@Dom Dizzle The year before Jordan's first "retirement" the Bulls won 57 games. The next year without Jordan, the bulls won 55 games. No one remembers that.
Agreed. The Glove shut down Jordan in the 1996 NBA finals when he was the primary defender in games 4-6 (check the stats if you don’t believe me). I don’t recall GP doing anything similar to Stockton.
he was the best classic point guard of all time, meaning he did like the best job of a point guard in terms of passing and stuff. after all he has more assists and steals. but a point guard can be more than the classic role. its why he isnt the best point guard of all time. i would say magic johnson stephen curry and other people would also be a better pg in terms of their other attributes. also depends on the team style tbh. like stockton in warriors wouldnt work just as curry in jazz. k thats a bad comparison completely different eras.
Now add to that, dude broke a leg. In 19 Years, missed 22 Games. Played in the Olympics. And Broke his leg. Dude didn't even sit out the Olympics, didn't take an 'honor position' and recover. If he could walk, he could play. There was no 'hurt' in John's game. There was Injured, or Available... and Available was Starting.
Stockton has 2 records that are NEVER going to be broken, only missed a handful of games in a near 20 year career, and was just all around a solid player. He is truly a great one.
"he was there mostly and just an all around good player"- those two things aren't records lol. here's an example of a record "Stockton holds the NBA record for career steals with 3,265"
John Stockton is like Tim Duncan. They just played ball, don't matter how they looked like while playing, they're just happy to play and compete. Purest PG!
Stockton was amazing and it’s hard to overstate just how great he was. I grew up in Chicago during the 90s and there were very few players that I, as a Bulls fan, dreaded facing. Stockton was one of them. He made things happen on the floor that you couldn’t predict.
My favorite part of John was his humility. He still doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him. He loved the game and it showed in spades. Miss watching him.
Actually, we don’t know if he has humility. He just didn’t say anything, period, so you could never tell whether he was cocky, confident, or humble. We still don’t know...
About 1995 I was in Orlando and my friend Chris had second row seats. The Magic had an 18 game home win streak, longest in the league that year. When the starters came out on the court I saw Stockton was matched up against Penny Hardaway, who was 6'7" to Stockton's 6'. I thought no way can he handle Penny. When all said and done Stockton dominated the game. He was everywhere, scoring 20 with close to 20 assists, and held Hardaway under 10. He always knew where his teammates were. Talk about Basketball IQ, Stockton was a superb point guard.
No he wasn’t if you look at his early record. His surgery after his third season changed his fortunes. Penny said it robbed him of his “explosiveness”. Had the medical treatments we have now had been available then who knows where he would have ended up?
Yes and no. He decline after the injuries and dont get me wrong i think his ceiling might be "Payton" or "jkidd" level but definitely not Kobe Tmac Broy Wade level.
@@GrandinquisitorIK no he wasn't. Injuries are what ruined his potential. Penny was an instant success right off the bat. His first year the Magic became a title contender. Penny would've gone down as one of the greatest players in history had it not been for injuries.
But Shaq was there. Watch him play, not the highlights. Shooting was perhaps J kidd level. He had shooters and super young Shaq but his apg was just decent not mind blowing. He was good but like Kemp, cmon a lot have come that are much more skilled than them. Hated the kid but that lamelo is proving haters he's the real deal.
Stockton came to my tiny post in Korea in the mid 90s. He put on a shooting demonstration for all of us and some dribbling too while we are on the actual court with him, not in the stands. As a lifelong basketball player, let's just say that he still remains the best basketball player I have ever personally been on the court with. Stockton was the real deal and, above else, a fearless, driven competitor every game he ever played. Never saw him take a game off.
I've been watching old Iverson games to remind myself how good he was, and there is one thing I noticed. Stockton is the only defender that would consistently stay on AI, not bite on crosses, always in his face. When I really paid attention I completely understood why so many guys named him as hard to go against, and I totally got it.
My favorite bit of John Stockton trivia I came across over the years: his resting heart rate was 35 bpm! With his amazing cardio, he ran circles around people; I loved how he moved *without* the ball.
