@@at1212b I think Greg Anthony may have had the most success guarding a tail-end of prime Stockton. But Payton had his moments defensively against Stockton, but sometimes looked helpless guarding #12, just as the rest of the NBA.
Notice how Webber didn't take the host's bait and call Stockton a "dirty" player? Instead, Chris chose the word "tough". That shows his respect for Stockton, and it happens to be true as well: Stockton was a tough son of a gun. No doubt about that.
For some reason there's a thing about Stockton being a 'dirty' player, but I think that goes back to SLAM or one of those magazines asking players 'who is the dirtiest player?' instead of 'who is the toughest player?', because I think Stockton would have won that poll as well. Stockton/Malone/Sloan are all top 5 candidates for toughest dude to ever play in the NBA. It's annoying to see the 'dirty' tag with Stockton though, because he wasn't a dirty player. He set vicious screens off-ball on the baseline and was physical, but neither of those is dirty. Prob 95%+ of players are too soft to even consider putting their body on the line the way John did. In fact, I've said this for about 20 years and nobody debating me to this day has been able to show me any play Stockton was 'dirty'. I'm still waiting. If he was as dirty as common knowledge says, we'd have tons of clips here on youtube. Yet NOT ONE PLAY can be presented as evidence.
Awesome story. John Stockton was my favorite player to watch. To this day, there's no one I've enjoyed watching more than him. I wouldn't be surprised if his assists record is never broken. Especially with the way the PG position is changing in today's game. No one will average double digit assists 10 years straight and almost 15 per game a few seasons. Played in just about every game in his career including all 82 games for the last 4 years of his career (until he was 40 years old). Didn't whine incessantly to the refs. Didn't back down from physical play. Humble. He just worked hard and was a professional. The best PG ever.
He was not the greatest player of all time but the most perfect. He almost never made a bad play. And the official 6'0" 180 lbs was a lie. He was really 5'10" 170 lbs. All muscle, bone and gristle.
good for Webber telling it like it is- he wasn't a cheap shot artist- he was straight up tough as nails and took no shit from anybody- never trash talked- never backed down
Guys would rough Stockton up, he would take it like a man and dig his elbow in on the next screen to let dudes know he wasn't going anywhere but to man up on the court in the toughest era of basketball ever. For Stockton to be one of the all time greats at his size in that era is astonishing. He was such an inspirational player.
Chris Webber belongs on the TNT Inside studio team again. It’s been stinking ever since Shaq took his spot. He is intelligent and adds to a conversation. Shaq is good at mumbling and yelling about how many rings he has
I watched a RU-vid video a few days ago...guys were telling Larry Bird stories...hilarious stuff....Bird trash talking, Bird calling his shots...etc. Shaq's "story" was about how Bird said he (Shaq) should come out of college early because he'd be so good in the league....tiresome...
Get rid of Kenny(I'm a legend) Smith. Always had to make everyone stop and listen to him. Always has excuses. Can't stand him. Acts like he's on the same level as Barkley and Shaq
Not true...they all made faces and argued...the difference is the 80s jazz we're hardly televised... If Magic and Bird didn't save the league we would all be watching baseball more...
Larry Bird is (rightfully) celebrated for his legendary trash talking. John doesn't get enough credit for his ability to take the wind out of a bloke's sails and intimidate in his own way. Folks sometimes mistake humility for lacking confidence. John never lacked confidence in his game or his ability to get back up for the next play. And he could give as well as he got.
@@angellostnet Well they're just different styles, because their genetics are different. But I never believed Stockton was short on confidence because he didn't talk trash like a Gary Payton. He did it in his own way like you said, and Larry Bird did it in his, which I feel worked to boost Bird's confidence to be his best, while Stockton secretly relished the opportunity to surprise ya. Although Bird wouldn't admit it to keep his thunder, I always believed his brand of trash talking had nothing to do w/ the opponent, but he was teaching himself into believing he had it, whereas Payton got energized by the trash talking. But I like you hate it when people make superficial assumptions about something based just on how it looks, when they don't walk in the person's shoes.
Lawl is right, sunshine. Stockton was the consummate point guard. Beats Johnson in assists and steals by what, hundreds? Thousands? Magic was a fantastic player, one of the all-time greats, and he deserved every ring he got. But Stockton was absolutely the better point guard.
I don't disagree. I would say Stock, Isiah, even Mo Cheeks more or less, personified true great PG's the most. Magic, with his size and versatility, was simply just a basketball player. Barkley once said, Magic, Bird, Jordan, Drexler and himself, didn't play a position. Chuck called Mo Cheeks the best pure point guard in the game, but Magic is the best player at the position. Before Stock really his career rolling.
