Number 12

I know it’s a little bit late but I was inspired by a ‘wounded mosquito’ to pay tribute to one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. Last week John Stockton was enshrined in the Hall of Fame. As I listened to his speech and that of Michael Jordan I was grateful that I had chosen number 12 as my childhood idol.

Stockton, like many of the memories I associate with him, has faded into relative obscurity over the years. As he spoke, those memories came flooding back along with my admiration for him. He seemed just as humble and gracious as ever attributing a large part of his success to those who helped him along the way.

I spent countless hours in the backyard pretending to be John Stockton. I watched him every chance I got. In fact, one of the most meaningful experiences of my younger years was the night that John Stockton broke the NBA All-Time Assist record. My dad bought two tickets to the game. He calculated when he thought that Stockton would do it and he was right.

There were banners hung over the upper bowl counting down the number of assists until he broke the record. Half-way through the second quarter, he did it.

From the draft pick when he was booed, to the night we was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame with a standing ovation, John Stockton has always maintained the characteristics that made him great, integrity, loyalty, humility, etc.