One of the NBA's unbreakable records is John Stockton 's all-time assist total of 15,806. Not only was it a display of his dazzling playmaking, but it also demonstrated his longevity—Stock reached that mark by averaging 10.5 assists per game in 1,504 appearances.
Before John became all-time assist leader, Magic Johnson had held the record after surpassing Oscar Robertson in 1991. When the Utah Jazz legend overtook his Dream Team teammate in 1995, Johnson was among those who sent a congratulatory video message that was played on the Jumbotron.
"John, from one assist man to another, you are the greatest team leader I have ever played against," Magic said .
Stockton's record-breaking game
It wasn't enough for the 10-time All-Star to take the baton from Johnson; he just had to do it with style. He entered a 1994-94 regular-season contest against the Denver Nuggets needing 11 dimes to set the record. The Jazz faithful anticipated Stock would break it, so they came in full force and sold out all seats at Delta Center.
As it turned out, Stockton didn't even need an entire half to dish out the number of assists he needed. With 6:22 left before intermission, he bounced a pass to Karl Malone, of course, who sank the turnaround jumper from the left wing.
The Gonzaga University alum put the cherry on top by finishing the contest with 16 assists. He probably would have logged more had the matchup not been a blowout—the final score was 129-98.
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Johnson's admiration for his fellow Hall of Famer
Stockton entered the league as part of the famed 1984 draft class, although it took a while before he finally became a full-time starter. However, once he did in the 1987-88 campaign, he went on a playmaking tear and was the NBA's assists leader for nine consecutive years, including seven seasons of turning in more than 1,000 dimes.
The fact that the GOAT point guard Magic celebrated his achievement in 1995 shows how much of a revered figure the Washington native was. Interestingly, Stockton once said he modeled his game after the Los Angeles Lakers icon.
Evidently, it turned out well for Stock. However, Johnson could have prevented him from securing the record. After all, the three-time MVP has a career average of 11.2 assists per contest. If only he were able to make 500 more appearances, he probably would still be top of the list.
The good news for Stockton in that case is that he would have still owned a different record, being the NBA's all-time steals leader with nearly 600 more than Jason Kidd and Chris Paul.
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