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John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is an American former professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. Regarded as one of the great
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
s of all time, he spent his entire NBA career (1984–2003) with the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
, and the team made the playoffs in all of his 19 seasons. In
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
and
1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, together with his longtime teammate Karl Malone, Stockton led the Jazz to the franchise's only two
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
appearances, both of which ended in losses to the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. Stockton was a ten-time NBA All-Star and holds the NBA records for most career assists and steals by wide margins. He was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 2009 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States Olympic basketball team. In 1996, he was named one of the
50 greatest players in NBA history The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
. In October 2021, Stockton was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
.nba.com/75 In 2022, Stockton appeared in a documentary and expressed anti-vaccine views and his belief in COVID-19 conspiracies. Stockton later unsuccessfully sued the Washington attorney general and the executive director of the Washington Medical Commission, challenging the discipline of doctors who spread COVID-19 conspiracy theories as unconstitutional.


Early years

Stockton was born and raised in
Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...
, to Clementine () and Jack Stockton. He attended grade school at St. Aloysius and moved on to high school at Gonzaga Prep and graduated in 1980, after breaking the city record for points scored in a single basketball season.


College career

After considering offers from Don Monson at
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
and Mike Montgomery at
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
(both in the Big Sky Conference), Stockton decided to stay in Spokane and play
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for Dan Fitzgerald at
Gonzaga University Gonzaga University (GU) ( ) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington, United States. It is Higher education accreditation in the United States, accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges ...
. He became the third generation in his family at GU; grandfather Houston Stockton was a well-known football player for the Bulldogs in the 1920s. Fitzgerald was also the athletic director; he stepped away from coaching for four years after Stockton's freshman year and promoted assistant Jay Hillock to head coach. During his senior year for the Bulldogs in 1984, Stockton averaged 20.9 points per game shooting 57% from the field. The Zags posted a 17–11 record, their best in 17 years, and Stockton led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals. For his performance, he was named WCAC Player of the Year, the first-ever Gonzaga player to earn the award. He was one of 74 college players invited to the spring tryouts for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team coached by
Bob Knight Robert Montgomery Knight (October 25, 1940 – November 1, 2023) was an American men's college basketball coach (basketball), coach. Nicknamed "the General", he won 902 NCAA Division I men's basketball games, a record at the time of his retire ...
. Stockton made the initial cut in April to the final 20, but was one of four released in May (with Charles Barkley, Terry Porter, and Maurice Martin) in the penultimate cut to 16 players. Though not selected, the experience led him to meet his future teammate and friend, Karl Malone.


Professional career


Utah Jazz (1984–2003)

In June 1984, Stockton was selected by the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft as the 16th overall pick. Though he was relatively unknown during his college career, his stock rose significantly in the months before the NBA draft. Nevertheless, the announcement of his selection to the thousands of Jazz fans gathered at the Salt Palace on draft day was met with a stunned silence. On November 10, 1984, Stockton had his highest scoring game as a rookie, with 19 points in only 19 minutes of playing time, during a loss against the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. Stockton became the starting point guard for the Jazz in the 1987–88 season. That season, despite eventually finishing tenth in MVP voting and being named to the All-NBA Second Team after averaging 14.7 points, 13.8 assists (best in the league), and 3 steals a game, Stockton was not selected to play in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game. In 1988–89, he played in his first All-Star Game; that season he also led the league in steals per game (while once again leading the NBA in assists per game, which he would do for nine consecutive seasons). Stockton also led the league in steals per game in 1991-92. On January 15, 1991, Stockton scored 20 points and dished out a career-high and franchise-record 28 assists in a 124–102 home win against the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On February 12, Stockton nearly recorded a triple-double after putting up 19 points, 11 assists, and 9 steals in a 113–92 win over the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
. In 1992, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time; however, they were defeated by the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
in six games. Along with Malone, Stockton was named co- MVP of the All-Star Game in 1993 and the game was held in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
. During the 1994–95 season, Stockton achieved many milestones. On February 1, 1995, he passed Magic Johnson (who had 9,921 assists) as the NBA's all-time leader in assists as he dished out 16 assists in a 129–98 victory over the visiting
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. His 16 assists gave him 9,937 assists for his career at that time. Magic Johnson, in an interview, said to Stockton, "John, from one assist man to another, you are the greatest team leader I have ever played against." Seventeen days later, Stockton dished out 15 assists in a 108–98 victory over the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. His 15 assists gave him a career total of 10,008 assists, the first-ever player to have dished out 10,000 assists in his career. On March 25, Stockton became just the second player in NBA history to have recorded 2,000 steals after recording 6 steals in a 117–110 loss to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals again in 1994 and 1996, but lost to the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA) ...
and the Seattle SuperSonics, respectively. Utah set a franchise record and led the Western Conference with 64 wins in the 1996–97 season. The team again reached the Western Conference Finals. In Game Six of the Conference Finals, Stockton scored 25 points, dished out 13 assists, and made a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-point shot over the Rockets' Charles Barkley to send the Jazz to the first of two consecutive
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
appearances. Stockton's game-winner became known as "The Shot". In Game 3 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Stockton recorded 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists in their first Finals' win in franchise history. The Jazz were defeated by the
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
-led
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
in six games in the Finals. Stockton missed the first 18 games of the 1997–98 season with a knee injury, but the Jazz returned to the NBA Finals and again faced the Bulls. In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Stockton made a three-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to give the Jazz a lead, but Bulls guard
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
made two field goals to put his team ahead 87–86. Stockton missed a three-point attempt with 5.2 seconds left and said in a post-game interview that he felt confident the shot would go in. The Bulls again defeated the Jazz in six games. The Jazz made the NBA playoffs every season during Stockton's 19-year NBA career.


