He played point guard how it was meant to be played. He didn't hog the ball, and go down and play 1 vs 5, he passed it around and made everyone on his team better.
Stockton was never "pass first, pure PG" he was "what's the best decision possible i can make?" He would then make in a moment's notice. Thats why his game was so amazing in my opinion, his decision making was the best we've ever seen.
Great new interview here with John Stockton John discusses short shorts, the 97-98 season, dream team, his durability, toughness, karl malone, Coach Sloan, the missed shot vs. Bulls, Tim Donaghy scandal, explains his controversial vaccine stance, more th-cam.com/video/DAKIsvcnGLQ/w-d-xo.html
Because he was a small guard and held his ground in the paint, refused to back down, some called him dirty. It was OK for front court guys to do the same. But not appreciated when little guards stuck it out. Before him, Norm Van Lier, too. Afterward, Iverson was similar in a way. Different from Isiah, who often started "stuff" with dirty, blatant, cheap shots.
I've taken a liking to point guards lately. Enjouyed watching rondo this past year or two. It's nice to see how players use other players to win games.
did his job perfectly and didnt brag about anything, didnt ask for anything, just played the game, unlike some of the stars we have in todays league, who just let they're mouths run off
John Stockton said, I’m going to steal that ball from Greg Anthony every time @ 1:31. Those grind out battles between the Knicks and Jazz were legendary from watching John Starks and Jeff Hornacek shooting the lights out of the arena and Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone holding their own in the paint as well. All of these legends were great, but I definitely gotta give it to John Stockton he was one hell of a phenomenal point guard who contributed at both ends of the floor.
he was both dirty and smart. he broke the rules, but as he even said in an interview "if it's a foul, the refs will call it a foul". that's not clean play, but it's smart play. the two are not mutually exclusive.
If you have a genius mind and perfect fundamentals but lack the athleticism of the bigger players, that's John Stockton. He is actually MY FAVORITE PLAYER of all time. Yeah he isn't ring loaded like MJ, or a super freak like LeBron, but he represents what an average person can become if they just put their all into the game. If you ask me, I think he win alot of chips if he was just had more elite players to work with. I mean he had numerous western conference finals appearances and reached the finals twice with just Malone and Hornacek as his other two best players.
Unfortunately TH-cam has only "highlight videos". I think it is more interesting to see how Stockton, Magic Johnson or Kevin Johnson lead the game. Their normal is more interesting for everybody who are really fans of basketball.
And that 'normal pace' was the very identity of John Stockton. He just dictated the whole team in an unique fashion. A slow but consistent transition, over and over again, with mostly the same result: an assist.
@alec9tap Even though i fully understand how great Magic was and believe he will always go down as a better player/pg than Stockton(and rightfully so),I just have a lot of respect for Stock who i think did more with less around him...He played with Malone,and then Hornacek for a bit... Magic played with Kareem,Worthy,Perkins,Cooper,Scott etc.... No wonder he had 5 rings haha
@MatkoAnt000 That sums up how GREAT Stockton was at making his teammates better...I AGREE JOHN WAS THE GREATEST POINT GUARD EVER PERIOD! Just ask most of the great players that played against him, Payton (perhaps the greatest defensive PG ever) said Stockton was the BEST player he played against, Barkeley said he was top five ever, Chamberlain said he wished Stockton was on his team when he played, Rodman called him the dirtiest player in the game and would love to have him on his team. Most of
Well I look at that the same way I look at the rules in the rule book when I'm mud racing which is if the rules don't say it's illegal then I must assume it's legal.
NO PG now is getting anywhere near his assist record. Think about it , he's got 50% of Magic career TOTAL in front of him. No one breaking his Assists record, let alone his Steals record, let alone ONE guy doing them BOTH.
but that's the whole thing. Stock did things that WERE illegal, and tried to get away with it. that's why everyone calls him dirty. his stance was, even if it says it's illegal in the rule book, if the ref doesn't call it, it's not a foul.
