The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904, and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have now won 17 gold medals in the 20 tournaments they have participated in during the past 88 years, while the women have won 10 gold medals in the 12 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 48 years. While we must wait 4 years until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel will fill the void by interviewing as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible. We continue our coverage by chatting with David Stockton (who is in DC this week as part of the USA Men’s AmeriCup Qualifying Team’s 12-man roster for games vs. Puerto Rico and the Bahamas) about his father John being 1 of the best point guards ever and winning a pair of gold medals in 1992/1996.
Your father John was born in Spokane, went to high school at Gonzaga Prep, his grandfather Houston played football for the Bulldogs, and his father Jack is also an alum: how easy was his choice to go to college at Gonzaga? I think it was a very easy choice. He is still a homebody and did not want to stray far from the city where he grew up.
In the spring of 1984 he was drafted 16th overall by Utah: did he see that as a validation of his college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I think it meant the world to him. I do not think he really expected it because he is a very humble guy.
He made the Dream Team in 1992: how did he feel about being 1 of 11 future Hall of Famers on that team (along with Charles Barkley/Larry Bird/Clyde Drexler/Patrick Ewing/Magic Johnson/Michael Jordan/Karl Malone/Chris Mullin/Scottie Pippen/David Robinson) playing for a Hall of Fame coach (Chuck Daly)? I assume it was a dream come true: basketball heaven!
He was part of a 117-85 win over Croatia in the final: what did it mean to him to represent his country, and what did it mean to him to win a gold medal? It must be up there as 1 of the best accolades you can get: there is nothing better.
He was picked to be a member of Dream Team II at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta: what kind of a home-court advantage did he have while playing in his home country, and did he give the new guys any advice about what to expect as 1 of the 5 guys who played for the original Dream Team in 1992 (along with Barkley/Malone/Pippen/Robinson)? At that point the world was still very far behind Team USA (whose roster was stacked) so they did not need a home-court advantage.
In Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals he had 25 PTS/13 AST and made a series-clinching 3-PT shot over his Olympic teammate Barkley at the buzzer to send the Jazz to the Finals (www.youtube.com/watch?v=AboGCfdKyOI): where does that rank among the highlights of his career? I would assume that it is up there as 1 of the best. The Jazz fought for a long time with that core group of players and they finally broke through in 1997 and made the Finals.
He led the NBA in APG for 9 consecutive seasons: what made him such a great PG? He always tried to make his teammates better, which is what a PG is supposed to do.
He only missed 22 games during his 19-year career and never missed the playoffs: what was the secret to his stamina/success? I wish I knew! He eats very healthy and stays in great shape. If I knew that answer, then I would be hurt less in my own career.
He still holds the NBA records for career AST (15,806) & STL (3,265) by a wide margin: do you think that anyone will ever break his records? I would say no, just due to the way the game is now. As far as AST, you would probably have to play 20 years and average 15 APG for several years in a row.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 for his individual career and in 2010 as a member of the Dream Team, and in 2021 he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team: when people look back on his career, how do you think he should be remembered the most? As a winner who made the playoffs for 19 straight years (which is still an NBA record) and was so effective for so long. He also played every night, so there is also that toughness factor.