Retirement

On May 2, 2003, Stockton announced his retirement with a released statement instead of the customary news conference. The Jazz later held a retirement ceremony for him, in which Salt Lake City renamed the street in front of the venue known as Delta Center, where the Jazz play, John Stockton Drive. Stockton would later declare that despite being still content with the game and how well he was playing, his growing family made him feel that "sitting in the hotel room waiting for games wasn't making up for what I was missing at home." Stockton's number 12 jersey was retired by the Jazz during a game on November 22, 2004. A statue of Stockton can be seen in front of the Delta Center; an accompanying statue of Karl Malone was placed nearby on March 23, 2006. The Malone and Stockton statues stand on a bronze plaque commemorating their achievements together. Stockton was inducted into the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
in 2009. Stockton was also inducted into the Hall of Fame along with the rest of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team in 2010.


Player profile

Stockton was notable for his durability, missing only 22 games in his 19-season career and playing every game of 17 seasons. In his first 13 seasons, he missed only four games (all in the 1989–90 season) until he missed the first 18 games of the 1997–98 season due to an injured MCL in his left knee sustained in the preseason. That was the only major injury in his career, and he never missed another game after returning from that injury. Stockton earned the "old school" tag for his physical play; surveys of athletes and fans alike often judged him among the toughest players in the NBA, usually just behind teammate Karl Malone. Stockton's tenacity also earned him a reputation among some in the league as being a dirty player, as suggested by a poll ''Sports Illustrated'' conducted in 1997 where he was voted as the second dirtiest player in the league behind Dennis Rodman. His patented "short shorts" became known as "Stocktons"—since he continued to wear the style long after the rest of the league had adopted a baggier look. Stockton's career is also notable for its consistency and longevity. He remained a starting NBA player until his retirement at age 41. Stockton avoided most endorsements and stayed loyal to Utah despite being offered more money by other teams. In 1996, he agreed to a deal that made salary-cap space available so the team could improve, but in exchange, he insisted on guaranteed Delta Center ice time for his son's hockey team. For many years, Karl Malone and Stockton were the Jazz's one-two punch. The two played a record 1,412 regular season games together as teammates. Many of Stockton's assists resulted from passes to Malone. Stockton and Malone have been described as the greatest pick-and-roll combination of all time. Stockton and Malone are also considered the two best players to never have won an NBA championship. Stockton holds a commanding lead for the NBA record for career assists with 15,806. He was the first player to reach the 10,000 through 15,000 career assist milestones. Stockton also holds the record for assists-per-game average over one season (14.5 in 1990) and is one of three players who have logged more than 1,000 assists in one season, joining Kevin Porter (1,099 in 1979) and
Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III ( ; born April 30, 1961), also known as "Zeke", is an American former professional basketball player who is head coach of the Saginaw Soul of the Basketball Super League, and also an analyst for NBA TV and Fox Sports. H ...
(1,123 in 1985) in the exclusive list. Stockton did this seven times, with season totals of 1,164, 1,134, 1,128, 1,126, 1,118, 1,031 and 1,011 assists. On defense, Stockton holds the NBA record for career steals with 3,265. Stockton was also a capable scorer (13.1 points per game career average and a 51.5 career shooting percentage) with a reliable three-point shot (38.4% lifetime average). As of February 2023, he is 55th on the all-time NBA scoring list with 19,711 career points. Stockton was selected to the All-NBA First Team twice, the All-NBA Second Team six times, the All-NBA Third Team three times, and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team five times. He was selected to 10 All-Star Games. He was named one of the
50 Greatest Players in NBA history The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...
in 1996. On May 11, 2006,
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
.com named Stockton the fourth best
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
of all time. In October 2021, Stockton was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the 
NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...
In 1999, ''Sports Illustrated'' named Stockton as the best athlete to come out of the state of Washington in the 20th century. In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary ''
The Athletic ''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports journalism department of ''The New York Times''. It provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories ...
'' ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Stockton as the 25th greatest player in NBA history.


