Today, 62-year-old John Stockton is celebrated as one of the greatest players in basketball history, a legendary figure for the Utah Jazz , and a well-deserved member of the NBA Hall of Fame.
However, looking back at the early days of his career, the Gonzaga alum was just a young player trying to find his footing in the game. Back then, ‘Stock’ knew that success wasn’t guaranteed, and before reaching the league, he seriously considered other options. One of those paths included the possibility of playing overseas, especially in a country that might surprise many.
“As early as a month before the NBA Draft, I wasn’t anticipating being picked…if that hadn’t have worked out, I was fully planning on going overseas to play basketball, but I hadn’t selected where,” recounted Stockton, per BBC.
The Stocktons have Irish roots
At that time, Stockton was seriously thinking about Northern Ireland. This idea held special significance because his father, Jack, had family connections there. When asked in 2020 if ‘Stock’ had considered playing for that country as a young player, the legendary playmaker responded, ” Indeed I could have.”