The Forgotten Legend

In sports, statistics are used to quantify data that is, intrinsically, qualitative. That is, they attempt to explain something that has to be experienced. By definition, they are deceptive because looking at a box score rarely, if ever, tells the full story of a game. I’m relatively sure Bill Russell should be the all time block leader in the NBA, but, unfortunately for Russell, they didn’t record that particular stat at that time. Chamberlin demolished every statistic known to man when he played, and, presumably, would own almost every record if he played today. The all time points leader in the NBA, though, is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This is a testament to Kareem’s dominance and the overwhelming power of his sky hook, and helped solidify his place as one of the all time greats. It’s part of the reason he’s so well known and respected. There’s no mistake: everyone knows Kareem, and everyone knows it’s his record.

Now, think of the all time assists leader. It’s not Magic Johnson. It’s not Oscar Robertson, either. It’s not even Isaiah Thomas. The all time assists leader is John Stockton, of the Utah Jazz. If you don’t remember Stockton too well, you’re not alone, even though you should. He was part of the famed 1984 draft that brought multiple future Hall of Famers into the Association. He was part of the Olympic Dream Teams of the 90s. He’s also the all time steals leader. Stockton played 19 seasons in the NBA, all for the Jazz, leaving in 2003, when the Jazz had drafted somebody named Deron Williams. After his rookie year, he never averaged less than seven assists per game. He, along with Karl Malone, made back to back trips to the NBA finals, only to lose to Jordan’s Bulls both times. That would be more devastating to his resume, I think, if it wasn’t Michael Jordan on the other team. Stockton played in the league for nineteen years, and even in his last year in the league, when he was forty one, he started every game. In that last year, he averaged 7.7 assists per game, and took his career total to 15806, which is more than 4500 away from Jason Kidd in second place. That record, I would imagine, is going to be nearly impossible to break for anyone. What’s astonishing to me, though, is that we hardly ever talk about Stockton.

Stockton is easily one of the top five point guards of all time, but very few people will call him the top pg ever, despite the stats. I think this speaks to the relative anonymity Stockton has now outside of Salt Lake City. Stockton never had a flashy or even well rounded game (he only recorded one career triple double) but he was effective, never more so than when he worked with Karl Malone. Masters of the pick and roll, Stockton and Malone were perfect pieces for Jerry Sloan’s system. The Jazz, though, amounted to white noise during the mid to late nineties, aside from their two trips to the Finals, and even then it was Malone who was played off as the opposite to Jordan rather than Stockton. No one talks about him because there are so many more entertaining and exciting figures to discuss, I suppose. From his draft class alone, Stockton takes a backseat to His Airness, holy man Olajuwon, and the Round Mound of Rebound. He was never a highlight reel player, and never garnered much attention because he was in Utah. The big cities had their own stars (Magic, Ewing, Shaq, etc.) to pay attention to, so why would they focus on that guy out in Mormon Country?

Even Stockton’s “dirty” plays are kind of boring. Illegal screens? Really? Stockton played both ends of the court well, as evidenced by his steals numbers (1,000 more than Michael Jordan has at number two,) and was as quick as he was efficient. Let Malone have the points, Stockton was happy getting him the ball. Never before has anyone seemingly been solely focused on getting assists, even if they were trying to get a triple double. Stockton wanted to pass more than shoot which defies every human impulse. Even though he could score, he didn’t seem to care enough to put any effort into it. Stockton led the league in assists for nine years while Magic and Isaiah were still in their primes, and during that stretch he never dropped below 11 assists per game. Again, it’s odd that someone who was so dominating in one aspect of the game remains all but forgotten in our collective consciousness. We remember everyone else with a certain reverence and in a certain role. Magic was the guy everybody liked and the triple double machine. Bird was the perfect shooter. Jordan was God. Hakeem, the big man who defied the laws of physics; Barkley, the odd duck with talent and a temper; Isaiah, the bad boy; Ewing the rock; and so on and so on and so on except Stockton. Even people like Reggie Miller got some kind of classification. Stockton, though, in conversation might merit an “Oh yeah!” and not much else. We focused, I guess, on the scoring Malone provided. When you watch old clips, Stockton almost always dishes, but he’s also sure to steal as well, so not only did he generate scores, he generated more possessions. In a weird way, it’s a strategy that is a companion to Russell’s strategy of block and pass. Stockton would steal and throw, letting the defense generate more offense with his trusty scorers out there. For defenders, the dynamic duo of Malone and Stockton had to be almost impossible to defend against. Between Stockton’s no look passes and Malone’s versatility, their fast break was all but unstoppable. Stockton, really, was the consummate point guard and teammate, and what’s more: that’s what he wanted. He may very well be the purest point guard in basketball history, taking his position to heart and defining himself as a passer, a distributer, a floor general. Today, players like Chris Paul and that Williams guy are refining their own games, albeit with more flash than Stockton ever had, and while there are terrific point guards like Derrick Rose out there who are almost complete opposites of Stockton’s style, there are also players like Rajon Rondo who excel with similar methods. Honestly, I think we forget Stockton because he never wanted to be remembered. He was more than content in his role, and that’s probably why he was successful. I think this is just who he is. In interviews, he will always give credit to Sloane and Malone, even though he was integral to their success, probably more than they were to his. When he made his Hall of Fame induction speech, he was clearly uncomfortable being the center of attention. "I was always the second best player on my team." he said. He accepted his place on the court, and decided that it was better to enhance the people around him than it was to focus on his own stat sheets. In a time when basketball players were becoming bigger than ever, Stockton was a piece of the classic style. He was always out place, and really never got the proper amount of attention because of where he was. He's probably never going to surpass Magic, and that's probably how it should be. Stockton embraced the point guard in the classic sense, and defined himself as an assistant, living in the box while other guards changed it. Regardless of all of this, though, he represented a purity of the game, and, if nothing else, that should be respected.