Awards and achievements


Regular season

* Only player in NBA history to record multiple games with at least 25 assists made. (3) * One of two players in NBA history to lead the league in steals and assists in the same season. (2) ** Chris Paul achieved this 3 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.


International play

Stockton, along with other NBA stars, played on the basketball team in the 1992 Olympics in
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, Spain. The 1992 team was the first U.S. Olympic squad to feature NBA players. The team became known as the Dream Team; the
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...
called it "the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet". Stockton also played on the 1996 U.S. men's Olympic basketball team. Stockton won gold medals with both the 1992 and 1996 teams.


Post-retirement activities

Following his retirement, Stockton moved back to his hometown Spokane. He started coaching in youth teams, being "an assistant on seven or eight teams at once" in 2003. The Jazz also invited Stockton to train both
Deron Williams Deron Michael Williams ( ; born June 26, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball, Illinois Fighting Illini before being drafted third overall in ...
and Trey Burke. Stockton also became involved in various businesses including construction projects. In 2013, Stockton released an autobiography entitled ''Assisted''. The book was written with the assistance of his junior high school coach, Kerry L. Pickett. Karl Malone wrote the foreword. Stockton was on the Jazz's long list of coaching candidates to replace Tyrone Corbin before the selection of
Quin Snyder Quin Price Snyder (born October 30, 1966) is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After being named a McDonald's All American as a high school player i ...
. On October 28, 2015, Stockton joined Montana State University's women's basketball program as an assistant coach to replace Kellee Barney. Barney left the program to pursue a career in business, and Stockton had previously coached four of the players on the MSU women's team when they played for teams in
Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It h ...
leagues. In 2021, Stockton appeared in a video series titled "V-Revealed, COVID Edition," raising doubt about the
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
pandemic and warning against vaccines. Stockton said he had done a "significant amount of research" and determined, "This isn't a virus cheating us of these opportunities. It's the guys making decisions saying, 'No, no, we're too scared. We're going to shut everything down. He made the claim that "hundreds" of athletes had died due to receiving a COVID vaccine, which was found by PolitiFact to be a false statement. In January 2022, Gonzaga suspended his season tickets because of his refusal to comply with the university's mask mandate.


