History of John Stockton in Timeline

John Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player, widely considered one of the best point guards ever. He played his entire 19-season NBA career (1984-2003) with the Utah Jazz, reaching the playoffs every year. Alongside Karl Malone, he led the Jazz to the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998, though they lost both times to the Chicago Bulls.

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Full Timeline

1926: Hust Stockton wins NFL Championship

In 1926, John Stockton's grandfather, Hust Stockton, was a member of the Frankford Yellow Jackets' NFL Championship team.

March 26, 1962: John Stockton's Birth

On March 26, 1962, John Houston Stockton was born. He would later become a professional basketball player.

1979: Kevin Porter's Assists Record

In 1979, Kevin Porter logged 1,099 assists in one season.

1980: Graduation from Gonzaga Prep

In 1980, John Stockton graduated from Gonzaga Prep after breaking the city record for points scored in a single basketball season.

June 1984: Drafted by the Utah Jazz

In June 1984, John Stockton was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the NBA draft as the 16th overall pick.

November 10, 1984: Highest Rookie Scoring Game

On November 10, 1984, John Stockton scored 19 points in 19 minutes of playing time, which was his highest scoring game as a rookie, during a loss against the Denver Nuggets.

1984: Senior Year Success at Gonzaga

During his senior year for the Bulldogs in 1984, John Stockton averaged 20.9 points per game and led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals, earning him the WCAC Player of the Year award.

1984: Start of NBA Career

In 1984, John Stockton began his NBA career with the Utah Jazz.

1984: U.S. Olympic Team Tryouts

In 1984, John Stockton was invited to the spring tryouts for the U.S. Olympic team and made it to the final 20, but was eventually cut. Despite not being selected, he met his future teammate and friend, Karl Malone during the tryouts.

1985: Isiah Thomas's Assists Record

In 1985, Isiah Thomas logged 1,123 assists in one season.

1987: Starting Point Guard for the Jazz

In the 1987 season, John Stockton became the starting point guard for the Utah Jazz.

1988: All-NBA Second Team and League Leader

In 1988, John Stockton was named to the All-NBA Second Team and led the league in assists with 13.8 per game, he was not selected to play in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game.

1989: Missed Games Due to Injury

In the 1989 season, John Stockton missed four games due to injury.

1990: Assists-Per-Game Record

In 1990, John Stockton achieved the NBA record for assists-per-game average over one season with 14.5.

January 15, 1991: Career-High Assists

On January 15, 1991, John Stockton scored 20 points and dished out a career-high and franchise-record 28 assists in a 124–102 home win against the San Antonio Spurs.

1991: Led the league in steals per game

In 1991, John Stockton led the league in steals per game.

1992: First Western Conference Finals Appearance

In 1992, John Stockton and the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time, but were defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games.

1992: Barcelona Olympics Gold Medal

In 1992, John Stockton played on the United States national team in the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and won a gold medal as part of the 'Dream Team'.

1992: Hall of Fame Induction as Part of the Dream Team

In 1992, John Stockton was a player in the United States men's Olympic basketball team known as the 'Dream Team'.

1992: Member of the 1992 United States Olympic basketball team

In 1992, John Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1992 United States Olympic basketball team, also known as the 'Dream Team'.

1993: All-Star Game Co-MVP

In 1993, John Stockton, along with Karl Malone, was named co-MVP of the All-Star Game held in Salt Lake City.

1994: Achieved Milestones

During the 1994 season, John Stockton achieved many milestones.

1994: Conference Finals Loss

In 1994, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals but lost to the Houston Rockets.

February 1, 1995: All-Time Assist Leader

On February 1, 1995, John Stockton passed Magic Johnson to become the NBA's all-time leader in assists with a total of 9,937 assists, during a 129–98 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Magic Johnson called Stockton "the greatest team leader I have ever played against."

1996: Atlanta Olympics Gold Medal

In 1996, John Stockton played on the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team and won a gold medal.

1996: Named One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

In 1996, John Stockton was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history.

1996: Agreed to deal to make salary-cap space

In 1996, Stockton agreed to a deal that made salary-cap space available so the team could improve, but in exchange, he insisted on guaranteed Delta Center ice time for his son's hockey team.

1996: Conference Finals Loss to SuperSonics

In 1996, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals again, but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics.

1996: Franchise Record and Western Conference Lead

In 1996, the Utah Jazz set a franchise record and led the Western Conference with 64 wins.

1997: Knee Injury

During the 1997 season, John Stockton missed the first 18 games due to a knee injury.

