PimpScourge
10-04-2004, 12:15 PM
Face to face with a quiet legend
By Dr. Jack Ramsay
This past summer, my wife, Jean, and I, along with another couple, took a trip west. I wanted to become more familiar with the Lewis and Clark Expedition; to see the four presidents (Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt) carved into Mount Rushmore; to see the sculpting of Chief Crazy Horse; to learn more about the culture of Native Americans; and to travel through the mountains and plains of our great country.
The trip took us by air to St. Louis and to Rapid City, S.D.; then by car through part of Wyoming, across Montana, into Idaho and finished at Spokane, Wash. It was a fascinating, exhilarating tour.
Before we reached Spokane, I decided to hunt down John Stockton's father, Jack, who owns a saloon in that city near the Gonzaga University campus. We had met before, and I learned that his place was called Jack and Dan's Tavern. I found its street location, and drove over unannounced to pay a visit.
On entering, I found the place to be in a state of renovation. Power saws were whining through wood panels; carpenters were banging nails in place; and plastic sheets separated the workers from the immediate bar area. There was a bartender on duty and a couple of patrons. I asked if Jack Stockton was in and was told that he had just left. I said I'd try back later and had turned to leave when I heard a voice call out, "Is that Dr. Ramsay?" I turned and saw Jack Stockton approaching with his hand extended.
As we shook hands he said, "I thought I recognized your voice. We met at Butte, Montana, in a preseason game in John's rookie year." That was 20 years ago, but I remembered the game. John was just getting a feel for the NBA game and hadn't really asserted himself, but his coach, Frank Layden, told me, "Stockton's going to be terrific." ... something I already knew.
The elder Stockton and I chatted for a while, then he said, "John's here. Would you like to see him?" I didn't expect that. I knew John had a home in the Salt Lake City area and thought that he'd be there.
Jack returned with John, who had his youngest child – 5-year-old Samuel – in tow. John looked game-ready yet. His body was trim, and he had the bright eyes, ruddy complexion and vibrant appearance possessed only by well-conditioned athletes. As we greeted each other, I was reminded again of his unusually large hands and firm grip – God's gift to a great playmaker.
When I commented on his obvious fitness, he said, "I'm still running with the guys. We have our own group that plays 'rat-ball,' and now that the college guys are back, I often go over to Gonzaga and run with them. It keeps me in shape."
* * *
The 1984 NBA draft has been judged by many to be the most productive of all time. Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and John Stockton are certain future Hall of Famers. Kevin Willis, Alvin Robertson and Otis Thorpe joined them as All-Star Game participants during their careers; and Sam Perkins, Sam Bowie, Jay Humphries, Vern Fleming, Tony Campbell, Michael Cage, Jeff Turner, Ron Anderson, Jerome Kersey (the 46th pick overall) and Jim Petersen (the 51st, a third-round pick) all made solid contributions to teams. It was indeed a tremendous harvest of basketball talent.
I've been questioned more about that draft than any other, because that was the year Portland, the team I coached at the time, passed on Jordan to select Bowie with the No. 2 overall pick. MJ reminds me of that oversight each year I see him at his Senior Flight School in Las Vegas, where I serve as a staff member.
Of course, had we known Michael was going to turn out to be the greatest player of all time, we would have taken him and perhaps used the players we already had at his 2-guard position – Jim Paxson and Clyde Drexler – to trade to fill our needs at center. Hindsight is always 20/20.
But I vividly remember that draft for another reason. It was the year I thought we were going to get Stockton ... but didn't. I had become an avid Stockton fan after watching him at the 1984 pre-draft workouts in Chicago. Typically, players who attend that camp are there to solidify a draft spot or move up in the order. They are not the high lottery picks, whose positions already have been pretty much determined.
Stockton had just completed a nice, four-year career at Gonzaga University, a small, Division I member of the West Coast Conference. His Zags teams were good during his tenure (64-45), but not great. They never won a conference championship, and in his senior year, the Zags were 17-11, fourth in the conference. His career numbers didn't knock your eyes out either – 12.5 points, 5.1 assists and 2.4 steals. But he shot .559 from the field over his career and averaged 20.9 points and 7.2 assists as a senior. John Stockton was not a household name, and his stats proved to be just the tip of the ice berg.
The pre-draft camp format is to give physical exams, including accurate measurements of heights and weights, and then, over a four-day period, put the players through fundamental drill work under the direction of active NBA assistant coaches and divide them into teams for game competition with NBA rules and prospective league officials. The drill work is informative, but the most true insights into a player's chance of making the grade in pro ball emerge during the games. Those games typically break down into a lot of one-one-one action as players, intent on impressing their NBA evaluators, focus on individual efforts rather than team play.
Stockton's team was different. His group played like it had been together all season. They defended, rebounded, ran the break and sharply executed their half-court offense. Stockton was the generator of it all. He was everywhere on defense – anticipating the action, taking charges, stealing balls from unwary dribblers, and deflecting passes. On offense, once the ball was in his hands, he hit ahead to fast-breaking teammates, or threaded bounce passes to open cutters at the hoop in half-court. Because of him, his team played unselfishly and with a team spirit that was in sharp contrast with the other teams there. I was impressed.
Portland had a pretty good team at the time. We had just finished a 48-34 season but had lost to Phoenix in a five-game series in the first round of the playoffs. We had two quality point guards that I liked – Darnell Valentine and Fat Lever. But I sensed something special about Stockton and talked about him to Stu Inman, Portland's director of personnel. Stu listened while I enthusiastically assessed Stockton's skills.