It shows how deep the nba was back then. Two HOFers on the same team and at no point were they the best team. There was always a great team in their way ranging from the all time great 80s Lakers, then to the Blazers, Barkley Suns, Rockets and Sonics.
@@quikdeath100 right, because all those teams had 2 or 3 hall of famers, and another 1 or 2 all stars, DPOY, 6th man etc. Stockton had Malone, and that's it. Hornacek was very good, but by the time he joined the Jazz he was already having knee issues. He had Ostertag, Keefe, etc. It's amazing they won as many games as they did.
@@alainverse6126 true, a shot clock violation Harper 3 that shouldn't have counted, and an Eisley 3 that was clearly good and waived off. They got screwed out of a game 7 at the very least.
As a Rockets fan growing up, and with Utah being a rival, Stockton used to piss me off! I remember when he put that dagger in my heart in 97 to send Utah back to the finals. But looking back, I can definitely tell you that he was one of the best point guards to ever do it. Him and Tim Duncan remind me a lot of each other. No flash in their games, but they were efficient and good as can be.
I knew something was wrong because there was no way Stockton should have been wide open like that, but being a kid I didn't know what really happened until years later. That dagger was only possible because the Jazz cheated by grabbing onto the switch man. They planned the cheat before the play started.
Another fun memory with John was when he straight up tackled David Robinson, a man who had a foot of height and plenty of weight/muscle advantage on him. I remember David getting up laughing, just incredulous that this little dude went full linebacker on him. I don't even remember the details of why he did it. But it was funny as hell to watch and rewatch.
Stockton was simply amazing, his impact on the game, and his competitive spirit and skill. As a Seattle Supersonics fan, in the George Karl-Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp era, Utah and Stockton-Malone were our key playoff matchup every year. It was a worthy rivalry, and Stockton was always so tough, so consistent. Stockton always first looked to set up his teammates--he'd rather assist a teammate than score himself, but he was such a deadly shooter when foolishly left alone, and talented finisher on drives that he'd always score his share. Stockton made that Utah team go, along with Malone, Hornacek, Russell, et al. That year Utah made the finals against the Bulls, that edition of the Utah Jazz wins a title against nearly any other team in NBA history, but for the incredible Michael Jordan.
I was 16 years old living in Sandy, UT when Stockton hit that three pointer in Houston! The city was on fire that night due to us celebrating. Best years #90s
Let me tell you something. I'm a Rockets fan, and i still love Stockton. The Barkley trade ruined Houston..... It was his fat ass that missed the Stockton assignment 😂 just rewatch the video
@@deridivisstar884 Fact. It started with the Drexler though coming in 1995. They were very lucky they won in the first round. Jazz almost had them in that series.
@@deridivisstar884 1993-1996 The Rockets had no answer for the Sonics frontcourt. They never beat them since 1993. Which worked out since they finally beat the sonics in 1997 with Barkley. That's about it. Well to be fair Barkley was still good before the injury in 1994 and a lot of teams were optimistic he'll return in shape.
John Stockton was one of the better, more durable point guards in the league, back in the day. Nothing flashy, just hardnosed, dedicated, professional! Stockton was a guy who played Detroit Piston Defense in a Utah Jazz Uniform..... 🥊❗🛑
I catch myself watching games on youtube from that era. I watched those games back then and to me, still the best the game was ever played. Today's game is missing the post play. Does anyone play the 4 or 5 position anymore? I guess I'm just old and out of the loop.
Great team player. Worked his tail off every day. Played with humility and toughness. Great role model on and off the court! Nice to see him getting his well deserved props!!!
I will always believe he’s the best PG ever. No one will ever beat his record of most assist or steals. He was also tough as nails and an incredible competitor
@Ronald Wilson if you honestly believe that you have no idea about basketball. Sure he benefited from Malone, but he had little else and made those subpar players into decent players. Even without Malone Stockton would have been a Hall of Famer
Its trendy with the new generation to say Stockton was overrated because he wasn't the most athletic, and he had Malone. #1 listen to the legends who played with him. #2 Luka isn't super athletic and he's still bustin people's mouths on the court. #3 Malone wouldn't have been the legend Malone without Stockton.