@zr1drifter What is a pure point guard exactly?The size,look,physique of the player or the way one plays the game cuz then i'd have to say Magic is a pure pg as well because he piled up a bunch of assists,scored when he had to and lead his team(just like stockton),...So to say Stockton is the best "pure" pg ever sounds like a cop out way of saying he's the best pg outside of Magic,or the best to ever look the part and play the position..I myself believe Stockton is the best pg period
Mqgic had more assists and more titles. hell, magic started center his rookie year in the finals, and won! what other 6'10 person have you ever seen so quick and agile
Stockton surpassed Magic in assists & remains #1. Jason Kidd is #2, Steve Nash is #3 & believe it or not, Mark Jackson is 4th all time. Magic is fifth. Also, Magic was always listed at 6'9" though he always seemed a good inch shorter than 6'9" Larry Bird. Not hating on Magic - he's the reason I started watching & playing the game. Just pointing out facts.
The Cousy - Stockton comparison is flawed. Cousy was a revolutionary player. He added a complete new dimension to the game. He changed how the game was played. He added a jazzy unpredictability to the game. Stockton. He played the pick and roll. And played it some more. Successfully. Until the defence clamped down on it in the playoffs. Cousy won tons of titles. Stockton not one. Not one. With a hall of famer playing alongside his throughout his career. Obviously, Stockton was a great player. Getting your team into the playoffs consistently year after year is a huge accomplishment. But not winning a single title when you play in the league for almost 2 decades signifies something.
The man played almost 2 decades in the league. Was healthy throughout. Top Coach. HOF teammate, equally durable. Never won a title. Any idea why that was? No one doubts that he was a very good player. There were other PGs though, who were simply better than Stockton during their peak years. They dominated. Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Tony Parker, Steph Curry, Payton. What is preferable? Being very, very good for a very long time or being great during a few great years? And I stick to my point. Stockton did not evolve the game, pushed it further. Look at Curry. He is doing things we previously thought impossible.
@@omnivorous65 lmfao, look at the teammates those players you listed had. Parker? Are you joking? He's great, but nowhere near Stockton. Kidd and Payton both many, many times have said Stockton is the best. Stockton had Malone, and that's it. Ostertag? Keefe? Greg Foster? A broken down Hornacek? You're way off on this one.
If you operate from a position where your shot counts three points and not just two, maybe the whole "pass first" principle leads not necessarily to the best decision on the court. I would choose peak Tony Parker over Stockton. Being unstoppable , willing his teams to points, being able to score from unexpected angles with a go to move that cannot be guarded (Spin move plus floater). I would certainly take Curry over Stockton. Curry is a great, great passer, his vision and dexterity is off the chart. But he will shoot whenever open, no matter where he is on the half court and in the process bending a defense out of shape. Stockton did not do that. Because the defense knew he would look for the pass first. Even Isiah was better in that respect. He passed first but took over games when he had to. Stockton did not have that gear. And the truly great players had that gear. In their prime they were so much better than the other players that they imposed themselves and willed teams to a win.
Look at what John Stockton did to other PGs defensively he is 6'1 but he shutdown 6'7 Penny Hardaway. He lowered other guards FG% by alot. While avging 13 and 11. He was great on both sides of the ball. Great passer and great shooter and could get in a few layups per game among the trees. He avg 20 per game in D1. If Stockton had no Karl Malone he would have had multiple 20 PPG seasons. He shot 51% for a PG and thats unheard of.
Stockton is the greatest "pure" point guard to play the game, but he is not better than Magic. Magic is the only player you can say was better than Jordan and not get laughed at
Lol. You take Karl Malone away from this guy and he has no assists. He was a solid PG, but that's because he couldn't do anything else but pass and shoot the open jumpers. Definitely not best of all time. Rondo and/or CP3 will pass him up.
Your comment, "He was a solid PG, but that's because he couldn't do anything else but pass and shoot the open jumpers" makes no sense. So you say he can pass and shoot the open shots. He also holds the all-time steals record. With those three things, that's what a PGs role is!
He played point guard how it was meant to be played. He didn't hog the ball, and go down and play 1 vs 5, he passed it around and made everyone on his team better.
