"There's nobody who can distribute the ball, plus lead his team, like John Stockton." - Magic Johnson "Talent is fine, but you have to have the desire to want to do it every night, to get here at 8:30 in the morning, spend that time in the weight room. But you don't just get a work ethic. You've got to come with it. I think John was born with it." - Karl Malone "He's the smartest player I have ever played with." - Karl Malone "I would have to split this award right down the middle and give half of it to John." - Karl Malone, after winning the 1989 All-Star MVP award. "I don't know where I'd be without Stockton. I guess it is a storybook ending." - Karl Malone, on converting on the assist that made Stockton the all-time leader. "I'll come around off a pick and in the split-second I'm open, the ball will just be sitting there, waiting to be shot." - Jeff Hornacek, on Stockton's passing "John's a gym rat. I figure he'll play until he's 45, if he can." - Jeff Hornacek "And then he makes dead meat out of them." - David Benoit, former teammate, on what Stockton does to point guards who think that they can take on that "little white guy". "You can't relax for a second with him. He sees everything and he is aware of everything." - Johnny Dawkins "He's the best. When I came into the league, he was the guy who took me to school. I'm still looking for a weakness in his game." - Gary Payton "People who think he's losing it are people who don't have to play against him." - Gary Payton "People just don't know the heart this guy plays with." - Jerry Sloan “He’s the best point guard ever.” -Steve Nash "He loves to play basketball. It's too bad they don't keep stats on the number of screens a guy sets, because I think that would be high, too. John plays as hard as he can in all instances of the game." - Jerry Sloan "What do I need to call one (a timeout) for? I got a guy out there who knows more about what we need than I do." - Jerry Sloan, when asked why he calls so few timeouts. "The ultimate team player, and a true class act." - Bill Clinton "They're both just stats. They're fun for the media, and fun for the fans. I had fun with them, and my teammates had fun with both of them. But they're stats. That's all." - John Stockton on his all-time assists and steals records. "I've tried but he just won't listen to me. I told him he has to lengthen them up a little bit but he just won't listen so I've stopped giving fashion advice to him." - Bryon Russell, when asked if he'd every tried to get Stockton to wear the longer game shorts. "No matter who wins this series, John Stockton's got to be the MVP." - Laker radio man Chick Hearn, on the '88 Lakers/Jazz series. ".....John Stockton is one of the best five players I've ever played against." - Charles Barkley "He is a guy who uses his basketball skills the way that guards in the league don't know about." - Ron Harper "Stockton is the only player I would pay money to go see these days." - Legendary UCLA coach John Wooden "He's a small Magic Johnson. He always seems to make the right decision at the right time." - KC Jones, former head coach "It's a shame more and more young players aren't paying attention to him. They could learn a lot. Instead of trying to be so fancy, they could be more efficient." -Scott Skiles, Phoenix head-coach "He's one of the best point guards ever, I look up to his game.” - Mookie Blaylock "We knew they would get the ball to John on the pick and roll. And if you ask me again in 10 years, they would do the same thing." - Vlade Divac, after Stockton hit a game-winning shot with 7 tenths of a second left. "I think I saw him go behind the back against Bobby Hurley once, a couple of years ago. That's about as showtime as John gets." - Greg Foster, teammate "He's a tough cat. He's the NBA's all-time leader in assists, the all-time leader in steals, he's a great shooter and he sets the best screens in the league. He does it all." - Hot Rod Hundley “I once asked Wilt Chamberlain what he imagined it would be like if he were to have played with John Stockton. He said, 'I would have gotten 100 (points every night).' He loved Stockton." - Hot Rod Hundley "I'll play on his team any day. He can pass that rock. You don't even have to be open to get the ball." - Dominique Wilkins “His ability to handle the ball and get it to the right people… that doesn't show up in the stats. The way he runs the team, that's the biggest difference he makes.” -Rusty Larue “I have so much respect for John Stockton… he's probably the player in the league I respect the most.” -Kobe Bryant “I love John Stockton. Some people criticize him for his aggression, how he plays. I just see him out there doing what he needs to do. He plays hard and he's still effective.” -Kobe Bryant “What else is there that you need to know about John Stockton, other than the essential information that he is the best point guard ever to play the game? Yes, better than Magic, at whose altar I worshipped as a kid, better than Cousy, better than Clyde, better than Zeke.” -David Aldridge “Some people think John's cold, but he's not. It's just that if he could take away all the accolades, all the hoopla, all the nationally televised interviews and just play basketball, he'd be in heaven. John might be the one player who really wouldn't miss it if the fame went away tomorrow and all he was left with was the game." -Thurl Bailey
He was a dirty, cheap player, and I am thrilled that he will leave the league ringless. Good riddance.
"John Stockton was an evil little prick. I'm disappointed that I never got my wish that a piano would fall on him at a home game." -AstroRocket
As a Rockets fan, I may not like or agree with the way Stockton plays, but I do respect him. He's the greatest point guard in NBA history, IMO. There have been dirtier players with less talent, and even they are not hated on as much as Stockton. His court awareness, passing ability and toughness are all aspects that I respect. He is a true competitor and plays the game how it should be played...to win. I know I will be one fan who will miss John Stockton and his class and elegance once he leaves this game.
He was probably the greatest point guard ever, but I've always wondered how many more playoff games they would have won if he had just been more agressive on offense. He was a great shooter. They probably would have won more games if he had just taken over a few games early on. But I'm glad he didn't. I hate Utah!
If only the same thing could happen to the selfish, arrogant, overrated Michael Jordan . Dirty as Stockton is, I like him way more than Jordan.
Greatest point guard ever??? That's BS. I'm taking Isiah, the Big O and Magic on my team any day before I choose Flopton. That being said, he was a great player (and dirty as hell).
Great stats. But if he is the greatest PG of all time, and he played with the greatest (so some people say) PF of all time for his whole career, how come he never won a title? Something doesn't add up. That's why I can't say either of them is that great. They are the best stat sheet fillers ever, but they just aren't the kind of players that you say, "Boy, if we had them on our team we could win a title."
The guy knocked us out of the 97 WCF on my 16th birthday. He was a cheap shot player. That said, he brought it every night, a trait that is far too absent in the league today. In the end, they say nobody respects you more than your enemies.
He may have been a cheap-shottin' little b****, but you gotta admit...he was a cheap shottin' little b****.
