John Stockton stats, records, assists and greatness. NBA fans on a regular basis dismiss point guard John Stockton, despite his historic stats, records, assists, and greatness.
He’s the all-time record holder for most career assists and steals.
I’m not a Utah Jazz fan and Stockton isn’t one of my favorite players. Personally I didn’t care for them much. It’s like LeBron James said, I wasn’t riding with them in NBA Live. I wanted Michael Jordan to defeat Utah.
I wanted the Houston Rockets to beat Utah in the 1997 Western Conference Finals. Stockton and Malone’s Jazz were down 13 going into the fourth quarter of game 6.
Stockton had 13 fourth quarter points, including the buzzer beating 3 pointer over Charles Barkley’s outstretched arm to break a 100-100 tie. Sending the Utah Jazz to the first of two straight NBA Finals appearances.
Stockton has almost 4,000 more assists than anyone else who ever played in the NBA, there not unbreakable but no one playing today is going to approach them.
It is somewhat playing as long as he did but it’s also being the only player to average 14+ assists in a season. He did this twice. He had seasons with 14.5, 14.2, 13.8, 13.7, 13.6 assists-per-game. Stockton led the NBA in assists for 9 consecutive seasons.
3 times a week
I don’t understand? At least three-times-a-week, I see a post on social media claiming Stockton was nothing special. He is one of the greatest players in NBA history. Many younger fans who didn’t watch some of the legends from the past, they jump to conclusions of stupidity, believing that the stats tell them the whole story.
Real NBA experts know stats can be an inefficient form of ranking players because the rules have been changed to increase scoring in the last 10-15 years. The ball don’t lie but many of the numbers do.
Stop cheating with stats, it doesn’t always work and leads to beliefs that turn into statements that are pure idiocy. You’re embarrassing yourselves. He is NBA greatness. In this case, it is as easy as looking at the statistics spanning over his entire career. I’ve done the eye test and you can too. John Stockton with his stats and records is not to be dismissed. He was a legendary basketball player.
John Houston Stockton
John Houston Stockton was born on March 26, 1962 in Spokane, Washington. He played the point guard position in high school at Gonzaga Prep and graduated in 1980. He then played his college basketball at Gonzaga University.
The Hall-of-Fame PG led the West Coast Athletic Conference in points, assists, and steals his senior season. He averaged 20.9 points-per-game on 57 percent shooting, 7.2 assists-per-game, 3.9 steals.
John Stockton’s stats with the Gonzaga Bulldogs his senior season garnered him the WCAC player-of-the-year award. He’d be drafted 16th overall in the 1984 NBA draft. A draft that that’s arguably the greatest in NBA History.
Featuring five players inducted into the Hall-of-Fame. They include Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Oscar Schmidt and “Stock”
Legendary Los Angeles Lakers play-by-play man, Chick Hearn said during a 1988 playoff game, where Stock tied the all-time playoff record for assists in a game, 23 points, 24 assists, 5 steals.
I”ve never seen an opposing player touch the ball so much on defense
Chick Hearn on John Stockton
Wooden & Wilt
Legendary UCLA basketball coach said that Stockton was the NBA player that he enjoyed watching the most and the only one he would pay to see.
You won’t believe this, but I love Johnny Stockton. I think he’s the most complete person in his position.
Wilt Chamberlain on “Stock”
Is it the stats money?
Anyone who dismisses John Stockton stats, his records, or his greatness, either doesn’t possess any basketball knowledge or most likely never actually seen him play.
These people think they’re spreading facts but what they’re really doing is manufacturing declarations of nonsense on social media.
Watch legends like John before you judge them with ignorance. Why wouldn’t you actually want to be in the know? I could never talk about something, pretending to possess a level of expertise that I didn’t have. He holds the NBA assist record by a margin larger than almost any other sports record.
John Stockton’s stats are what they are because of what he did on the basketball court. You can look at it from a game-for-game perspective, by season or for his career. It’s all simply unbelievable greatness.
Like 4,000 more Kidd
John Stockton has 15,806 career assists. This is the most assists by a player in NBA history. Jason Kidd is second with 12,091 career assists. The Utah Jazz point guard has almost 4,000 more assists than Kidd on some Secretariat sh..! Just lapping the competition.
He has the single season record for assists-per-game with 14.5, this John Stockton assist record was set in 1989-90.
Only twice has an NBA player averaged over 14 assists-per-game, both times it was done by Stockton.
He played 19 seasons in Salt Lake City and played 82 games 16 times. In the strike shortened 1998-99 season he played all 50 games. The Jazz point guard only missed 22 games in his 19-year career. He played 1,504 NBA games and only missed 22 games in his entire career.