Stockton was never "pass first, pure PG" he was "what's the best decision possible i can make?" He would then make in a moment's notice. Thats why his game was so amazing in my opinion, his decision making was the best we've ever seen.
Great new interview here with John Stockton
John discusses short shorts, the 97-98 season, dream team, his durability, toughness, karl malone, Coach Sloan, the missed shot vs. Bulls, Tim Donaghy scandal, explains his controversial vaccine stance, more
th-cam.com/video/DAKIsvcnGLQ/w-d-xo.html
I never knew how much I appreciate this guy now since I've grown to a man of a certain age. It all makes me sense to me now more than ever.
THE GREATEST PG OF ANY TIME
Thank U John…!!! The Greatest…!!!
this is a real point guard, all these guys now in the league dont even come close to john stockton
w/o a doubt the best pure point guard in nba history
he's one of my heroes
he really deserved a ring
Because he was a small guard and held his ground in the paint, refused to back down, some called him dirty. It was OK for front court guys to do the same. But not appreciated when little guards stuck it out. Before him, Norm Van Lier, too. Afterward, Iverson was similar in a way. Different from Isiah, who often started "stuff" with dirty, blatant, cheap shots.
I've taken a liking to point guards lately. Enjouyed watching rondo this past year or two. It's nice to see how players use other players to win games.
I really loved this guy!
did his job perfectly and didnt brag about anything, didnt ask for anything, just played the game, unlike some of the stars we have in todays league, who just let they're mouths run off
Fenomeno.....
everybody is talking about 'magic's passes'. But stockton's assists are pure magic :D
I am nine years late but I appreciate the joke.
John Stockton said, I’m going to steal that ball from Greg Anthony every time @ 1:31. Those grind out battles between the Knicks and Jazz were legendary from watching John Starks and Jeff Hornacek shooting the lights out of the arena and Patrick Ewing and Karl Malone holding their own in the paint as well. All of these legends were great, but I definitely gotta give it to John Stockton he was one hell of a phenomenal point guard who contributed at both ends of the floor.
An all time great
he was both dirty and smart. he broke the rules, but as he even said in an interview "if it's a foul, the refs will call it a foul". that's not clean play, but it's smart play. the two are not mutually exclusive.
The point guards today don't even compare.
@GunterJPN No shit that was his stance. Stockton played the game like a MAN. And a real MAN does what ever it takes to win.
other NBA players said Stockton would have made anyone great, he was the Jordan player on the jazz while Malone was Pippen.
If you have a genius mind and perfect fundamentals but lack the athleticism of the bigger players, that's John Stockton. He is actually MY FAVORITE PLAYER of all time. Yeah he isn't ring loaded like MJ, or a super freak like LeBron, but he represents what an average person can become if they just put their all into the game. If you ask me, I think he win alot of chips if he was just had more elite players to work with. I mean he had numerous western conference finals appearances and reached the finals twice with just Malone and Hornacek as his other two best players.
John Stockton with Derrick Rose Athleticism best player ever.
Nathaniel johnson He didn't need that athleticism. I think that's what made him John Stockton. He had an IQ that's simply frightening.
I miss Hot Rod
Unfortunately TH-cam has only "highlight videos". I think it is more interesting to see how Stockton, Magic Johnson or Kevin Johnson lead the game. Their normal is more interesting for everybody who are really fans of basketball.
And that 'normal pace' was the very identity of John Stockton. He just dictated the whole team in an unique fashion. A slow but consistent transition, over and over again, with mostly the same result: an assist.
This guy deserved a ring. He was just unfortunate that he had to go against the best basketball player of all time.
+starkk19 His team could have won, if the refs didn't cheat on them
That 98 game 6 was rigged.
GOAT
the best there ever was......
I really wish they had beaten the bulls. Curses to Malone's bad free-throw shooting...
