Stockton adds to familys Gonzaga legacy | News, Sports, Jobs

Publish date: 2024-05-08

LAHAINA – Gonzaga’s David Stockton has had to take the good and the bad when it comes to being the son of a legend.

The good: learning from one of the best in basketball history. Like his father – former Bulldogs and Utah Jazz star John Stockton – David Stockton is a point guard.

“You look at him and he’s one of the best to ever do it,” David Stockton said. “Why not emulate your game after the best person to ever play the position? Whether he’s your father or not, it’s still someone you want to model yourself after.”

The bad: being exposed to foul language while hanging out in the Jazz locker room after games.

“I was very well accustomed to swear words and stuff by the time I was a little kid,” David Stockton said. “Usually I’d go in there to grab a basketball and shoot after the game.”

The 5-foot-11 graduate student has started all six games this season for the Zags, No. 11 in The Associated Press poll, and is averaging 6.3 points with a team-leading 31 assists. In two EA Sports Maui Invitational games, Stockton has eight points, nine assists, six rebounds and two steals.

“He’s a phenomenal passer and a great decision-maker, and he’s one of our tougher guys, and so it’s not about his scoring,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “It’s about him making the right plays and giving us kind of a tough, hard?nosed, scrappy entity that kind of needs to be the face of the program a little bit.”

John Stockton was drafted by Utah in 1984 after leading Gonzaga in scoring, assists and steals during his senior season. With the Jazz, he set league records for career assists and steals.

John Stockton attends all of the Zags’ home games, but is pretty much hands-off when it comes to analyzing his son’s play.

“If I ask for (advice) he will, but he just stays away and doesn’t get into it,” David Stockton said. “I like his style with that, too.”

David Stockton wanted to attend Gonzaga coming out of Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash., but the school didn’t offer him a scholarship. In fact, Stockton said, he didn’t receive any Division I offers.

“They gave me a chance to walk on and I jumped all over it,” he said.

During his freshman season, he secured a scholarship.

“You just jump in and play your hardest every day and try to help your team and you’ll be rewarded for that,” Stockton said.

He earned a business degree in May, and is now enrolled in a master’s program.

As for his father, he is coaching basketball to the youngest of his five other children.

“The best thing is just to have a supreme role model and someone to look up to,” David Stockton said. “He’s a great dad as well as a great basketball player.”

* Kyle Sakamoto is at ksakamoto@mauinews.com

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7rq3UoqWer6NjsLC5jqynqKqkqHytu8Kao2aroKS%2Ftb%2BOa2dqa19mfnC%2F06iapKyfo3qisMOsZK2nXZuurrXLsmSsZZeku7utxppkpZ2XlrC6ew%3D%3D