John Stockton facts for kids
Stockton in 2022
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | March 26, 1962 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
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| High school | Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Washington) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 19,711 (13.1 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 15,806 (10.5 apg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Steals | 3,265 (2.2 spg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is a famous American former professional basketball player. Many people think he is one of the best point guards ever. He played his whole NBA career (1984–2003) for the Utah Jazz. His team made the playoffs every single year he played!
In 1997 and 1998, John Stockton and his teammate Karl Malone led the Jazz to the NBA Finals. These were the only two times the team reached the finals. 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. In 2009, he was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his amazing career. He was also inducted again in 2010 as part of the famous 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team. In 1996 and 2021, he was named one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
John Stockton was born in Spokane, Washington. He went to Gonzaga Prep for high school. He graduated in 1980. While there, he broke the city record for points scored in one basketball season.
Playing for Gonzaga University
Stockton decided to stay in Spokane for college basketball. He played for Gonzaga University. His grandfather, Hust Stockton, also played football for Gonzaga in the 1920s.
In his final year at Gonzaga (1984), Stockton was amazing. He scored 20.9 points per game. He also shot 57% from the field. The team had their best record in 17 years. Stockton led the West Coast Conference in scoring, assists, and steals. He was named the WCAC Player of the Year. He was the first Gonzaga player to win this award.
Stockton was invited to try out for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. He made it to the final 20 players. Even though he wasn't chosen for the team, he met his future teammate and friend, Karl Malone, during these tryouts.
Professional NBA Career
Joining the Utah Jazz
In June 1984, the Utah Jazz picked John Stockton in the NBA draft. He was the 16th player chosen overall. Not many people knew about him from college. So, when his name was called, the Jazz fans were very surprised. On November 10, 1984, as a rookie, he scored 19 points in just 19 minutes.
Stockton became the main point guard for the Jazz in the 1987–88 season. He played in his first NBA All-Star Game in 1988–89. He then led the NBA in assists per game for nine years in a row.
On January 15, 1991, Stockton scored 20 points. He also made a team-record 28 assists in one game. This was against the San Antonio Spurs. In 1992, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals. This was their first time getting so far. 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.
Setting NBA Records
The 1994–95 season was a big one for Stockton. On February 1, 1995, he became the NBA's all-time leader in assists. He passed Magic Johnson with 9,937 career assists. Magic Johnson himself said, "John, from one assist man to another, you are the greatest team leader I have ever played against."
Seventeen days later, Stockton made history again. He became the first player ever to reach 10,000 career assists. On March 25, he also became only the second player in NBA history to record 2,000 steals.
Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals again in 1994 and 1996. But they lost to the Houston Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics.
NBA Finals Appearances
In the 1996–97 season, the Utah Jazz had their best record ever with 64 wins. They reached the Western Conference Finals again. In Game Six, Stockton scored 25 points and had 13 assists. He also made a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. This shot sent the Jazz to their first-ever NBA Finals. This shot became known as "The Shot."
In the Finals, the Jazz faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Stockton had a great game in Game 3, helping the Jazz get their first Finals win. But the Bulls won the series 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. They faced the Bulls again. In Game 6, Stockton made a three-pointer to give the Jazz a late lead. However, Michael Jordan scored two baskets to win the game for the Bulls. The Jazz lost the series in six games again.
The Jazz made the NBA playoffs every single season during Stockton's 19 years in the league.
Retirement from Basketball
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On May 2, 2003, John Stockton announced he was retiring. He said he was still happy playing, but his family was growing. He felt that being away in hotels for games meant he was missing too much at home.
The Jazz honored Stockton by retiring his number 12 jersey. This means no other Jazz player will ever wear that number. Salt Lake City also renamed the street in front of the arena where the Jazz play to "John Stockton Drive." A statue of Stockton stands outside the arena. Another statue of Karl Malone is nearby.
In 2009, Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also inducted again in 2010 with the 1992 U.S. Olympic basketball team.
Player Style and Legacy
Stockton was known for being very tough and rarely missing games. In his 19-season career, he missed only 22 games! He played every game in 17 of those seasons. His only major injury was a knee injury in 1997. After that, he never missed another game.
Stockton was also known for his "short shorts." He kept wearing them long after other players started wearing baggier shorts. He was very loyal to the Utah Jazz. He even took a deal that gave the team more money to improve. In return, he asked for guaranteed ice time at the arena for his son's hockey team.
For many years, John Stockton and Karl Malone were the main stars of the Jazz. They played a record 1,412 regular season games together. Many of Stockton's assists were passes to Malone. They are often called the greatest "pick-and-roll" duo of all time. Both Stockton and Malone are considered two of the best players who never won an NBA championship.
Stockton holds a huge lead for the NBA record in career assists with 15,806. He was the first player to reach 10,000 and 15,000 career assists. He also holds the record for 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 had a reliable three-point shot, making 38.4% of them in his career.
Stockton was selected to the All-NBA First Team twice. He was also on the Second Team six times and the Third Team three times. He was chosen for 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 2021, he was again honored as one of the league's greatest players by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
International Play and Olympic Gold
Stockton played for the U.S. national basketball team in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. This 1992 team was special because it was the first U.S. Olympic team to include NBA players. This 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.
Life After Retirement
After retiring, Stockton moved back to his hometown of Spokane. He started coaching youth basketball teams. He was an assistant coach for many teams at once. The Jazz also invited him to help train their younger players.
In 2013, Stockton wrote a book about his life called Assisted. His junior high school coach helped him write it. His longtime teammate, Karl Malone, wrote the introduction for the book.
In 2015, Stockton joined Montana State University's women's basketball program. He became an assistant coach there. He had coached some of the players before in other leagues.
Personal Life
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John Stockton's grandfather, Hust Stockton, was also a professional athlete. He played football in the NFL in the 1920s.
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 have also played basketball. Michael Stockton played basketball in Germany. David Stockton played college basketball at Gonzaga and later for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. His daughters Lindsay and Laura Stockton played college basketball. Laura later played professionally in Germany.
Stockton has a brother and three nephews who also played college basketball.
Images for kids
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Stockton, circa 1988