@alec9tap Even though i fully understand how great Magic was and believe he will always go down as a better player/pg than Stockton(and rightfully so),I just have a lot of respect for Stock who i think did more with less around him...He played with Malone,and then Hornacek for a bit... Magic played with Kareem,Worthy,Perkins,Cooper,Scott etc.... No wonder he had 5 rings haha
@MatkoAnt000 That sums up how GREAT Stockton was at making his teammates better...I AGREE JOHN WAS THE GREATEST POINT GUARD EVER PERIOD! Just ask most of the great players that played against him, Payton (perhaps the greatest defensive PG ever) said Stockton was the BEST player he played against, Barkeley said he was top five ever, Chamberlain said he wished Stockton was on his team when he played, Rodman called him the dirtiest player in the game and would love to have him on his team. Most of
luv the vid
can any body post a video of john stockton flying a fighter plane
Well I look at that the same way I look at the rules in the rule book when I'm mud racing which is if the rules don't say it's illegal then I must assume it's legal.
NO PG now is getting anywhere near his assist record. Think about it , he's got 50% of Magic career TOTAL in front of him.
No one breaking his Assists record, let alone his Steals record, let alone ONE guy doing them BOTH.
ThePrIsMcAURA I don't think they are trying
but that's the whole thing. Stock did things that WERE illegal, and tried to get away with it. that's why everyone calls him dirty. his stance was, even if it says it's illegal in the rule book, if the ref doesn't call it, it's not a foul.
I love the game of John Stockton. The commentary is corny.
For real tho "For John Stockton, nothing matters more than the final score" lmaooooo
+fridaythe13thkid whats so corny about that?
Bruh Osama, it just seems corny. It's basically a hammy way of saying John Stockton loves to win. I dunno lol
saying he loves to win is just boring and generic af
Stockton is better than magic, people just think magic is better cuz he won a championship
You mean 5 championships of 9 appearances. Stockton is 0-2.
Finals won is a team stat
John Stockton 6.2 versus Rajon Rondo 6.2!!!
@zr1drifter What is a pure point guard exactly?The size,look,physique of the player or the way one plays the game cuz then i'd have to say Magic is a pure pg as well because he piled up a bunch of assists,scored when he had to and lead his team(just like stockton),...So to say Stockton is the best "pure" pg ever sounds like a cop out way of saying he's the best pg outside of Magic,or the best to ever look the part and play the position..I myself believe Stockton is the best pg period
thats right
The sad thing is he could play today, but would not even warrant a look coming out of high school, let alone out of college to the NBA.
If Carl Malone didn't choke so much the Jazz could have taken the Bulls to game 7.
they compare my game to his sons im in 10th grade btw!! i mean i dream of nba but whatever i just want d1 ncaa
Still couldn’t go left
Didn't seem to hurt him. Lenny Wilkins couldn't go right. Both great PG's.
@chris
Who cares. Didn't matter did it. Still the best pure PG in like.... well .... ever.
peep Mahmoud in the beginning
underrated
Pistol 8 Kev
facts
they told this whole story and didn't even tell his height..
6'1"
most impressive part of john stockton is that he's white..... and he's my good friends cousin
Forget about it
No ring though.
Bob Cousy then stackton then steve nash hopefully the next will be Jeremy Lin woowoowww
Don't hold your breath.
Mqgic had more assists and more titles.
hell, magic started center his rookie year in the finals, and won! what other 6'10 person have you ever seen so quick and agile
Magic had more assists...no?
An extremely uneducated comment.
Stockton surpassed Magic in assists & remains #1. Jason Kidd is #2, Steve Nash is #3 & believe it or not, Mark Jackson is 4th all time. Magic is fifth. Also, Magic was always listed at 6'9" though he always seemed a good inch shorter than 6'9" Larry Bird. Not hating on Magic - he's the reason I started watching & playing the game. Just pointing out facts.
Uneducated. Stockton is #1 all time in assists and steals!
Give me Stockton over Isiah Thomas, Oscar, Payton, Kidd Nash. All of em but Magic
Stockton over Oscar? Maybe, but Oscar was, well, Oscar.
Ill take Oscar over magic, but put those three guys name in a hat in their prime to start a team...... and well....... you ain’t losing out!!!!!