Personal life

Hust Stockton, Stockton's grandfather (born John Houston Stockton) played professional football for the Frankford Yellow Jackets in the nascent
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
in the 1920s; Stockton was a member of the Yellow Jackets' 1926 NFL Championship team. Stockton and his wife, the former Nada Stepovich (the daughter of Matilda Stepovich and Mike Stepovich, the last territorial governor of
Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...
) reside in Spokane. They have two daughters (Lindsay and Laura) and four sons (Houston,
Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
,
David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...
, and Samuel). Stockton and his family are Catholics. Houston Stockton played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
as a
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
for the
Montana Grizzlies The Montana Grizzlies and Lady Griz are the nicknames given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana, located in Missoula, Montana, Missoula. The university is a member of the Big Sky Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fieldin ...
. In 2011, Michael Stockton, who played basketball at
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
's Westminster College, signed with BG Karlsruhe in Germany's second basketball division. In 2017, Michael signed with BG Göttingen in Germany's first basketball division, the
Basketball Bundesliga The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the German basketball league system, highest level Sports league, league of professional club basketball in German ...
. David Stockton completed his college basketball career at Gonzaga in
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
and, after playing for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA's Development League, played for the NBA's
Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Confere ...
and
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. Daughter Lindsay Stockton played basketball for Montana State University and daughter Laura Stockton played basketball at Gonzaga. Laura signed her first professional contract to play for Herner TC in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 2020. In 2022, she signed a contract with the TK Hannover Luchse ("Lynxes") in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...
, Germany, where she soon became a fan favorite thanks to her powerful, aggressive playing style. In that season, Laura Stockton and the Lynxes won the German Cup and reached the championship finals, gaining home advantage as top seeded team after the regular season. After forward and scoring leader Angel Rizor suffered a broken hand in game 1, they lost 0–3 against the new champions, the Keltern Stars. Stockton has a brother and three nephews who have played college basketball. Steve Stockton, his brother, played for the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
. Steve Stockton's oldest son Steve Stockton Jr. played at Whitworth College; another son, Shawn Stockton finished his college basketball career at the
University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana, United States. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. Fall 2024 saw total enrollment hit 10,811, marki ...
in the 2011–12 season; and Steve's youngest son, Riley played for Seattle Pacific. Stockton has appeared in television commercials for Foot Locker, State Farm Insurance, and Diet Pepsi.


In popular culture

In 2024, Stockton was referenced in
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
's Grammy Award-winning diss track "
Not Like Us "Not Like Us" is a diss track by the American rapper Kendrick Lamar amidst Drake–Kendrick Lamar feud, his highly publicized feud with the Canadian rapper Drake (musician), Drake. Released on May 4, 2024, through Interscope Records, it broke ...
", which targeted Canadian rapper Drake. The reference alluded to Stockton's skill as a passer and past paternity claims made against his teammate, Karl Malone.


NBA career statistics


Regular season

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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 38 , , 23.6 , , .489 , , .133 , , .839 , , 2.2 , , 7.4 , , 1.9 , , .1 , , 7.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 2 , , 22.7 , , .499 , , .179 , , .782 , , 1.8 , , 8.2 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , 7.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
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Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 78 , , 78 , , 37.4 , , .514 , , .416 , , .819 , , 2.6 , , style="background:#e0cef2;", 14.5 , , 2.7 , , .2 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 37.8 , , .507 , , .345 , , .836 , , 2.9 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 14.2* , , 2.9 , , .2 , , 17.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 36.6 , , .482 , , .407 , , .842 , , 3.3 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 13.7* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 3.0* , , .3 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 34.9 , , .486 , , .385 , , .798 , , 2.9 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 12.0* , , 2.4 , , .3 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 36.2 , , .528 , , .322 , , .805 , , 3.1 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 12.6* , , 2.4 , , .3 , , 15.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 35.0 , , .542 , , .449 , , .804 , , 3.1 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 12.3* , , 2.4 , , .3 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 35.5 , , .538 , , .422 , , .830 , , 2.8 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 11.2* , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 14.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 35.3 , , .548 , , .422 , , .846 , , 2.8 , , 10.5 , , 2.0 , , .2 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 64 , , 64 , , 29.0 , , .528 , , .429 , , .827 , , 2.6 , , 8.5 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 12.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, style="background:#cfecec;", 50* , , style="background:#cfecec;", 50* , , 28.2 , , .488 , , .320 , , .811 , , 2.9 , , 7.5 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 29.7 , , .501 , , .355 , , .860 , , 2.6 , , 8.6 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 12.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 29.1 , , .504 , , .462 , , .817 , , 2.8 , , 8.7 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 11.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , 82 , , 31.3 , , .517 , , .321 , , .857 , , 3.2 , , 8.2 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 82 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 27.7 , , .483 , , .363 , , .826 , , 2.5 , , 7.7 , , 1.7 , , .2 , , 10.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,504 , , 1,300 , , 31.8 , , .515 , , .384 , , .826 , , 2.7 , , 10.5 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , 13.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 10 , , 5 , , 19.7 , , .530 , , .333 , , .667 , , 1.7 , , 7.1 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 8.1


