In the eyes of many fans, John Stockton is one of the most underappreciated point guards in NBA history. Stockton played his entire career with the Utah Jazz and was a big part of them becoming the championship contender that they were throughout the 1990s.
Stockton was a traditional point guard, who was more concerned with playmaking and setting up his teammates rather than getting his own shot. In fact, Stockton is still to this day the NBA’s all-time leader in assists with 15,806.
And at this point in time, no active player can come close to surpassing him, with Chris Paul being the closest active player, and being 5,000 assists short. Stockton is considered one of the game’s most elite passers and was one of the best players in the NBA during the 80s and 90s.
On top of that, he was also one of the most consistent stars in the league. He only missed 22 games in the span of 2 years and played 82 games in 16 seasons. His ability to stay healthy and contribute got him the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Hilariously, none of the fans in Barcelona recognized Stockton as he roamed the streets during his time there. But he was part of the historic ‘Dream Team’ that brought Olympic gold back to the United States after consecutively poor performances over the years.
His play was extremely fundamental but world-class. So much so, that Wilt Chamberlain actually said he would pick John Stockton to build an NBA franchise around, calling him the most complete player at his position at the time.
”You won’t believe this, but I love Johnny Stockton. I think he’s the most complete person in his position.”
Stockton was a crucial part of the Utah Jazz team that reached the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. But he and Karl Malone were bested by Michael Jordan in both series. At his Hall of Fame induction, he roasted Michael Jordan for his iconic game-winning shot in the 1998 Finals and even got a laugh from MJ.
Stockton was an elite point guard. And the only thing that kept him from being mentioned more prominently in the all-time point guards conversation with Magic Johnson and Steph Curry is his lack of championships. But there is no denying just how good Stockton was.
