There is no doubt that John Stockton is a Hall-of-Fame player. But was he the best point guard ever? That is debatable.

If you based everything on regular statistics, then Stockton has to be at the top of list because he retired with the most assists (15,806) and steals (3,265) in NBA history.

However, playoff performances are the barometer for true greatness. When you include that in the debate, then Stockton would take a backseat to Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Oscar Robertson. Johnson won five NBA championships with the L.A. Lakers, Thomas won two with the Detroit Pistons and The Big O won a title late in his career with the Milwaukee Bucks. Stockton was 0-2 in the NBA Finals with the Utah Jazz.

The only thing missing in the Hall-of-Fame basketball career of Utah Jazz point guard John Stockton is an NBA championship ring.

Stockton had an opportunity to put his imprint in the game of basketball, but was unable to seize the moment. He struggled to break loose from Ron Harper, whose 6-foot-6 frame really bothered the 6-0 Stockton during the 1997 Finals and the ’98 Finals. In fact, the length of the Bulls squad bothered Stockton, period. All those bounce passes off pick-and-rolls with basketball BFF Karl Malone were snuffed by the Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Harper.

And in the waning moments of the ’98 Finals, Stockton had a chance to upstage Jordan when the Jazz had the final possession after Jordan hit his famous push-off jumper over Byron Russell at the top of the key. But Stockton missed at the buzzer, and Jordan lifted six fingers in the air to celebrate the Bulls’ six dynastic titles during the 1990s.

That pretty much will be the overwhelming sentiment and the harsh reality Stockton will face for the rest of his life. It is the same cruel fate dealt to NBA greats such as Malone, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins and George Gervin.

Stockton will always have that big void in his resume. It’s the “Dan Marino Syndrome.” Marino owned all those NFL passing records but was never considered the best of the all time because he was never part of a Super Bowl championship team. Joe Montana is considered by many as the best of all time because he won four Super Bowls during his career.

The fact of the matter is, the number of championships won is the ultimate tie-breaker when it comes to best-in-the-biz arguments. It’s the reason why we rank Jordan ahead of Magic, Magic ahead of Larry Bird, and why the NBA Finals most valuable player is named after 11-time champion Bill Russell instead of six-time champ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and two-time champ Wilt Chamberlain.

Those two losses in the NBA Finals will unfortunately define Stockton’s legacy.

Noteworthy

When the original Dream Team was being assemble to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the selection committee chose Stockton over Thomas. It wasn’t Stockton’s fault that he was picked to be Magic Johnson’s backup, but the very political deliberation didn’t sit well with Thomas.

During a regular season game between Detroit and Utah in 1992, Thomas lit up Stockton for 40 points in a very one-sided matchup. Now, it probably mattered very little since Jordan and Pippen privately put the word out to the USA Basketball committee that they refuse to play with a Motor City Bad Boy such as Thomas, forcing the committee to play it safe and opting for Stockton.

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Newest Clipper Baron Davis shares a moment courtside with comedian Adam Sandler.

Baron Davis loves nicknames. He’s been known as: B-Diddy….BD….The Beard….Baron of the Hardwood….and, a personal fave, Boom Dizzle. His given name was simply not sufficient enough to pacify the former UCLA and Santa Monica Crossroads stud.

Or, maybe he wears too many hats off the court. When he’s not dealing on the basketball court, Davis is making deals as a businessman, producer, manager and part-time actor. B-Diddy has been associated with pop culture icons such as The Game, Jessica Alba, Adam Sandler and Kate Hudson. 

Davis’ game and his Hollywood persona belongs in Los Angeles. The match made in heaven finally materialized when Davis signed with the Clippers last summer. Davis adds starpower to a star-craving team that is looking to possibly steal some of the spotlight away from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. OK, maybe the Clippers are not ready to steal the spotlight from the Lakers after a 38-point thumping at Staples Center on opening night.

“One of the big reasons I wanted to come back home was so I could impact the communities of my hometown in a positive way, and I’m excited to do that,” Davis wrote on his blog site. “I was trying to wear number 85, in honor of the street I grew up on and where my basketball career was truly started by my grandfather who built my first hoop in our backyard. However, I chose number 1, I’ve worn it before and feel comfortable in it. ” 

For much of his professional basketball career, Davis has been tagged with the “potential” nameplate, something that most athletes dread because the word essentially translates to “disappointment.” Whenever someone is tabbed with great potential, it usually means there are several flaws in that player’s game.

In Davis’ case, at least earlier in his NBA career, he was a bit reckless on the court and his game was more suited for the And 1 Mix Tape Tour. He was also built like a fullback, causing him to miss several games for various ailments. The most serious one was the back injury that plagued him during his days with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets and his first few years with the Golden State Warriors. 

But once Davis was able to overcome his back problem, he not only shed the “streetball” off his game but he was able to shed a few pounds as well.  He played 82 games in 2007-08, the first time he’s played a full regular season since 2001-02. The defining moment of his career came in the 2007 NBA playoffs when his underdog Warriors eliminated the heavily-favored Dallas Mavericks in the first round.

Though his time with the Warriors was priceless, Davis needed to be home. He opted out of his Golden State contract and signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers this past summer. With a fat new contract and a more slimmer body (he’s lost 19 pounds during the offseason), Davis looks like he’s ready to re-establish himself as one of the top point guards in the Association and make the Clippers a contender in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.

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