whats!!!!! are you crazy, you are aware Magic Johnson was a Point guard! lol wtf... Stockton is probably number 4. I do Love John and he is very underrated, he literally had no flaws in his game, he was a great defender, very good shooter, unbelievable passer. but he and karl didn't win anything. The greatest point guards all time is MAGIC it's not even debatable. 1.Magic 2. Oscar Robertson 3. Isaiah Thomas "Zeke would have won two championships being the best player on his team and would have won three if he didn't get hurt playing the Lakers in the middle of game 6 in 1988 or if bill laimbeer didn't get called for a foul when he didn't commit one".... 4 John Stockton 5. Nash is very underrated 6.Kid
Magic is a Top 5 Player All time! BobxLawxBlaw are you insane or are you just someone who doesn't know basketball or perhaps your a white person who just blindly thinks stockton is better because he is white like yourself. magic won a ring his rookie year playing center when kareem went down beating a very very talented 76ers team almost single handedly the last 2 games of the series. his stats in game 6 were as follows 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists 2 blocks and 4 steals ( lol stockton could never have that kind of impact on a game) or step in if Malone went down and take the Jazz to a title. Stockton is great, but your comparing apples and oranges. what are you going to say next stockton is better than Jordan lol
i agree. both o you though. john stockton would be my first pick at pg. but i agree magic is top 5 or at least top 10. stockton's just a great shooter, a tough defender, and the best facilitator ever.
That Stockton Malone combo was deadly. Weber would probably have a ring if not for Robert Horry. Those Laker King series were epic. Those fucking cow bells used to drive me crazy!
pretty crazy how durable he was. 4 years of college, then 19 seasons in the nba, playing a full 82 season 16 of those times, and went to the playoffs every single year he played. and he didnt even decline that much. was still pretty productive even in his last season at the age of 40 averaging 11 and 8. probably couldve gone a few more years if he wanted
John has said several times that if the Jazz were still legitimate title contenders when he retired that he would've played another year or 2. He also said that it was when he couldn't psychologically amp himself up on game day anymore that he knew it was time to walk away. For that reason I'm happy that they were a fringe playoff team by then. Short of getting a ring John had nothing left to accomplish or to prove. Another year or 2 wasn't going to change how folks remember his career. And padding his records for assists or seals would've been pointless. While nothing is impossible, it'll take some superhuman cyborg enhancements for anyone to catch him on either account. Particularly in an era of load management, a principle that is long overdue. That an athlete WANTS to run themselves into the ground doesn't mean we should let them. Which brings us back to Stockton. By walking away when he did he gets to enjoy his twilight years watching his kids play and, perhaps eventually, getting into coaching.
@@markbrinton6790 Right. He was a few games away from 82 games in 18 seasons and the one where he missed 17 games was when he came back WAY early from knee surgery. Stockton was hard hat and lunch pale. He played in Barcelona with a freakin' broken leg. Tape me up coach! To play in those days was hardcore. Games were defensive slugfests. And defenders could play with one elbow (on the ball defense). For Stockton to take the beating he did and NEVER flinch was amazing. Look at his assists, steals and durability. And don't forget that he could score when the game was on the line
I remember that game vividly. I loved watching the Kings that first year with CWebb and Jason Williams. Stockton was far past his prime, but he just schooled Jason, baiting him into turnovers and bad fouls. It was pretty amazing.
Each one of David Robinson's trapezius' weighs more than my entire person. That guy was ripped; People forget the days when Robinson was C and young Tim Duncan was PF. That Spurs team gave the Jazz a lot of good competition in the West Conference, same with the Rockets.
It's in this clip but the seconds before that (leading up to it) were left out, where Stockton and Robinson are banging back and forth (shoulder and hip). ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-W25t7wXLVfw.html
John Stockton was not dirty at all. And I challenge someone to show a clip of Stockton being "dirty". Then, when you find that clip, show me the 10 plays rights before that. Let's see what was done BEFORE that play happened.
Not surprised Stockton reacted that way. Compare that to oubre charging olynyks questionable dirty screen. Too many players today feel they are entitled to certain space on the floor. Back then, you had to earn it with toughness and the silent respect of fellow players. We are only now hearing about how so many players respected Stockton. Probably because they are so disgusted with the softness and arrogance of most of today's players.
Stockton is like a friendly high school math teacher off the court, but a PG version of Michael Jordan on the court when it comes down to the killer mentality of a championship player
I’d pay to watch old John Stockton hang out at famous street courts around the country and hustle people. Dress him up in khaki shorts and New Balance and maybe a Titleist hat and watch him embarrass people.
Watched the game live. It was a brutal forearm shiver by that eras standards. Stockton played injured the rest of the series. Weber said Stock bounced back up but any follower of the Jazz saw him get more up slowly than usual. Today play is whimpy.
It is rare for an NBA great to be a devout Catholic and his family remains intact with all the temptations being lured by fame, money, and gold diggers (not necessarily women). John Stockton has shown we can thrive in a men's game filled with egos and material gains without losing one's soul. That family is important and something to take really personal, otherwise greatness is nothing. Stockton never won a ring, but his family is the one thing he has the edge over MJ23 the GOAT.
That is his competitive side for sure, helps some with confidence to believe you're the best. Now that he's a commentator and the more he does it, he's allowed himself to step back from the game a bit and be retrospective.
Real tough of Webber to go after the smallest guy on the court. Jerry Sloan said that he was too much of a wimp to try to hit Karl Malone. Total punk move.
adameblen nobody hit Malone in the front- Kenyon Martin and Rodman threw in some cheap shots- Barkley and Rodman and all big men went after Stockton and he never backed down- tough as nails not dirty- true competitors