It's trendy to claim any great white player was or is overrated sadly, people just need to appreciate talent full stop. But yeah Stockton is one of the all time great point guards absolutely
John Stockton was excellent so with Jason Kidd and so is Gary Payton but in my book and most perfect point guard that I saw was Isaiah Thomas you can shoot some outside you could drive to the bucket worked hard on defense I don't think they get no better and no more all around and not there and he was a true leader he went to Star of a team that won 2 championships he was the only Superstar Joe Dumars was nice but I was there was the guy Disturbed to drink I think he's the best point guard of all time and then you got out of tiny Archibald I guess tacos actually don't get me wrong you know he was actually but if you compare him and Isaiah Isaiah hartenstein to championships you know I don't know how many pictures were better overall team than you Chara I don't know but I do know and Isaiah Thomas team won 2 championships that's what I know with him being up the main star
John Stockton wasn't fast huh? Uh maybe at the end of his career but the 1st ten years he was very fast and quick. Stockton was a great athlete . He could dunk but I believe he chose not to. He played with his feet close to the floor not trying to jump his highest most of the time, that's one of the reasons why he stayed healthy for so long .
He would make athletic opponents look less athletic and his teammates look more athletic. Even Malone was sort of brutish clumsy dude, but he was strong
people also think that Stockton couldn't dunk. He just didn't dunk in games, but he would dunk once every year in practice just to prove to the rookies that he could.
@@justjoe811 I remember a game against the Bulls, isolated on the left side, Jordan fully concentrated in a crouched defensive stance with one hand behind his back waving away his teammates so it's single coverage, manu a manu. Stockton meanwhile casually dribbling at walk speed away from the basket. Then a crossover somehow (I forget if it was behind the back or not) and despite Jordan's intensity, Stockton was in for a layup. And then later in the game, the exact same thing, same side of the court, only difference was maybe Jordan was even more determined to stop him. One of those "How did he do that?" moments. Twice in one game!
A true artist. I feel privileged to have watched him play in my hometown. I was a little fella up in the nose bleeds when he broke the all time assist record. GOAT point guard, no doubt. Cool video.
Sean, I've been a subscriber for a loooong time. This is one of your very best videos. John Stockton might be the most underrated PG in NBA history. Thanks for validating his greatness.
Stockton always passed the ball exactly where the players needed it most. Players didn't have to adjust their body or time their run. They just needed to move towards the space and Stockton would just put the ball in their hands for an effortless bucket.
Stockton is my all time favorite player. Owns 2 of the 5 major statistical categories of the NBA. He rarely missed games and gave 100 percent every night. He had balls of steal. He wouldn't back down from guys that had 80 lbs on him.
Stockton was also a dream point guard for my Fantasy Basketball teams back then. When you have a PG with 50% FG% that would ensure you having a solid team to compete.
Stockton played every game every year, during the most physical era of the game. His toughness and conditioning were more impressive than his historic skills. Absolute legend. Best PG ever
Keep up the great work. I enjoy all your videos. I grew up in this era and getting a short escape from the madness of 2020, via your videos, has been amazing. Thanks again Sean!
For me it's between Stockton and Magic. 1A/1B. It's almost more about what kind of Offense I want. Neither was 'bad' at either, but I'll give Magic the 'Full Court Advantage' and John the 'Set Offense Advantage'. Again, both were great at all aspects, we're talking splitting hairs at who was 'better' at which. Magic averaged 7.2 Total Rebounds a Game, which is huge. John only put up 2.7. True, Rebounds aren't the purpose of a PG, but it's nice if you got one that helps in that area. Which was surprising when Gary Payton was talking about John's Rebounding. Magic shot .520 on his Career, John shot .515. Those are very comparable. But John shot .384 from Down Town, to .303 from Magic. Magic ACTUALLY shot Free Throws better, .848 to .826. Magic also got to the line more, averaging 6.5 Free Throws a Game, to John's 3.9. I mean, if you're talking in terms of a 'Pure Point Guard', this idea we created of Sub 6'5" Players who Pass First... John is the text book. Magic shot a bit much to be a 'Pure Point Guard' and was the biggest Guard... not just Point, but Guard... in the game at his time, fully capable of playing any position on the court at 6'9" (Basketball Reference height). Also, I was unaware, it has Magic's Position listed as SG from Rookie to 82-83, so 4 Years as a Shooting Guard instead of a Point Guard. I thought he was Point in College, and his entire Pro Career, I'm a big fan of Magic and never knew he was considered a 2 Guard. I did know they liked to talk about his versatility and that in an All-Star Game he played 'all 5 Positions' to show off his versatility... but like, what does that really mean? You can go to the block and post up, but if I put my 1 on you it's still Guard vs. Guard. Did he go down and cover their Center in the pain? Like, I heard the story... but how does that ACTUALLY work? Still, at 6'9" he could absolutely go down and check a Legit Center in the Paint for a play or two and probably not be completely made a fool of (unlike a 6'2" dude trying it). Stockton is my favorite Point Guard, followed by Pistol Pete. Then Magic, then Gary Payton. Probably Kidd, then Nash. I want AI up there so bad, but even as the 1G he always just SEEMS like a 2G. If we're going Half Court Sets, give me Stockton. If we're going Full Court the whole game, everything is a transition, give me Magic. If we're going Play Ground grab your squad... give me AI.
