"He has two records that will never be broken" - Olden Polynice on why he shockingly has Stockton in his Top 5

“He has two records that will never be broken” – Olden Polynice on why he shockingly has Stockton in his Top 5 originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Former NBA center Olden Polynice gave a wild take during his recent interview on “The Odd Couple” radio show with Rob Parker & Kevin Washington. OP was asked where he ranks Kobe Bryant among the all-time greats.

Polynice said that Bryant is No.6 for him, but if that wasn’t controversial enough, he also put Utah Jazz legend John Stockton among his Top 5 players of all-time.

“I got to put Magic. It’s Magic, Bird, they go hand-in-hand for me. Then I got Stockton in my Top 5 because again, I know what my criteria are. Then I got Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” he explained.

Stockton’s unbreakable records

Parker and Washington were so stunned by Polynice’s choice of Stockton that they had to confirm from OP if he really meant the Stock from Gonzaga. However, Olden defended his choice by saying he has a particular set of criteria that led him to his choice.

“I use facts, not fiction. He has the record. He has two records that will never be broken. People who do stuff like that have to be revered,” said Polynice. “Come on, man. You have to look at it in its totality. You guys are looking at highlights and who did this and who did that. No, it’s the totality of everything.”

Stockton played 19 seasons in the NBA. Although he was twice denied by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals, John retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals. Many say that both records are unbreakable because, in order to top them, they need to have John’s productivity, durability and longevity.

Not only did Stovkton lead the league in assists in nine consecutive seasons from 1987-88 to 1995-96, and put up over 13 assists per game from 1987-88 to 1991-92, but he was also ridiculously durable despite his small size.

K-Mart says Stockton’s record is untouchable

Stockton missed only 22 games during his 19-year NBA career and had 16 seasons in which he played all 82 regular-season games. Also, John played fewer than 78 games only twice during his NBA career, including the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign, which only had 50 regular-season games.

While he did not say that he had Stock in his Top 5, former No.1 pick Kenyon Martin agreed that John’s assists record is out of anybody’s reach because of his crazy durability.

“Go look up John Stockton,” said Martin on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast. “Each season, how many games he played year in and year out. That’s why he has 15,000 assists, which nobody is going to touch. His durability and availability are outrageous.”

There’s no question that Stockton is one of the game’s all-time greats. Stock was a member of the NBA’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams and a part of the original Dream Team in 1992. However, most don’t have John in their Top 10, much less in the Top 5. However, like anyone who makes his own list, Polynice has his criteria.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 28, 2025, where it first appeared.

“He has two records that will never be broken” – Olden Polynice on why he shockingly has Stockton in his Top 5

Tags: