“If he was a scorer, he would have the scoring record” – Arenas believes Stockton could have been even greater due to his durability originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When discussing franchise cornerstones, who consistently took the court regardless of their physical condition, John Stockton will always be among the first names that come to mind for most basketball fans. The Utah Jazz legend played in all of the regular season games in 17 out of his 19 campaigns, which remains an astonishing testament to Stock’s commitment and durability to being available for his team.
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Moreover, Stockton’s remarkable commitment still impresses former players like Kenyon Martin and Gilbert Arenas, who thoroughly believe that not only would Utah point guard’s all-time assist record might never be broken, but had been more focused on scoring, John could’ve had the all-time scoring record under his name.
Martin and Arenas on Stockton’s durability
Considering that Karl Malone, who played for the Utah Jazz for most of his NBA years, amassed 36,928 career points (third all-time) largely off Stockton’s precise and timely passes, Kenyon boldly proclaimed that the Mailman’s scoring achievement might never have come to fruition had it not been for his teammate’s selfless brilliance.
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“Go and look up John Stockton, each season, how many games he played year-in, year-out. That’s why he has 15,000 assists,” Martin said. “Which nobody is going to touch. His durability and availability is outrageous.”
Arenas echoed that sentiment, emphasizing Stockton’s underrated offensive prowess. Even though the latter attempted merely 9.1 field goals per game over his 19-year career, John shot an impressive 51.5 percent from the field. In comparison, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander attempted 21.8 field goal attempts in the 2024-25 season to lead the league in scoring and log 32.7 points per game.
Considering such a high level of efficiency, Arenas truly believes that had Stockton been more focused on scoring than playmaking, he would have had everything to register the all-time scoring record under his name.
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“I can tell you this, if he was a scorer, boy, he would have the scoring record,” Arenas said. “It’s one of those (records) that’s not gonna be broken.”
Stockton knew his strengths and how to succeed
Stock understood that transforming the Jazz into a perennial contender required elevating those around him. His leadership helped the Jazz reach five Western Conference Finals, seven times, and two consecutive NBA Finals. Put simply, John did not just make the game easier for Malone; his selfless playing style extended to players like Bryon Russell and Jeff Hornacek as well, whose effectiveness increased under Stockton’s playmaking vision.
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In contrast to many modern-day stars who believe in making their mark through high-volume scoring and ball dominance, John exemplified a different kind of leadership.
Stockton knew that in order for Utah to become a winning franchise, he needed to prioritize taking a backseat himself. As a result, he focused more on generating fast-break opportunities by getting steals and setting up his teammates.
Whenever his team lacked inspiration on the offensive end, Stockton believed that he had the scoring arsenal to take over in the clutch moments. So, we might see plenty of legendary scorers grace the league, but no leader will ever be like John.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.