@@theclimbto1 this is a pretty well thought out explanation. Fun read! After some comparison you're pretty much 100% right. If you go through each players 1st 12 seasons (kicking out magics comeback year and older stockton) they're damn near identical in most categories. Magic had more rebounds and better fg%. Stockton had better 3pt % and less turnovers. The other categories are basically the same (were talking like a percent or three).
.....And you gonna lose....no disrespect. But there's only one pick at that position..... only one......3,4,5, all up for debate.....fine... But 1 and 2 are locked down till further notice...
That's really the one monster and Wilt-like record that is truly impossible to break (hos steals too I would say), CP too said it. It's just an insane task because of the cap level that Stockton put. How can you be more hardened, durable, purer as a PG, proper as a PG etc than Stockton and get more than 15 thousands assists? Stockton was literally the definition of all of those lol If AI goes in as a peak insanity/athletical type for shorter guys and SGs Stockton goes the whole other definitions for shorter guys and PGs.
They compared Stockton to Nash, sorry but at the defensive end Stockton was a beast at his size and ability with steals, blocks, offensive fouls. I think Malone should hand over one of his MVP trophys to his all time teammate.
That's why I find it ridiculous that Nash is a two time NBA MVP. As good as Stockton was, he was never seriously an MVP contender. Nash is a poor man's John Stockton.
@@gregbailey8253 what does Nash have to do with Stockton. They played in different era's and Nash was an outstanding player in his era. The problem with Stockton being an MVP is that he played in an era loaded with some the greatest of players to ever play the game. Stockton came into the league during the golden era basketball in 1984 and the same year as Jordan. Stockton was very good for a long time, but anyone who watched the NBA in that era knew that there were better players year in and year out. Jordan won the MVP 5 times and no one with brain thinks Stockton is better than Jordan. In fact a reasonable argument can be made that having Karl Malone a 2 time MVP as the main recipient of your passes would be a huge factor in becoming an all time assists leader. Nash never had anyone that approached Malone's ability on any of his teams. Stockton was definitely a baller, but he played in a loaded era and had a lot help.
@@ThePecky1966 Nash won an MVP award over two of arguably the greatest players of all time, with both being in their primes in Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. So if you think Nash's MVP Awards were deserved, you're delusional. What does Nash have to do with Stockton? They were both point guards, one who won two MVP awards but wasn't even close to being as good as the other, who won no MVP's. If you can defend Nash's two awards over Shaq and Kobe, I would love to hear what your argument would be.
@@gregbailey8253 the argument was about comparing Nash to Stockton, so you bring up Kobe and and Shaq is lame and it reinforces that you didn't have a reasonable response to my original post. When Nash won his first MVP, neither Kobe or Shaq had amazing seasons. While they both made All NBA teams, neither deserved MVP honors. In fact Shaq's scoring and rebounding were some of the lowest of his career. The Lakers didn't even make the playoffs, as opposed to Phoenix who went to Western Conference Finals. Nash was clearly more valuable to his team than either of those two. You seem to confuse most valuable with the best players. Steph Curry won it twice and nobody thinks he was the best player in the league. When Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double for a season and got an MVP, did most people really believe he was better than LeBron? Tim Duncan won twice, no one actually thinks he was the best baller in the entire league, but it can reasonably argued he was the most valuable. Given that Kobe only won the award once in a 21 year career, I don't see how you can blame Nash for what the voters decided against 20 times. Why aren't you mad that MVP voters didn't pick Kobe on any of the years where Nash wasn't even a factor? I will grant you that the second MVP award was probably undeserved and Kobe should have gotten it based on the fact that he balled out on shitty team and still made it to the playoffs, but that's on the voters, not on Nash and considering he once again took his team to WCF a second year in a row, it's completely reasonable that he should have been at very least considered an MVP candidate,even if the award should have gone to another player.
@@MrSpeed-lt8grany evidence? .. if you want dirty plays :rodman trying To break stock knee , the bulls hiting stock head on purpose,barkley hitting him in the chin with his elbow , .....those are exemple of dirty plays.
@@alainverse6126 I’m not disagreeing with you at all. I loved Stockton’s play. I’m going to cede to Steve Kerr and others who have said Johnny could be dirty. They played against him. I don’t think Stockton was anywhere near Laimbeer or Rodman nasty. But I think John knew how to upset guys to get a psychological advantage.
Thank you dude because seriously Stockton was one of my favorite point guards to watch growing up literally one of the GOATS of point guards just one tough dangerous man
@@temple13 Me, my pops and my brothers went to hella games at the Boston Garden in the 80's/90's. Most of the games I went to were mad brutal...especially the Celtics vs Pistons...Celtics vs Knicks...it was an all out war!
@@temple13 Absofuckinglutely! It was either too cold....or too damn hot! Hell, it was the glorious days when Boston fans would get into ruckus with NYC. Literally, and no exaggeration, I must have had at least 30 fights in and outside the Garden. Crazy thing is, I'd have a busted lip or black eye...and then wait for the staff to lift the parkay and watch a Bruins game. Lmfao😂
so how about the warriors 76ers + celtics duo's of nate thurmond + wilt chamberlain hal greer + wilt chamberlain bob cousy + bill russell + after may of 1963 john havkicek + bill russell
@@youtuber3328 No disrespect to them. I wasn't alive long enough to watch them. Ive seen a few highlights here and there. So you may have a Valid point.
Sean, you have the best show on basketball I have seen in a long time. You opinions, thoughts and insights are real. You bring integrity and honesty to the discussion about talented players and those that are sometimes overlooked. I live the unvarnished comments from players, coaches and those that really understand the game and those they play with and against. As for Stockton, he was one of the prototypical point guards in NBA history. Magic and Big O were in a class by themselves and revolutionize the position, however, there are only a few players that come along and have that impact. Stockton, Iverson, Thomas, Archibald, Kidd and D. Johnson are incredible talents and the very best point guards to play that position.
Probably more tenacious and annoying than dirty. It's a psychological trip going against someone that's at full speed whistle-to-whistle and never gives you a breather.
Stockton is so underrated. I have him as the 2nd best PG behind Magic. The ending of this video shows his greatness. I forgot how he took over the end of that Rockets finals to send them to the finals. He refused to let them get eliminated.
Ive seen him go hypo on bulls too, Mark price also...pull some activity and energy out for his team. Stockton was a serious player and its like that thing where duos go...Malone without Stockton coulda been different Malone, Hornacek wouldnt have been kept around for so long if we wasnt useful...but Hornacek used on Jordan alot .
Magic played multiple positions and was not a PG until his 4th season in the NBA. Stockton was PG for 19. He is the best PG ever. He had less talent around him than Magic and had almost the same amount of APG. If Stockton had all those scorers that Magic had he be #1 in career APG and Magic be #2 or lower.
@@jonny15dk when you got Malone, a top tier scorer, you would get that assists. Heck even from Stockton-to-Malone plays he probably got at least 5 off that play... Hahaha! Who's the top scorer in Magic's team aside from. KAJ? Anybody who can drop north of 20s and 30+ points a game that Adrian Dantley and Malone did? Don't get me wrong, I agree that Magic had multiple scorers, I'm just asking because I've never watched those games. I only watched, really followed the league starting late 80s..
