basketball player, was born in Spokane, Washington. John
played point guard for his high school basketball team, and he won a scholarship to Gonzaga University in Spokane. There, he led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, steals, and assists in his senior year. In the 1984 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, Stockton was picked in the first round by the Utah Jazz. As Utah's point guard, he set an NBA season record in 1987-1988 with 1128 assists. He increased that record to 1164 in the 1990-1991 season. One of the greatest passers in NBA history, John once recorded 27 assists in a single game. The 1991-1992 season was his fifth straight year to lead the league in assists. At the end of that season, he ranked fourth in career assists. Many times John scored 20 points and made 20 assists in the same game. He also consistently finished among the league leaders in steals. At the 1992 Olympics, John Stockton played with the U.S. Dream Team, which captured the gold medal in 1r~ if, Barcelona, Spain. "When they choose up teams, they don't take the littlest guy in the gym," said John Stockton, think- ing back about his own experiences as a 5-foot, 5-inch ninth grader. As all smaller kids know, the players who pick the sides usually pick the biggest kids first. That meant John was often picked last or not at all. "So I'd dribble off on the side- lines, waiting to play," he recalled. "When I did get to play, I saw right away the way to get back into the game was to pass it to the big guys all the time." 26 In those early pickup games, the big guys loved getting a pass from little John, so they'd keep him in the game. They thought they were great, but it was the great passes from John that made them look good. All through high school and college, John Stockton kept passing the ball to the big guys. Much to the surprise of many of those guys, little John kept passing the ball right into the National Bas- ketball Association (NBA). John Houston Stockton was born on March 26, 1962, in Spo- kane, Washington. John and his older brother lived with their par- ents in a close-knit Irish-Catholic neighborhood on the city's north side. John's father was part owner of a small tavern that served food and drinks. As a boy, John would often stop there on his way home from school to see his dad or watch a game of pool. Year after year, John Stockton of the Utah Jazz led the NBA in assists. During the 1990-1991 season, he set the record for assists in one season with 1164. oj; ,"", .~-... .. 'j:,- ~ -~,%",'~-- ,~ .. "( .-. . nH1ft II . .. .~,!~t Stockton, John John went to the Catholic grade school a few blocks from his house and not far from the tavern. One spring day, his father heard from a customer that John was run- ning the mile in a track meet down at the school. Although he hadn't heard anything about it before, he decided to walk down the street to see what his son could do. -1 1 , , ~. Stockton throws up a shot over the Lakers' Magic Johnson. As the dad sat in the stands, little John broke the grade-school city record by 15 seconds in the preliminary race. Then, in the final, he blew away the competition, break- ing the record for the mile run by 35 seconds. Tears came to the man's eyes as he watched his son win the race. "He's coming down the stretch, 28 and I'm sitting there bawling in the stands," remembered John's father. "That's the only time John ever sur- prised me. He's never surprised me . " SInce. Although John did not have great size, everyone could see he had natural ability and the desire to win. His basketball coach in grade school watched many times as John gave everything he had during a game. Thinking of the Stockton boy, the coach commented, "He'd run face first into this brick wall at full speed if he had to to get a victory." As a ninth grader at Gonzaga Prep, the local Catholic high school, John weighed only 90 pounds. By the time he was a senior, he was a thin 6-footer who still looked like a kid. During his years playing high school ball, he had developed into a good point guard, the player who handles the ball and calls the plays. Still, the major colleges thought John was too small to play. So he accepted a scholarship from Gon- zaga University, a few blocks from home. At Gonzaga, John improved steadily. He concentrated on his passing, but he also learned how to score. In his senior season, 1983- 1984, he led his conference in scor- ing average (20.9 per game), assists, and steals. John almost made the 1984 U.S. Olympic team. He played so well at the tryouts that NBA scouts took notice. In the 1984 NBA draft, Stockton was picked in the first round by the Utah Jazz. He played part-time with the Jazz for three seasons, as he learned the pro game and improved his skills. His coach made John the starting point guard at the begin- ning of the 1987-1988 season, and he quickly became one of the NBA's best. That season, he made a record 1128 assists. Only two other players had ever made more than 1000 assists in a season. Stockton's passing amazed both his teammates and his oppo- nents. He demonstrated pinpoint accuracy no matter what the situa- tion-a lob pass for a dunk, a short bounce pass to the inside, or a sharply angled pass on a fast break. He could be dribbling the ball look- ing one way and then with a snap of the wrist send the ball the other way to an open teammate. Stock- ton's favorite target was Karl Malone, the NBA's bruising "Mail- " man. Malone came to understand that his own success and the team's improving record owed much to the team leader, Stockton. "He's our quarterback," said Malone. "With him we go. Without him we don't. It's as simple as that." As the team leader, John was in the classic mold of Bob Cousy, the old Celtic great. Like Cousy, Stockton was fairly small, at 6 feet, 1 inch, and 175 pounds. Also like Cousy, John had large hands, which helped him in his dribbling and passmg. Stockton came to excel in other parts of the game, as well. He led the NBA in steals in 1988- 1989, and he always played excel- lent defense. He also grew into a solid NBA scorer, averaging about 17 points a game. His percentage at the three-point range was often one of the best in the league, and he hit over 80 per cent of his free throws. Stockton's team leadership and great passing helped make the Jazz one of the best teams in the NBA. In 1990-1991, he raised the league record to 1164 assists in a season. The following season was his fifth straight as the league leader in as- sists-and he again led the NBA in steals. Then, in 1992, he won a gold medal with the Dream Team at the' Barcelona, Spain, Olympic Games. Back home in Spokane, many remembered John as a short, skinny youngster, and they marveled at his achievements in basketball. "If you' told me he'd be a chess champion, I wouldn't have argued," said his grade school coach. But that wasn't too far from the secret of John Stockton's success. Said Karl Malone, "He's the smartest player I've ever known." Stockton drives to the hoop against one of his toughest rivals-Kevin Johnson of the Phoenix Suns. ... .... , ,. / .. ". Aj- ---- ~ . - -- - ..... -- 29