“Stock” is ranked fifth on the NBA’s all-time list for games played. He missed the first 18 games of the 1997-98 season with an injured MCL in his left knee. Before that, John missed a total of four games in his first 13 seasons.
After the MCL injury, he never missed another game for the rest of his career.
Backup
The Utah Jazz franchise came into existence before the 1974-75 season in New Orleans and then moved to Utah before the 1979-80 season. The Gonzaga point guard was drafted with the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft. The Utah Jazz made the playoffs one time before drafting Stockton.
He didn’t become the Jazz’s starting point guard until his fourth season in 1987-88. As a backup to Rickey Green, he averaged 7.4 assists (1985-86) and 8.2 assists-per-game (1986-87) in only 23.6 & 22.7 minutes-per-game respectively.
In his first season as the Utah Jazz starting point guard, every saw with extended minutes came extended numbers. John averaged 13.8 assists-per-game, leading the league in assists in his first season as a starter.
During his rookie season of 1984-85, the Jazz made the playoffs and they wouldn’t miss the playoffs again until the first season after Stockton retired, 20 years later in 2003-04.
auto-assist machine
John Stockton’s stats and assists were common place in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1992 he won an Olympic gold medal, playing for the United States dream team in Barcelona, Spain. He played in ten NBA all-star games too. Winning co-mvp with Jazz teammate Karl Malone in 1993.
He led the NBA in assists-per-game nine consecutive seasons and he holds five-of-the-six top assist-per-game seasons of all-time.
He set the single season record for total assists (1990-91) with 1,164 in 82 games and assists-per-game in a single season with 14.54 in 1989-90.
Someone said earlier this week that “Stock” wouldn’t be able to do anything with Russell Westbrook. He was a five time NBA all-defensive team selection too. Collecting a high Assist average isn’t the only aspect he excelled in.
Steals
“Stock” averaged 2.2 steals-per-game for his career. He led the NBA twice during his career. 3.2 steals-per-game was his career high and he averaged 3.0 steals twice.
John became the NBA’s all-time leader in steals with a career total of 3,265. This was based on longevity and consistency.
From his first season starting in 1987-88 until 1994-96, Stockton never averaged less than 2.4 steals-per-game in any single season.
Breaking Magic
On February 1, 1995, “Stock” dished out 16 assists against the Denver Nuggets to pass Magic Johnson to become the NBA’s all-time leader in assists. Magic had 9,921 assists at the time.
“John, from one assist man to another, you are the greatest team leader I have ever played against”.
Magic Johnson on John Stockton
17 days later in a game vs the Boston Celtics, John had 15 assists and became the first player to amass over 10,000 assists in the NBA. Then on March 25th, playing against the Dallas Mavericks, he became the second player ever to reach 2,000 career steals.
statistical categories
There are five major statistical categories in the NBA, points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
John Stockton doesn’t only lead the NBA in assists, he is also the all-time leader in steals too. He is at the top of the record books in two of the five major statistical categories in the NBA all-time.
Gary Payton
John Stockton is because I liked him when I was playing basketball. Everyone said he was dirty. He wasn’t as athletic as us. But he was smarter than us. We knew what he was going to do. he was going to set [tough] picks. had all the videos on Utah. We were so dumb. We’d get caught up with the picks and get mad at him. He would shoot eight times and make nine. Shoot eight free throws and make seven. He’d have 15 assists and four steals. A complete game. That’s just the way he was and I idolized him. I just imitated him while going about my business, talking trash and getting it done. After the game you would look at my stats and it would be right there.
Gary Payton on John Stockton
Never. That is the reason I really respected him because you never could get in his head. He’s the hardest person I ever had to guard. I tried to talk to him, try to do something and he’d just look at me, set a pick and cause me [to get mad and] get a tech. And then all of the sudden it was over. There was much respect to him doing that to me. It taught me a lot.
Gary Payton on John Stockton
John Stockton stats, awards & records
- 10x All-Star
- 11x All-NBA
- 5x All-Defense
- all-time steals leader
- all-time assists leader
- 9x assists champ
- 2x steals champ
A 6-time All-NBA Second Team selection and twice the Utah legend was named All-NBA First Team. Many of those All-NBA Second Team selections would’ve been All-NBA First Team if not for Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
He also was named All-NBA Third Team 3-times, including his last two All-NBA Teams in 1996-97 & 1998-99.
John Stockton’s stats and play on the court got him named to 10 All-Star Games. He was co-MVP with Karl Malone in the 1993
Stockton had almost 20,000 points and had a 51.5 career shooting percentage from the field and 38.4% from beyond the three-point line.
The Spokane native’s career stats read 13.1 points-per-game, 10.5 assists, 2.2 steals, 51.5 field goal percentage and 38.4 percent from behind the arc.