I remember watching payten harassing, bullying, swearing and talking trash to Stockton on court. And I hated payten for that. These days payten praises Stockton all the time and has said he was tougher to guard then Jordan. I love payten for showing that respect
I have been watching you for years, I followed the NBA religiously from the early 80’s until around 2010 & your knowledge is vast with a lot of insight. I have Zeke as 1B & Stockton 3rd but Zeke career was a lot shorter, maybe 12 years. Big props on these great interviews with retired players, just watched the Danny Manning piece. Theses NBA Legends respect your knowledge and insight which is hard to get….Even harder to get from Germany? Great Content! Keep up the great work…Dope Channel, Thanks
As a Utah native, the feeling is mutual toward the Bulls. ;) Same with 90s UofU bball and Kentucky. Now that I look back, 90s playoffs in the West were brutal for everyone at that time. Lakers, Suns, Blazers, Sonics, Spurs, Rockets, no gimmes anywhere. Didn't occur to me until now some people were saying, "Crap, now we have to play Utah!"
GREAT VIDEO !!! 1 of my all-time favorite players , undeniably an all-time great !!! Just an amazing player who did EVERYTHING that ANY player can do to be better !!! INCREDIBLE video !!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! I love you !!! Thank you !!!
Stockton was that dude I'll pass on price and Parker the P brothers . But Stockton and the jazz besides Jordan and bulls stopped alot of teams from getting to the chip
I would take Magic Johnson's word for it - he said that he told his kids to play like John Stockton because he was the best there was at what he did. If Magic thinks John Stockton is the greatest point guard of all time, who am I to argue?
@@megaprofessionalz9944 well, zeke was a scoring guard, while magic was kinda an all-rounder big point, but a john was really a typical point guard. If you have loads of really great players in your roster, i.e. jordan, lbj, pippen, steph, kd, hakeem, shaq, rodman, tim or whoever not magic, there is a good chance you may opt for a stockton than a magic; OR you would exclusively put john in the point while others may rotate as to their position. That's how good a PG stockton is.
@@paulvicentevcurimao5596 NO SIR, Zeke was just a better all around player, leader, and of course a CHAMPION!!! By far not just a scoring guard like Allen Iverson, he came up under the Bobby Knight system at IU, won the National Championship, and played the game the right way!!! Isiah is still top 10 all time in assists til this day although playing a much shorter span. Fact of the matter is Stockton was indeed very good and solid, but he just played MUCH longer than most of his contemporaries and peers from the 80's. John was still playing when Shaq & Kobe became a mighty duo 😂🤣😂. That's the reason why he was able to set the records at such a lofty level. Good health is Wealth!!!
Sean (sorry if I spelled your name wrong), thank you so much for doing this channel. I grew up in the 70s, 80s and 90s. And I love classic NBA. Please keep it up!
Gotta add, every trip to Vegas, my wife and I would bet every night on Utah. We loved Stockton, Malone, Hornacek and Antoine. Great team. Always the over!
I remember watching a celtics vc jazz game, Tommy heinsohn, Bob Cousy, and Mike Gorman were calling the game. I listened to Cousy talking about how great Stockton was, no wasted movement, court intelligence, defence; it was like Stockton's second year. The reason why Cousy was there calling the game was because John Stockton was playing. Bob Cousy knew something that people still don't understand, how great of a player John was...most underrated point guard of all time and one of the best! Yes, I'd take Magic over Stockton, but just barely.
It's hard to tell how great Stockton was just by watching a few games or looking at stats. He's one of those players that makes everyone else around him even better. The stats show part of the story, with assists and steals, but there are no stats for effective screens or motivating your teammates to perform.
great video with respect to Stockton, most people just don't pay him the respect he's due because he was not super flashy. Stockton performed at an elite status that few have ever done, and he did it for about 16 straight years. He even put up great numbers in his years before he got play time, and also at the end of his career at 40 years old. All in all he played 19 seasons, and he could have played a few more. Stockton shows that he has amazing character. Truly a respectable and honorable man on and off the court. It's a shame he never wanted to pursue coaching after he was done.