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 10 , , 0 , , 18.6 , , .467 , , .000 , , .743 , , 2.8 , , 4.3 , , 1.1 , , .2 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1986 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 4 , , 0 , , 14.3 , , .529 , , 1.000 , , .889 , , 1.5 , , 3.5 , , 1.3 , , .0 , , 6.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 2 , , 31.4 , , .621 , , .800 , , .729 , , 2.2 , , 8.0 , , 3.0 , , .2 , , 10.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1988 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 43.5 , , .507 , , .286 , , .824 , , 4.1 , , 14.8 , , 3.4 , , .3 , , 19.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 3 , , 3 , , 46.3 , , .508 , , .750 , , .905 , , 3.3 , , 13.7 , , 3.7 , , 1.7 , , 27.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1990 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 38.8 , , .420 , , .077 , , .800 , , 3.2 , , 15.0 , , 1.2 , , .0 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 9 , , 9 , , 41.4 , , .537 , , .407 , , .841 , , 4.7 , , 13.8 , , 2.2 , , .2 , , 18.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 16 , , 16 , , 38.9 , , .423 , , .310 , , .833 , , 2.9, , 13.6 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , 14.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 38.6 , , .451 , , .385 , , .833 , , 2.4 , , 11.0 , , 2.4 , , .0 , , 13.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",
1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 16 , , 16 , , 37.3 , , .456 , , .167 , , .810 , , 3.3 , , 9.8 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1995 NBA playoffs, 1995 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 38.6 , , .459 , , .400 , , .765 , , 3.4 , , 10.2 , , 1.4 , , .2 , , 17.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1996 NBA playoffs, 1996 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 18 , , 18 , , 37.7 , , .446 , , .289 , , .814 , , 3.2 , , 10.8 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1997 NBA playoffs, 1997 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 37.0 , , .521 , , .380 , , .856 , , 3.9 , , 9.6 , , 1.7 , , .3 , , 16.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1998 NBA playoffs, 1998 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 20 , , 20 , , 29.8 , , .494 , , .346 , , .718 , , 3.0 , , 7.8 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1999 NBA playoffs, 1999 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 11 , , 11 , , 32.0 , , .400 , , .333 , , .739 , , 3.3 , , 8.4 , , 1.6 , , .1 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2000 NBA playoffs, 2000 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 10 , , 10 , , 35.0 , , .461 , , .389 , , .767 , , 3.0 , , 10.3 , , 1.3 , , .2 , , 11.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2001 NBA playoffs, 2001 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 37.2 , , .459 , , .000 , , .714 , , 5.6 , , 11.4 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , 9.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2002 NBA playoffs, 2002 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 35.3 , , .450 , , .286 , , .923 , , 4.0 , , 10.0 , , 2.8 , , .3 , , 12.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2003 NBA playoffs, 2003 , style="text-align:left;",
Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...
, 5 , , 5 , , 29.8 , , .462 , , .000 , , 1.000 , , 3.2 , , 5.2 , , 1.6 , , .2 , , 11.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 182 , , 165 , , 35.2 , , .473 , , .326 , , .810 , , 3.3 , , 10.1 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , 13.4


See also

* List of NBA career games played leaders * List of NBA career assists leaders * List of NBA career steals leaders * List of NBA career turnovers leaders * List of NBA career personal fouls leaders * List of NBA career free throw scoring leaders * List of NBA career minutes played leaders * List of NBA career playoff assists leaders * List of NBA career playoff steals leaders * List of NBA career playoff turnovers leaders * List of NBA career playoff games played leaders * List of NBA single-game assists leaders * List of NBA single-game steals leaders * List of NBA single-season assists per game leaders * List of NBA single-season steals per game leaders * List of NBA seasons played leaders * List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise * List of second-generation NBA players


Notes


References


External links


NBA history profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stockton, John 1962 births Living people 20th-century American sportsmen American men's basketball players American people of Irish descent American people of Swiss-German descent American Roman Catholics American women's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Washington (state) Basketball players at the 1992 Summer Olympics Basketball players at the 1996 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Spokane, Washington Basketball players from Utah Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players Gonzaga Preparatory School alumni Medalists at the 1992 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Montana State Bobcats women's basketball coaches Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees NBA All-Stars NBA players with retired numbers Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball Point guards United States men's national basketball team players Utah Jazz draft picks Utah Jazz players