gonzaga Bulldogs
Career NBA statistics
Points	19,711 (13.1 ppg)
Assists	15,806 (10.5 apg)
Steals	3,265 (2.2 spg)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona Team competition Gold 1996 Atlanta Team competition FIBA Americas Championship Gold 1992 Portland Men's basketball

John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is a famous American former professional basketball player. He is known as one of the best point guards of all time. John Stockton played his entire 19-year NBA career (from 1984 to 2003) with the Utah Jazz. His team made it to the playoffs every single season he played.

In 1997 and 1998, Stockton and his longtime teammate Karl Malone led the Jazz to the NBA Finals. These were the only two times the team reached the Finals, but they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls. Stockton was chosen for the NBA All-Star team ten times. He holds the NBA records for the most career assists and steals.

John Stockton was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 for his amazing career. He was inducted again in 2010 as part of the famous 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team, also known as the "Dream Team." In 1996, he was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. In October 2021, he was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Early Life and School

John Stockton was born and grew up in Spokane, Washington. He went to St. Aloysius for grade school. Later, he attended Gonzaga Prep and finished in 1980. While in high school, he broke the city record for the most points scored in a single basketball season.

College Basketball Career

After high school, Stockton decided to play college basketball at Gonzaga University in Spokane. He was the third person in his family to attend Gonzaga. His grandfather, Hust Stockton, was a well-known football player for the school in the 1920s.

In his final year at Gonzaga in 1984, Stockton was amazing. He scored an average of 20.9 points per game. He also shot 57% from the field, which is very good. The Gonzaga team had their best record in 17 years, winning 17 games and losing 11. Stockton led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals. Because of his great performance, he was named the WCAC Player of the Year. He was the first Gonzaga player ever to win this award.

Stockton was invited to try out for the 1984 United States men's Olympic basketball team. Even though he wasn't chosen for the final team, he met his future teammate and friend, Karl Malone, during these tryouts.

Professional Career with the Utah Jazz

Joining the NBA

In June 1984, the Utah Jazz picked John Stockton in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft. He was the 16th player chosen overall. Many people didn't know much about him during his college days. However, his skills became more noticed right before the NBA draft. When his name was called on draft day, the Jazz fans were very surprised.

On November 10, 1984, Stockton had his best scoring game as a rookie. He scored 19 points in just 19 minutes of playing time. This happened during a game where the Jazz lost to the Denver Nuggets.

Becoming a Star Player

Stockton became the main point guard for the Jazz in the 1987–88 season. That year, he averaged 14.7 points, 13.8 assists (the best in the league), and 3 steals per game. He was named to the All-NBA Second Team. In the 1988–89 season, he played in his first All-Star Game. He also led the league in steals per game that season. He would lead the NBA in assists per game for nine seasons in a row! Stockton also led the league in steals per game again in 1991-92.

On January 15, 1991, Stockton scored 20 points and made a career-high 28 assists. This was a franchise record for the Jazz in a 124–102 win against the San Antonio Spurs. On February 12, he almost got a triple-double. He had 19 points, 11 assists, and 9 steals in a win over the Houston Rockets.

In 1992, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time. However, they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers. In 1993, Stockton and Malone were named co-MVPs of the All-Star Game. This game was held in Salt Lake City.

Breaking Records

During the 1994–95 season, Stockton achieved many important milestones. On February 1, 1995, he passed Magic Johnson to become the NBA's all-time leader in assists. He made 16 assists in a win over the Denver Nuggets, bringing his career total to 9,937 assists. Magic Johnson himself said, "John, from one assist man to another, you are the greatest team leader I have ever played against."

Just seventeen days later, Stockton made 15 more assists in a win against the Boston Celtics. This brought his career total to 10,008 assists. He was the first player ever to reach 10,000 assists! On March 25, Stockton became only the second player in NBA history to record 2,000 steals. He got 6 steals in a game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals again in 1994 and 1996. But they lost to the Houston Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics.

John Stockton spent his entire NBA career with the Utah Jazz, from 1984 to 2003.

