John Stockton is one of those NBA legends that doesn’t get talked about enough. For a man that leads the all-time tallies for assists and steals, his name is omitted from a lot of conversations about the greatest ever. Part of this has to be with the fact that he was never able to lead the Utah Jazz to a championship, despite having Karl Malone. But his views in recent times and his opinions have also influenced the modern generation’s opinions of Stockton significantly.
Whatever else he may be, he was almost the archetype of a point guard. He was a menace on defense, robbing dribbler of the ball adeptly, and he was the ultimate facilitator on offense, especially with Karl Malone.
The pick-and-roll and the pick-and-pop offense that the Jazz ran with their two stars was wildly successful, and they won a lot of games doing it during the 90s. And every once in a while, some fan will remind people of just how good Stockton was in his prime, not that he’s not crushing it even today.
NBA Fan Highlighted What Made John Stockton So Good
Durability, defensive prowess, and tenacity are all incredibly impressive traits to have, but the NBA is ultimately about the style and the flash. While Stockton may not be appreciated for some of the more fundamental things he did, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was an ace playmaker as well. And a video clip of some of his most amazing passes was recently shared on Twitter for all to enjoy.
If you were open, John Stockton would get you the ball. If you weren’t open, John Stockton would also get you the ball.
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) September 10, 2022
“If you were open, John Stockton would get you the ball. If you weren’t open, John Stockton would also get you the ball.”
Stockton is not the first and he will be far from the last player, whose prowess gets forgotten in due time. The same thing has afflicted some other stars in NBA history, talks of legacy are cruel to the players that never quite won championships during their careers. But these highlights show that when he was on the court, there was very little Stockton couldn’t do to engineer a bucket for his team.
Playmaking as an ability is perhaps the rarest attribute to perfect in the NBA. Having a combination of elite court vision, athleticism, and a sense of timing is very difficult, which is why there are only a few truly great playmakers in the league’s history. Some may dismiss Stockton, but no one can deny that he was one of the truest point guards to have ever graced the league.
