When analyzing the trajectory of Danny Ainge‘s career, one might assume that his children would be most influenced by the legends he played with — Kevin McHale, Larry Bird or Charles Barkley, all of whom were in their prime when they shared the court with him.
However, for Ainge, the real educational moments came from those he faced. He made it a point to have his boys sit in front of the television screen and watch one opponent in particular: John Stockton.
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Put simply, Ainge believed there was no better example for his sons to learn how a game could be controlled and dominated by a point guard, even without elite physical attributes such as height or pure strength.
Ainge knew Stockton was a basketball treasure
At just six feet tall and weighing 170 pounds, Stockton competed in an era that wasn’t kind to smaller guards. Bigger defenders routinely used their size and strength to impose physicality. Yet John found unique ways to impose his presence. His court vision and playmaking were elite as it is, but so too was his basketball IQ.
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Stockton read plays beforehand to make timely interceptions and capitalized on fast-break opportunities, wherein he didn’t just have the skill to score at the rim himself but even made elite plays for his teammates. Even though opponents were often more athletic than he was, Stockton made it a habit to make the right decision to give his team an edge.
Ainge witnessed this firsthand, as he saw Stockton average 16.7 points and 12.3 assists in games against him. Thus, Ainge realized how the Utah Jazz point guard didn’t just command the tempo; he involved his teammates and boosted the team’s overall winning prowess by being most responsible with the ball.
“Every time that I played against him, I used to tell my boys, ‘Watch the game tonight. I don’t care about other games you watch, but you watch John Stockton play,'” Trader Danny once said.
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Stockton’s impact remains underappreciated
While it is true that superstars like Larry Legend transformed the Boston Celtics from a bottom-dweller into the league’s top team in his first year in the league and Magic Johnson delivered a title to the Los Angeles Lakers as a rookie himself, Stockton’s rise was comparatively quiet.
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However, from the moment he joined the Jazz, the franchise never missed the playoffs for the next 19 seasons. During that time, Utah made five Western Conference finals appearances in seven years and even reached back-to-back NBA Finals. His impact may not have been as flashy, but it was just as foundational.
More importantly, ever since Stockton retired, the Jazz organization has had several talented stars like Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Donovan Mitchell, all of whom brought quality leadership and highlights. However, neither brought consistent success because nobody embodied a team-first mentality like Stockton.
This is the kind of generational impact this legendary floor general had, and Ainge recognized it firsthand and thus wanted his “boys” to learn from the best, even if the media didn’t always hand the spotlight in his direction.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.