In 1990-91, He had 1,164 assists in a season, this is still an NBA record.
Last month there was a “who’s the top point guard of all-time” list on Facebook and in the description, the writer said “Stockton only had his numbers because of Karl Malone.”
This wasn’t an opinion but this person’s reasoning for dismissal of the all-time assist leader altogether. Karl Malone averaged over 30 points-per-game only once during his career. Most great point guards throughout NBA history played with a great big man too.
Playoffs & Records
Many assume John Stockton’s stats and records aren’t as credible as they are because of not winning in the playoffs.
You’ve heard John Stockton’s regular season stats and records but he led the NBA playoffs in assists ten different seasons. With averages of 15.0, 14.8, 13.8, 13.7, 13.6, 11.4, 11.0 assists-per-game.
He led the playoffs in steals twice too. With 3.7, 3.4, 3.0 steals-per-game being his postseason bests throughout his playing career.
1987-89
In his first season started he set the NBA single season assist record, recording 1,128 (13.8) assists breaking Isiah Thomas’ record of 1,123 set in 1984-85.
John Stockton’s playoff stats in 1987-88 were 19.5 points and 14.8 assists-per-game in 11 postseason games. This was when against the Showtime Lakers, he tied the playoff record for assists in a single game. A record he still shares with Magic Johnson.
He averaged 17.1 points-per-game, 13.6 assists, and 3.2 steals in 1988-89. Leading the league for the second straight season in assists and leading in steals too.
The Jazz got swept in the first-round but that had nothing to do with John Stockton’s stats or game. He averaged 27.3 points and 13.7 assists in the series loss to the Golden State Warriors.
1989-91
John led the league for the third straight season in assists in 1989-90. The third of what would be a record nine straight seasons leading the NBA in assists. Breaking Bob Cousy’s record of eight consecutive seasons.
He’d also break his own record again for assists in a single season with 1,134 and the highest average in NBA history of 14.5 assists-per-game.
He also became the first player to compile over a 1,000 assists for three straight years. He’d do it two more times in the next two seasons. Leaving the record at five straight seasons with over 1,000 assists.
He averaged 15 points and 15 assists in the 1989-90 NBA playoffs.
The following season, John Stockton’s stats boosted the most assists in a single season in NBA season with 1,164 dimes. Once again breaking his own record.
Mid-to-late 90’s
From 1991-92-to-1997-98, the Utah Jazz made the Western Conference Finals, five-out-of-seven seasons and from 1994-95 until 1998, Utah made the WCF, four-out-of-five years.
The Jazz finally broke through and made the NBA Finals in the 1996-97 season. “Stock would show how clutch he was in game six of the western conference finals.
With the Jazz leading the series 3-2 and game 6 tied at 100 points apiece, Stockton hit a three pointer over the outstretched arm of Charles Barkley to send the Jazz to the 1997 NBA Finals.
They’d lose to Michael Jordan and the Bulls in the Finals in both 1997 and 1998. Giving the Chicago Bulls the two toughest tests they faced en route to dominating the 1990’s and winning six NBA championships.
Magic Stock
SO F…ing FOOLISH. Any point guard list that doesn’t start with Magic Johnson and John Stockton is illegitimate and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
What’s funny about that is someone is going to start arguing this with me. That’s not the funny part, what’s idiotically maddening to the point of laughter is these people will be the same ones who base everything on statistics.
If you’re not coming equipped with expertise or knowledge, at least be consistent.
If you base everything on statistics, why change your method when it comes to “Stock’s” assists or any of John Stockton’s stats and records?
He holds many NBA records including most assists and most steals all-time. He has the second highest assists-per-game average with 10.51, only Magic Johnson’s is higher (11.19).
Advanced Metrics
I’m not really big on using too many advanced metrics in basketball, especially defensive ones. They can be misleading. They’re not all cut and dry like in baseball.
I’ve covered some of John Stockton’s stats and records and now I’ll dive deeper into the advanced metrics.
The advanced metrics loved John Stockton, his stats and his game.
He was ranked within the top eight 3-times in defensive rating and is the third best value-over-replacement-player (VORP) in history (106.5). Stockton has the best assist percentage and the 7th best offensive rating in NBA history too.
Stockton’s win shares are sixth best in NBA history and the best all-time for a point guard (207.7). Eleven seasons he was top 10 and eight of those seasons, he was ranked in the top five.
In the advanced metric, Offensive win shares, he’s ranked seventh all-time (142.8), finishing in the top 10, twelve times in his career.
assist-to-turnover ratio
Since I started writing this piece, someone wanted to make sure I was aware of John Stockton’s turnovers. WHAT A JOKE. He has a 3.72:1 career assist-to-turnover ratio. That is phenomenal. It doesn’t get much better. Chris Paul has an NBA all-time career best ratio of 3.97.