"I thought you'd like him," he said. "I don't think we have a big need at point guard, but he'll be there for us at No. 19 (our second pick in the first round) if you want to take him."
"I want him," I said.
We brought John to Portland for a meeting before the draft and liked what we saw and heard. He appeared to be intelligent, articulate and vitally interested in playing within a team concept. The meetings reinforced my decision to select him.
On draft day, after Houston selected Olajuwon with the first pick, we took Bowie next, and Chicago landed Jordan at No. 3. I then sat back and waited for Stockton.
There are always surprises in an NBA draft. Inman was an astute draftsman, with a good pipeline regarding players about whom other teams were thinking. He kept assuring me that Stockton would be available at 19, but I was nervous sitting in the Portland office as the draft worked its way toward our pick. The three teams ahead of Portland that most needed a point guard were Phoenix (13), Dallas (15), and Indiana (18). Utah already had starter Ricky Green and backup Joel Eaves, so I didn't consider them a threat to pick Stockton at 16. I was more concerned about Indiana, which picked just ahead of us.
I breathed a silent sigh of relief when Phoenix took Jay Humphries, then Dallas took Terrance Stansbury, and was hardly paying attention to Utah's choice, already thinking ahead to the Pacers. The Nets took big forward Jeff Turner at 15, and then I heard commissioner David Stern, who was overseeing his first NBA draft, announce, "With the 16th pick in the l984 NBA draft, the Utah Jazz select ... John Stockton, from Gonzaga University."
I was stunned. I looked over at Inman, but he already was preparing for our upcoming pick, now that Stockton was gone. (We took Bernard Thompson, a swingman from Fresno State, who had a brief, ineffective career.)
Since that time, I've had a warm spot in my heart for Stockton. I watched him grow as a player and marveled at the way he lifted his team to reach a level that was beyond its potential. He proved to be everything I thought he could be ... and more. Becoming the NBA career leader in assists and steals are worthy accomplishments, but they don't begin to indicate his value as a team leader. Although I rate Magic Johnson the best overall point guard in basketball history, no one has been the equal of John Stockton in orchestrating a half-court offense.
When I was coaching, I looked forward to seeing Stockton whenever our teams met. We always greeted each other warmly and had short chats when time permitted. When I became a broadcaster, John willingly did interviews with me – although never on game day, when his attention was focused on his opponent. I did the radio broadcasts of Utah's two appearances in the NBA Finals against Chicago and would have loved to have seen him enter the winner's circle. But that was not to be.
* * *
Now entering his second season of retirement from the NBA, Stockton sponsors and helps to coach a number of YMCA youth football and basketball teams in Spokane and girls' teams in soccer, volleyball and basketball. John and his wife, Nada, have six children, many of whom play on these teams. The two oldest, Houston (16) and Michael (15) are beginning to play at Gonzaga Prep. I asked Jack if any of the boys showed John's potential in basketball. He shook his head negatively, and added, "The girls are more talented ... but I don't say that out loud."
John also owns a sports complex called The Warehouse – an abandoned building he purchased that now houses six full-length basketball courts – including the Jazz's original floor from the old Salt Palace in Salt Lake City; four batting cages and a pitching mound. The complex organizes basketball leagues and tournaments and is open for baseball workouts in the winter months. It is a busy, thriving activity center run by John's grade-school basketball coach Kerry Pickett and Kerry's wife.
John says he is happy to be back in Spokane, where he grew up, and to be able to spend time at home with his family. He loves working with young people and doesn't miss the hectic pace of the practice, game and travel schedule of the NBA.
John doesn't play a role in Jack and Dan's Tavern. There are no pictures of him nor references to the NBA. The bar, originally called Louie's Snappy Service, opened following the repeal of prohibition in 1933. Jack bought it in 1960 and took on partner Dan Crowley in 1974. When Dan left the business, Jeff Condill, a former Gonzaga teammate of John's, became a partner and remains in that capacity. Jack and Dan's is a warm, college bar where it's easy to feel welcome. Jack likes it that way. "We don't push John's name ... nor put any demands on him. I wouldn't do that to him."
As for the former NBA star, he's just one of the guys there and is treated as such. Would he consider getting back in the NBA in some capacity, perhaps coaching?
"I don't think so ... at least not now. I'm enjoying this too much."
John Stockton is still playmaking ... still helping his teammates – the young people of Spokane – to maximize their potential.
Phenomanul
10-04-2004, 02:05 PM
The two oldest, Houston (16) and Michael (15) are beginning to play at Gonzaga Prep. I asked Jack if any of the boys showed John's potential in basketball. He shook his head negatively, and added, "The girls are more talented ... but I don't say that out loud."
Well so much for not saying it out loud... he just told the national media.
Admiral
10-05-2004, 01:54 AM
John Stockton is the best point guard ever if you ask me. Magic was great, but put Stockton on those Laker teams with Worthy, Kareem, etc. and it would've been even more amazing. Karl Malone should be thanking Stockton for at least half of his points.
Phenomanul
10-05-2004, 07:40 AM
John Stockton is the best point guard ever if you ask me. Magic was great, but put Stockton on those Laker teams with Worthy, Kareem, etc. and it would've been even more amazing. Karl Malone should be thanking Stockton for at least half of his points.
I think Ramsey was rating Magic over Stockton based on his style not his stats...
Admiral
10-05-2004, 10:59 AM
I think Ramsey was rating Magic over Stockton based on his style not his stats...-hegamboa
Ramsay was definitely saying that Magic was better than Stockton. I was simply stating that I disagree. Stockton was the better overall PG in my opinion.
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