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[Saba Sports News] Former Utah Jazz guard Carlos Arroyo recently shared his experience playing alongside NBA legend John Stockton during an appearance on the ‘OGs Podcast’ with Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem.
Arroyo revealed that while Stockton was a phenomenal player who led by example, he was not an active mentor to younger teammates and often distanced himself from them.
“John was great, but he wasn’t the type of guy to take the rookies and say, ‘Come in, let me teach you how to play pick-and-roll,’” Arroyo said. “That was never my relationship with John. But I learned a lot from watching him—his approach to the game, his decision-making. He was always to himself. If we were in the locker room joking around before the game, he would get up and leave.”
Arroyo, who played for the Jazz from 2002 to 2005, joined the team during the twilight of Stockton’s career. Stockton retired after Arroyo’s first season in Utah, concluding a nearly two-decade tenure with the Jazz.
At that point, Stockton and longtime teammate Karl Malone were focused on gracefully wrapping up their illustrious careers, which likely influenced Stockton’s reserved demeanor with younger players.
While some might wish Stockton had embraced a mentorship role in his final season, it’s important to note that he had no obligation to do so. Stockton had already cemented his legacy, holding the NBA record for career assists with an unmatched 15,806—an achievement averaging 10.5 assists per game across 1,504 games.
Stockton’s reticence to mentor younger teammates may also reflect his prioritization of personal connections. He was known to mentor his son, David Stockton, who followed in his footsteps to become a professional basketball player, spending over a decade in the G-League.
Today, Stockton’s assist record remains untouchable. The closest active player, Chris Paul, trails by over 3,000 assists with 12,167, and given Paul’s age, he is unlikely to surpass Stockton.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes even predicted it’s more likely for LeBron James’ all-time scoring record to be broken than for Stockton’s assist record to fall, given the modern NBA’s evolving passing dynamics.
Stockton’s legacy is one of unparalleled consistency, discipline, and excellence—a standard that continues to inspire future generations of players, even without direct mentorship.