Russell Westbrook has a ratio of 2.38:1 in 2021 and a ratio of 2.07 for his career, which isn’t what I would want out of my floor general. Steph Curry’s ratio for 2020-21 was 1.60.
Hall-of-Fame
John Stockton played 19 seasons in the NBA. He was the 16th overall pick in the 1984 NBA Draft and after leaving the game after the 2002-03 season as the all-time assists and steals leader, “Stock” was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame in 2009.
“Stock” was also inducted into the Naismith Hall-of-Fame as a member of the Dream Team in 2010. He won gold medals at the 1992 & 1996 Olympics.
The Jazz held a retirement ceremony for John, where they renamed the street in front of their home arena, then known as The Delta Center, now Vivint Arena, John Stockton Drive.
Perk sounds like he’s on Percs
Kendrick Perkins basketball expertise and I.Q on NBA history is about as high as his vertical leap was as a player. Why are Steph Curry and Russell Westbrook on a list of any top five point guard lists?
Steph is one of the greatest shooters ever and revolutionized distance but he is a combo guard. He only plays the PG position because he isn’t big enough to be a shooting guard. Not taking anything away from Curry, but he’s a shooter. No matter what he does he isn’t making his teammates better.
No pure shooter is. Maybe if he was a good defender, scratch that, he doesn’t belong here. Definitely doesn’t belong in front of Chris Paul and “Stock” belongs with Magic.
Kendrick Perkins is a damn idiot. I’m thinking of all the great point guards as I’m typing, the ones who could be or should be here. Really you’re putting Russell Westbrook in your top five? He wouldn’t crack the top thirty of any knowledgeable fans lists.
Every time he gets two assists, he turns the ball over once. If Perkins doesn’t know or understand the talent that has played in the past, then he should just focus on the current NBA and leave the history to the ones equipped with the knowledge and information to speak on it.
More Than You
John Stockton’s stats show he has 3,715 more assists than Jason Kidd in 2nd place, and 5,471 more than the third ranked Steve Nash. These are like high school numbers.
Chris Paul is the active NBA leader in steals. For him to break Stockton’s record he would have to average about 100 steals for the next decade. That puts CP3 at 45-46-years-old and the record being broken around the 2031 regular season.
He has 581 more steals than Jason Kidd, who is second all-time in this statistical category too.
Logic Followed by unreason
This tweet is from someone who doesn’t suffer from idiocy but the person replying to the knowledgeable tweet suffers from idiocy with stupidity.
“Stockton was amazing, but everyone knows those assist totals are rubbish. Stockton averaged 4 more assists per game at home compared to the road. Just home cooking by the scorecard keepers”.
I get dumber every time I read this. It leaves me staring aimlessly in confusion. I guess he’s saying Stockton was amazing but his assists are manufactured?
WTF, WTF, WTF are you FU…… TALKING ABOUT. There is literally a definition to what an assist is. It’s when a player leads another player to a field goal within two dribbles or less.
How much greater was Stockton at getting assists compared to everyone else? Looking at his totals, it makes some people skeptical, like “NONSENSE, THAT’S RUBBISH!!!
By the way bro, everyone DOESN’T know John Stockton’s stats are fake, because they’re not. “Stock” didn’t play in the 1950’s, you could literally go back and watch those assists. It’ll take a while because of how many he had, but it can be done.
Just a piece-a-crap thing to say with no information to back it up. Trying to convince people not only that his stats aren’t authentic but throwing in that everybody knows this.
Especially when these opinions are nothing close to facts but self materialized fiction. This man’s opinions are false. This man exhibits an abundance of incognizance, basing everything on ideas that are baseless in reality.
Puff, Pass, Pass
The most assists Stockton ever had in a game was 28. He also had a game with 27, 26, and 24 assists. He’s had 22 or more assists in a game 13 different times for the Utah Jazz.
Guess where those stats rank him? That’s right, I don’t even need to tell you where he ranks, you already know.
Stockton has had 38 games with over 20 assists. Magic Johnson had 31 games with at least 20 assists. Nobody else in NBA history has cracked double digit games with 20+ assists.
John Stockton had 27 assists in a road game in 1989, strictly on some “RUBBISH NONSENSE”. John Stockton has had many 20 assist games on the road.
Stockton did not average four more assists at home compared to the road. This is either a lie or a person not equipped for this conversation. MISINFORMED.
“Rubbish” Nonsense
When the Jazz went on the road, the opponents must have tried to pad Stockton’s stats too.
For his career, John Stockton averaged 10.9 assists at home and 10.1 assists on the road.
Fizdale Time!
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