1997: NBA Finals Appearance

In 1997, John Stockton and Karl Malone led the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals, which they lost to the Chicago Bulls.

1997: The Shot and First NBA Finals Appearance

In 1997, John Stockton made a buzzer-beating three-point shot, known as "The Shot", to send the Jazz to their first NBA Finals appearance, where they were defeated by the Chicago Bulls. In Game 3 of the 1997 NBA Finals, Stockton recorded 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 12 assists in their first Finals' win in franchise history.

1997: Sports Illustrated Poll

In 1997, a Sports Illustrated poll voted John Stockton as the second dirtiest player in the league.

1998: Second NBA Finals Appearance

In 1998, John Stockton and Karl Malone again led the Utah Jazz to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Chicago Bulls for the second consecutive year.

1999: Sports Illustrated Honor

In 1999, Sports Illustrated named John Stockton as the best athlete to come out of the state of Washington in the 20th century.

May 2, 2003: Retirement Announcement

On May 2, 2003, John Stockton announced his retirement from professional basketball. The city renamed the street in front of Delta Center as John Stockton Drive.

2003: End of NBA Career

In 2003, John Stockton ended his NBA career after playing for the Utah Jazz.

2003: Coaching Youth Teams

In 2003, after retirement, John Stockton moved back to Spokane and started coaching youth teams.

November 22, 2004: Jersey Retirement Ceremony

On November 22, 2004, John Stockton's number 12 jersey was retired by the Utah Jazz.

March 23, 2006: Statue Placement

On March 23, 2006, a statue of Karl Malone was placed near John Stockton's statue in front of the Delta Center, commemorating their achievements together.

May 11, 2006: ESPN Ranking

On May 11, 2006, ESPN.com named John Stockton the fourth best point guard of all time.

2009: Induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

In 2009, John Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his individual NBA career.

2010: Hall of Fame Induction with 1992 Olympic Team

In 2010, John Stockton was inducted into the Hall of Fame along with the rest of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team.

2010: Hall of Fame Induction as Part of the Dream Team

In 2010, John Stockton was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1992 United States Olympic basketball team, also known as the 'Dream Team'.

2011: Michael Stockton signs with BG Karlsruhe

In 2011, Michael Stockton signed with BG Karlsruhe in Germany's second basketball division.

2011: Shawn Stockton finishes College Basketball Career

In the 2011–12 season, John Stockton's nephew, Shawn Stockton, finished his college basketball career at the University of Montana.

2013: Release of Autobiography

In 2013, John Stockton released his autobiography entitled Assisted, co-written with Kerry L. Pickett, with the foreword written by Karl Malone.

2014: David Stockton plays for Reno Bighorns

In 2014, David Stockton completed his college basketball career at Gonzaga and, after playing for the Reno Bighorns in the NBA's Development League, played for the NBA's Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz.

October 28, 2015: Joins Montana State University's Women's Basketball Program

On October 28, 2015, John Stockton joined Montana State University's women's basketball program as an assistant coach, replacing Kellee Barney.

2017: Michael Stockton signs with BG Göttingen

In 2017, Michael Stockton signed with BG Göttingen in Germany's first basketball division, the Basketball Bundesliga.

2020: Laura Stockton signs with Herner TC

In 2020, Laura Stockton signed her first professional contract to play for Herner TC in Germany.

October 2021: NBA 75th Anniversary Team Selection

In October 2021, John Stockton was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

October 2021: Named to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

In October 2021, John Stockton was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

2021: Appears in "V-Revealed, COVID Edition" video series

In 2021, John Stockton appeared in a video series titled "V-Revealed, COVID Edition", raising doubt about the COVID-19 pandemic and warning against vaccines.

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January 2022: Gonzaga Suspends Season Tickets

In January 2022, Gonzaga suspended John Stockton's season tickets due to his refusal to comply with the university's mask mandate.

2022: Controversial Views and Legal Actions

In 2022, John Stockton expressed anti-vaccine views in a documentary and belief in COVID-19 conspiracies. He also unsuccessfully sued the Washington attorney general and the executive director of the Washington Medical Commission, challenging the discipline of doctors spreading COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

2022: Laura Stockton signs with TK Hannover Luchse

In 2022, Laura Stockton signed a contract with the TK Hannover Luchse in Lower Saxony, Germany, and won the German Cup. They also reached the championship finals, losing against the Keltern Stars.

2022: The Athletic Ranking

In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named John Stockton as the 25th greatest player in NBA history.