Sports Nicknames - Stock, Old School

Making the NBA playoffs is something impressive in its own right. However, making the NBA playoffs for 19 consecutive seasons is something to be genuinely proud of.



John Stockton could be genuinely proud of the achievement as Utah Jazz made it to the NBA playoffs in each of the 19 seasons that Stockton played for the NBA franchise.


Early Start to the Career:

Stockton played for Gonzaga University at the College level, as he became a key member of the Bulldogs' side. He remained a part of the side between 1980 and 1984, but his most impactful year in college basketball was his senior year, during which he dominated the West Coast Athletic Conference like a master. In the 1984 college basketball season, Stockton averaged about 20.9 points per game and led the West Coast Athletic Conference in scoring, assists, and steals. After an impressive year, he became the first-ever Gonzaga player to win the WCAC Player of the Year Award. At the 1984 NBA Draft, Utah Jazz picked Stockton in the first round. He was the 16th overall pick at the draft. This marked the beginning of a highly impressive and fascinating journey of a basketball legend.


Nicknames:

Stockton is often regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time. Based on his performances and fan-following, there were a couple of nicknames that became particularly famous in his career.

Stock:

As anyone would guess, "Stock" was the nickname that became famous as Stockton's primary nickname. The reason behind the nickname is pretty simple. Stock is a shortened version of Stockton. Thus, it's the obvious choice for a nickname.

In addition to that, another reason to call Stockton Stock was that his stocks remained on the rise in the NBA markets as he led the way in steals and assists. He was the perfect point guard that a coach could have asked for. Along with his teammate Karl Malone, Stock led the Jazz's attack and held them together in crunch moments.

Old School:

This may not sound like a very cool nickname. But true basketball fans and lovers would always admire and appreciate the reason behind the nickname. His physical play earned him the tag of "Old School." He was a tough bloke to handle on the court, and a survey resulted in a number of athletes and fans judging him as the toughest player in the NBA.

That's just how effective and impressive his old-school ways were.


Achievements and Accomplishments:

In his 19 years long career, Stockton made it to the NBA All-Star 10 times. This included 9 consecutive selections between 1989 and 1997. This was the era where he absolutely bossed the league. He was also the NBA All-Star Game MVP. Moreover, his record on the court was second to none as he led the NBA Assists 9 times while he was the NBA steals leader twice.

For his impressive performances, he was included in the NBA 50th Anniversary Team and NBA 75th Anniversary Team.


Hall of Fame:

As a player, he was officially named in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009. He was included in the Hall of Fame again in 2010. This inclusion came as the part of the a member of the 1992 US Olympic Basketball Team.


Gold Medals:

He was an important member of the US National Basketball sides that won the Gold Medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games, as well as the 1992 FIBA Americas Cup in Portland.


Retirement:

Following his retirement in 2003, Both Utah Jazz and Gonzaga Bulldogs retired the Jersey number 12.

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