Due to his size, John Stockton’s defensive prowess is often overlooked. Stockton is considered one of the greatest passers ever and is the NBA’s all-time assists leader. But Stockton was also a great defender, showing grit and determination during each and every possession. Despite being one of the smaller players in the league, Stockton was not afraid to get physical, even against players who were bigger than him.
During a game between the Utah Jazz and the San Antonio Spurs, John Stockton passed the ball to his teammates and went into the paint to try and set a screen. Stockton was one of the best pick and roll players in the NBA during his career, and David Robinson got caught in his screen. The two ended up tangling as Robinson tried to fight through the screen, but he was eventually shoved to the floor by Stockton.
Robinson was enraged by the physicality on display, and the two teams almost came to blows and started a brawl. Luckily, the referees were able to interject, and cooler heads prevailed before any kind of violence took place. But clearly, Robinson was frustrated by the screen that Stockton set, and tried to retaliate, but Stockton was not going to let him get by so easily.
Robinson is not the only person to get frustrated with John Stockton and his screens. Charles Barkley historically said he was trying to break his ribs and shoulders because he felt that Stockton was setting illegal screens and getting away with them during games. Stockton’s play was very easy to get frustrated over, given how good he was.
The Utah Jazz’s pick and roll play between John Stockton and Karl Malone was truly elite, so much so, that Phil Jackson would ask Shaquille O’Neal to not play against the Jazz and take some rest because he didn’t want Shaq to have to deal with their pick and role play.
