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SALT LAKE CITY — In what should come as no surprise, John Stockton has been named one of the NBA's greatest 75 players.
On Tuesday, the NBA began unveiling the 75th anniversary team — a collection of the top 75 players to ever suit up in the league — by naming the first 25 players.
There was never a doubt Stockton would make his second appearance on the all-time team. In 1996, Stockton was named one of the 50th greatest players during the league's 50th anniversary season.
Stockton was selected to 11 All-NBA teams, 10 All-Star Games and five All-Defensive teams before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009. He led the Jazz to two trips to the NBA Finals, including hitting the game-winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals to send the Jazz to their first championship series.
Stockton also holds two all-time records that are often deemed unbreakable.
Stockton's record 15,806 career assists are 3,715 ahead of Jason Kidd, who is second all time. Phoenix's Chris Paul is the closest active player to Stockton, and is 5,531 behind him.
While slightly less gaudy, Stockton's 3,265 career steals are still 581 ahead of second place (Kidd). Paul is also the closest active player to Stockton, and is 933 steals behind the Jazz legend.
The remainder of the team, which will undoubtedly feature Stockton's running partner Karl Malone, will be announced throughout the week, with 25 more being announced on Wednesday and the final 25 being honored on Thursday.
The team was selected by a panel of media, current and former players, coaches, general managers and team executives.