I take Magic and Thomas any day,he pass to much the ball thats why he didnt win a ring
Isiah? You crazy 😜
NOBODY is
To me Magic and Mark Price are better. Too bad HIV for Magic and Price's injuries
The Cousy - Stockton comparison is flawed. Cousy was a revolutionary player. He added a complete new dimension to the game. He changed how the game was played. He added a jazzy unpredictability to the game. Stockton. He played the pick and roll. And played it some more. Successfully. Until the defence clamped down on it in the playoffs. Cousy won tons of titles. Stockton not one. Not one. With a hall of famer playing alongside his throughout his career. Obviously, Stockton was a great player. Getting your team into the playoffs consistently year after year is a huge accomplishment. But not winning a single title when you play in the league for almost 2 decades signifies something.
He nothing other than Malone. The man holds 2 of the 5 main statistical categories records. By a huge margin. Get out with your nonsense.
The man played almost 2 decades in the league. Was healthy throughout. Top Coach. HOF teammate, equally durable. Never won a title. Any idea why that was? No one doubts that he was a very good player. There were other PGs though, who were simply better than Stockton during their peak years. They dominated. Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Tony Parker, Steph Curry, Payton. What is preferable? Being very, very good for a very long time or being great during a few great years? And I stick to my point. Stockton did not evolve the game, pushed it further. Look at Curry. He is doing things we previously thought impossible.
@@omnivorous65 lmfao, look at the teammates those players you listed had. Parker? Are you joking? He's great, but nowhere near Stockton. Kidd and Payton both many, many times have said Stockton is the best. Stockton had Malone, and that's it. Ostertag? Keefe? Greg Foster? A broken down Hornacek? You're way off on this one.
If you operate from a position where your shot counts three points and not just two, maybe the whole "pass first" principle leads not necessarily to the best decision on the court. I would choose peak Tony Parker over Stockton. Being unstoppable , willing his teams to points, being able to score from unexpected angles with a go to move that cannot be guarded (Spin move plus floater). I would certainly take Curry over Stockton. Curry is a great, great passer, his vision and dexterity is off the chart. But he will shoot whenever open, no matter where he is on the half court and in the process bending a defense out of shape. Stockton did not do that. Because the defense knew he would look for the pass first. Even Isiah was better in that respect. He passed first but took over games when he had to. Stockton did not have that gear. And the truly great players had that gear. In their prime they were so much better than the other players that they imposed themselves and willed teams to a win.
@drilly81 Lol he's not better than Jordan
Look at what John Stockton did to other PGs defensively he is 6'1 but he shutdown 6'7 Penny Hardaway. He lowered other guards FG% by alot.
While avging 13 and 11. He was great on both sides of the ball.
Great passer and great shooter and could get in a few layups per game among the trees.
He avg 20 per game in D1. If Stockton had no Karl Malone he would have had multiple 20 PPG seasons.
He shot 51% for a PG and thats unheard of.
NBA all-time assist leader until now... 2016
I dont think anyone will beat his assist record because of how guards are now
How so? The next active player on the list is number 9, Andre Miller. So, he's going to make 7,000 assists before the series is over?
adidasoccer1111 ande miller is trash and a back up guard.
Don't forget about his steals
? Who passed him Margo?
Stockton is the greatest "pure" point guard to play the game, but he is not better than Magic. Magic is the only player you can say was better than Jordan and not get laughed at
Go home your drunk
Isiah was better
Lol. You take Karl Malone away from this guy and he has no assists. He was a solid PG, but that's because he couldn't do anything else but pass and shoot the open jumpers. Definitely not best of all time. Rondo and/or CP3 will pass him up.
Your comment, "He was a solid PG, but that's because he couldn't do anything else but pass and shoot the open jumpers" makes no sense. So you say he can pass and shoot the open shots. He also holds the all-time steals record. With those three things, that's what a PGs role is!
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHA, thats the joke of the century.
Syed R. Zaidi what an incredibly uneducated comment.
Syed R. Zaidi Most ridiculous comment I've ever read about basketball
Syed R. Zaidi yeah that's just stupid. Steals are all about being smart. And fast.