John Stockton

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Stockton was born and raised in Spokane, Washington to Clementine (née Frei) 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. He played college basketball for Dan Fitzgerald at Gonzaga University. During his senior year in 1984, he averaged 20.9 points per game shooting 57% from the field, led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals, and was named WCAC Player of the Year. He was one of 74 college players invited to the spring tryouts for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team coached by Bob Knight; he made the initial cut to 20 but was released in the penultimate cut to 16 players. Though not selected, the experience led him to meet his future teammate and friend, Karl Malone.

In Their Own Story

Inside the Delta Center, the crowd’s roar dulled to a backdrop as Stockton caught the ball. No wasted dribbles, no hesitation. He scanned the defense not with his eyes alone but with an internal clock, predicting the pick-and-roll outcome before it happened. A sharp flick of the wrist sent the ball through a narrow seam, bypassing two defenders to land perfectly in Karl Malone’s hands for the dunk. Stockton didn't celebrate. There was no fist pump or scream—just a steady nod and an immediate sprint back on defense, already processing the next possession.

Reader's Guide

Stockton was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft as the 16th overall pick. He became the starting point guard for the Jazz in the 1987–88 season. He led the league in assists per game for nine consecutive seasons and led the league in steals per game in 1988–89 and 1991–92. On February 1, 1995, he passed Magic Johnson as the NBA's all-time leader in assists. On March 25, 1995, he became just the second player in NBA history to have recorded 2,000 steals. He was named to the All-NBA first team for the 1995–96 season. Stockton and the Jazz reached the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, losing both times to the Chicago Bulls in six games. He retired on May 2, 2003. His number 12 jersey was retired by the Jazz on November 22, 2004. A statue of Stockton stands in front of the Delta Center.

Did You Know?

• Stockton missed only 22 games in his 19-season career and played every game of 17 seasons.
• He was voted the second dirtiest player in a 1997 Sports Illustrated poll, behind Dennis Rodman.
• Stockton continued wearing 'short shorts' long after other NBA players switched to baggier shorts; these became known as 'Stocktons'.
• He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 as an individual, and again in 2010 as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.