Utah Jazz legend John Stockton revealed that he wouldn't be the player he turned out to be if he played for another team. According to the Hall of Famer, there was something about the Salt Lake altitude Stock knew he wouldn't find anywhere else.
" I don't think I could have played anywhere else at the same level," John told SLAM. "Comfort is a big part of it, and anywhere else, I would have been swimming upstream ."
Stock's legendary career
To this day, Stockton may be one of the greatest players never to win a ring. However, he is undoubtedly one of the best point guards in the NBA's history.
John retired in 2003, and 21 years later, he's still the NBA's all-time leader in assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). The 10-time All-Star was a nine-time assists champion, an 11-time All-NBA team awardee, and a two-time league leader in steals, among many other remarkable achievements.
Utah basketball wouldn't have been relevant without the duo of Karl Malone and Stockton, who put the state on the map. Unfortunately, the two couldn't lead the squad to a championship as they ran into Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals.
Still, the brotherhood between Karl and John lives on to this day. As Malone once said, Stock is one of the few people for whom he'd donate a kidney if he ever needed one .
"He gave more to me than I gave to him," Malone said . "There were a lot of times I took him for granted because I knew what I was going to get every night. That made me better."
Related: “He has 47 kids in the Philippines, and I’m the oldest one” - When Dennis Rodman broke down during his Hall of Fame speech
The Jazz culture
Not only did Stockton have Malone alongside him, but he also played for Jerry Sloan and was part of the culture that preached accountability and teamwork. This is why the Jazz were able to get the best out of their iconic duo. It's also why Malone still claims that nobody ran the pick-and-roll better than he and Stock.
"The Mailman" averaged 25.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game during his time in Utah, while Stockton racked up 13.5 points and 10.8 assists. John also took the leadership role on the team, which, according to Sloan, is what made him so great in Utah.
" As a coach, you're beating your head against the wall if you don't have someone to step up and hold their teammates accountable, and that's what John did every day," Sloan said . "He set a terrific standard with his attitude and his approach. He didn't just show up with a great gift. He wanted to be the best he could be, and he drove himself relentlessly even after he was the best ."
It's fair to say Stockton probably wouldn't have been the same player if he hadn't played in Utah. But none of it—playing with Malone, being coached by Sloan, having arguably the best culture in the NBA—would have been possible without the Jazz's unsung hero.
" Nothing could've happened to me or the Jazz, in my opinion, without the courage of one man, Larry Miller. [He] Turned Jazz into a winner. I guess we just played follow the leader because that's what he was, a winner, " the NBA legend concluded.
Related: “That's not the Stock I play with every night in Utah" - Karl Malone grew worried witnessing John Stockton's struggles on the Dream Team
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