John Stockton - 1993-94 Fleer NBA Jam Session #228 - Utah Jazz / Dream Team USA / Gonzaga
from Fleer's premier edition set - card is 35% larger than standard issue card !!
John Houston Stockton (born March 26, 1962) is an American retired professional basketball player. He spent his entire professional playing career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA), from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time,[1] holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by considerable margins.[2][3] He is a ten-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee (in 2009 for his individual career, and in 2010 as a member of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("Dream Team")
After considering offers from Don Monson at Idaho and Mike Montgomery at Montana, both in the Big Sky Conference, Stockton decided to stay in Spokane and play college basketball for Dan Fitzgerald at Gonzaga University.[11] He became the third generation in his family at GU; grandfather Houston Stockton was a well-known football player for the Bulldogs in the 1920s.[11] Fitzgerald was also the athletic director; he stepped away from coaching for four years after Stockton's freshman year and promoted assistant Jay Hillock to head coach.[12]
During his senior year for the Bulldogs in 1984, Stockton averaged 20.9 points per game, shooting 57% from the field. The Zags posted a 17–11 record, their best in 17 years, and Stockton led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals.[13] For his performance, he was named WCAC Player of the Year, the first ever Gonzaga player to earn the award.
In June 1984, Stockton was selected by the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 1984 NBA draft with the 16th overall pick.[18] A relative unknown during his college career (as Gonzaga was not a prominent basketball program at that time), his stock rose significantly in the months before the draft.[19] Nevertheless, the announcement of his selection to the thousands of Jazz fans gathered at the Salt Palace on draft day was met with a stunned silence.[18]
Stockton became the starting point guard for the Jazz in the 1987–88 season. In 1988–89, he played in his first All-Star Game, and led the NBA in assists per game for the first of nine consecutive seasons.
On January 15, 1991, 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.[20] On February 12, Stockton nearly recorded a triple-double after putting up 19 points, 11 assists and 9 steals in a 113–92 win over the Houston Rockets.[21]
In 1992, Stockton and the Jazz reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time, but were defeated by the Portland Trail Blazers in six games. Along with Malone, Stockton was named co-MVP of the All-Star Game in 1993; the game was held in Salt Lake City. Stockton and the Jazz reached the Conference Finals again in 1994 and 1996, but lost to the Houston Rockets and the Seattle SuperSonics, respectively
Utah set a franchise record and led the Western Conference with 64 wins in the 1996–97 season. The team again reached the Western Conference Finals. In Game Six of the Conference Finals, Stockton scored 25 points, dished out 13 assists, and made a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-point shot over the Rockets' Charles Barkley to send the Jazz to the first of two consecutive NBA Finals appearances.[22] Stockton's game-winner became known as "The Shot".[23] 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.[24] The Jazz were defeated by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in six games in the Finals.[22]
Stockton missed the first 18 games of the 1997–98 season with a knee injury, but the Jazz returned to the NBA Finals and again faced the Bulls.[22] In Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals, Stockton made a three-pointer with 41.9 seconds left to give the Jazz a lead, but Bulls guard Michael Jordan made two field goals to put his team ahead 87–86. Stockton missed a three-point attempt with 5.2 seconds left and said in a post-game interview that he felt confident that the shot would go in.[25] The Bulls again defeated the Jazz in six games.[22]
The Jazz made the NBA playoffs every season during Stockton's 19-year NBA career
Career information
High school Gonzaga Prep
(Spokane, Washington)
College Gonzaga (1980–1984)
NBA draft 1984 / Round: 1 / Pick: 16th overall
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career 1984–2003
Position Point guard
Number 12
Career history
As player:
1984–2003 Utah Jazz
As coach:
2015–2016 Montana State (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
10× NBA All-Star (1989–1997, 2000)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1993)
2× All-NBA First Team (1994, 1995)
6× All-NBA Second Team (1988–1990, 1992, 1993, 1996)
3× All-NBA Third Team (1991, 1997, 1999)
5× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1997)
9× NBA assists leader (1988–1996)
2× NBA steals leader (1989, 1992)
NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
No. 12 retired by Utah Jazz
WCC Player of the Year (1984)
2× First-team All-WCC (1983, 1984)
No. 12 retired by Gonzaga Bulldogs
Career NBA statistics
Points 19,711 (13.1 ppg)
Assists 15,806 (10.5 apg)
Steals 3,265 (2.2 spg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player
College Basketball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2017
Medals[hide]
Men's basketball
Representing United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Team competition
Gold medal – first place 1996 Atlanta Team competition
FIBA Americas Championship
Gold medal – first place 1992 Portland Men's basketball