The Utah Jazz had their best season ever in 1996–97, winning 64 games. They reached the Western Conference Finals once more. In Game Six of the Conference Finals, Stockton scored 25 points and made 13 assists. He also made a game-winning three-point shot at the last second over the Rockets' Charles Barkley. This shot sent the Jazz to their first NBA Finals appearance. This famous shot became known as "The Shot." In Game 3 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Stockton had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists. This was their first Finals win in team history. However, the Jazz lost the Finals to the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in six games.

Stockton missed the first 18 games of the 1997–98 season due to a knee injury. But the Jazz still made it back to the NBA Finals and faced the Bulls again. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Stockton made a three-pointer with 41.9 seconds left, giving the Jazz a lead. But Michael Jordan scored two baskets to put the Bulls ahead 87–86. Stockton missed a three-point shot with 5.2 seconds left, and the Bulls won the series in six games.

The Jazz made the NBA playoffs every single season during Stockton's 19-year career.

Retirement from Basketball

The statue of John Stockton

On May 2, 2003, John Stockton announced he was retiring from basketball. He released a statement instead of holding a press conference. The Jazz later held a special ceremony for him. Salt Lake City even renamed the street in front of the Delta Center, where the Jazz play, to John Stockton Drive. Stockton later said that he still loved playing, but his family was growing. He felt that "sitting in the hotel room waiting for games wasn't making up for what I was missing at home."

The Jazz retired Stockton's number 12 jersey on November 22, 2004. This means no other Jazz player will ever wear that number. A statue of Stockton stands in front of the Delta Center. A statue of Karl Malone was placed next to it in 2006. The statues honor their achievements together. Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He was also inducted again in 2010 with the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

Player Style and Records

Stockton was known for being very tough and rarely missing games. He only missed 22 games in his 19-season career. He played every game in 17 of those seasons! In his first 13 seasons, he missed only four games. His only major injury was in 1997–98, when he missed 18 games due to a knee injury. After that, he never missed another game.

Stockton was known for his physical play. He was often seen as one of the toughest players in the NBA. He also kept wearing his "short shorts" long after other players started wearing baggier ones. These shorts became known as "Stocktons."

Stockton's career was also special because he was so consistent and played for so long. He remained a starting NBA player until he retired at age 41. He was very loyal to the Utah Jazz.

For many years, Karl Malone and Stockton were the main players for the Jazz. They played a record 1,412 regular season games together as teammates. Many of Stockton's assists were passes to Malone. Stockton and Malone are often called the greatest "pick-and-roll" combination of all time. They are also considered two of the best players who never won an NBA championship.

Stockton holds the NBA record for career assists with 15,806. He was the first player to reach 10,000 and then 15,000 career assists. He also holds the record for the most assists per game in one season (14.5 in 1990). He is one of only three players to have more than 1,000 assists in a single season. Stockton did this seven times!

On defense, Stockton holds the NBA record for career steals with 3,265. He was also a good scorer, averaging 13.1 points per game. He was also good at shooting three-pointers, making 38.4% of them. As of July 2025, he is 55th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 19,711 career points.

Stockton, around 1988

Stockton was chosen for the All-NBA First Team twice. He was also on the All-NBA Second Team six times and the All-NBA Third Team three times. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team five times. He played in 10 All-Star Games. In 1996, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. In 2006, ESPN.com named Stockton the fourth best point guard of all time. In 2021, he was again honored as one of the league's greatest players by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. In 1999, Sports Illustrated called Stockton the best athlete to come from Washington state in the 20th century. In 2022, The Athletic ranked Stockton as the 25th greatest player in NBA history.

Awards and Achievements

Regular Season Records

• Only player in NBA history to have more than one game with at least 25 assists. (He did it 3 times!)
• One of two players in NBA history to lead the league in both steals and assists in the same season. (He did it 2 times!)
• 1st place all-time in career assists with 15,806.
• 1st place all-time in career steals with 3,265.
• 1st place all-time for most seasons leading the league in assists for consecutive seasons with 9.

National Team Career

Stockton played for the United States national team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. This 1992 team was the first U.S. Olympic team to include NBA players. The team became known as the "Dream Team." The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame called it "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet." Stockton also played on the 1996 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team. He won gold medals with both the 1992 and 1996 teams.

After Retirement

After he retired, Stockton moved back to his hometown of Spokane. He started coaching youth teams, sometimes helping "seven or eight teams at once." The Jazz also invited him to help train some of their new players. Stockton also got involved in different businesses, including construction.

In 2013, Stockton released his autobiography called Assisted. His junior high school coach helped him write the book. Karl Malone wrote the introduction.

In October 2015, Stockton joined Montana State University's women's basketball program as an assistant coach. He had coached some of the players on the team before in other leagues.

In 2021, Stockton appeared in a video series where he shared his thoughts about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccines. In January 2022, Gonzaga University stopped his season tickets because he did not follow the university's mask rules.

Personal Life

Stockton (second from left) with his family, including David Stockton, in 2022

Stockton's grandfather, Hust Stockton, played professional football in the 1920s. He was part of the Frankford Yellow Jackets team that won the NFL Championship in 1926.

John Stockton and his wife, Nada, live in Spokane. They have two daughters, Lindsay and Laura, and four sons, Houston, Michael, David, and Samuel. The Stockton family are Catholics.

Many of Stockton's children also played basketball. Michael Stockton played basketball in college and then professionally in Germany. David Stockton played college basketball at Gonzaga and later for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Daughters Lindsay and Laura Stockton both played college basketball for Montana State University and Gonzaga, respectively. Laura signed her first professional contract to play in Germany in 2020. In 2022, she joined the TK Hannover Luchse team in Germany. Laura and her team won the German Cup that season.

Stockton also has a brother and three nephews who played college basketball.

NBA Career Statistics

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1984–85	Utah	82	5	18.2	.471	.182	.736	1.3	5.1	1.3	.1	5.6
1985–86	Utah	82	38	23.6	.489	.133	.839	2.2	7.4	1.9	.1	7.7
1986–87	Utah	82	2	22.7	.499	.179	.782	1.8	8.2	2.2	.2	7.9
1987–88	Utah	82	79	34.7	.574	.358	.840	2.9	13.8*	3.0	.2	14.7
1988–89	Utah	82	82	38.7	.538	.242	.863	3.0	13.6*	3.2*	.2	17.1
1989–90	Utah	78	78	37.4	.514	.416	.819	2.6	14.5	2.7	.2	17.2
1990–91	Utah	82	82	37.8	.507	.345	.836	2.9	14.2*	2.9	.2	17.2
1991–92	Utah	82	82	36.6	.482	.407	.842	3.3	13.7*	3.0*	.3	15.8
1992–93	Utah	82	82	34.9	.486	.385	.798	2.9	12.0*	2.4	.3	15.1
1993–94	Utah	82	82	36.2	.528	.322	.805	3.1	12.6*	2.4	.3	15.1
1994–95	Utah	82*	82*	35.0	.542	.449	.804	3.1	12.3*	2.4	.3	14.7
1995–96	Utah	82	82*	35.5	.538	.422	.830	2.8	11.2*	1.7	.2	14.7
1996–97	Utah	82	82*	35.3	.548	.422	.846	2.8	10.5	2.0	.2	14.4
1997–98	Utah	64	64	29.0	.528	.429	.827	2.6	8.5	1.4	.2	12.0
1998–99	Utah	50*	50*	28.2	.488	.320	.811	2.9	7.5	1.6	.3	11.1
1999–00	Utah	82	82*	29.7	.501	.355	.860	2.6	8.6	1.7	.2	12.1
2000–01	Utah	82	82*	29.1	.504	.462	.817	2.8	8.7	1.6	.3	11.5
2001–02	Utah	82	82	31.3	.517	.321	.857	3.2	8.2	1.9	.3	13.4
2002–03	Utah	82	82*	27.7	.483	.363	.826	2.5	7.7	1.7	.2	10.8
Career		1,504	1,300	31.8	.515	.384	.826	2.7	10.5	2.2	.2	13.1
All-Star		10	5	19.7	.530	.333	.667	1.7	7.1	1.6	.1	8.1

Playoffs

See also

In Spanish: John Stockton para niños

• List of NBA career games played leaders
• List of NBA career assists leaders
• List of NBA career steals leaders
• List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise
• List of second-generation NBA players