Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, when John Stockton broke the career record for assists, 9,922, the owner of his team, the Utah Jazz, suggested he should set his career goal at 15,000. Such an idea was laughable, even preposterous to some. John Stockton, though, retired at the end of the 2002 and 2003 season with 15,806 career assists. Success in American professional sports is often defined by statistics. Mr. Stockton is a match for anyone. In addition to being the NBA's all-time leader in assists with more than 50 percent more than the next highest player, Stockton also holds the league record for steals in a career with more than 3,200. He is a 10-time all star and was selected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. What sets John Stockton apart from most athletes, however, is his sense of team. Mr. Stockton played for 19 seasons. And due in large part to his excellence, the Jazz made the playoffs in every one of those seasons. He is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. No player spent as many years in games with only one team. And, remember, those 15,000 assists means 15,000 easy baskets for his teammates. That is not bad, especially since Stockton was considered too small to succeed when he was drafted out of Gonzaga in 1984. John Stockton is such a consummate team player that it is almost impossible to talk about him without also mentioning Karl Malone, Stockton's teammate and partner for 18 seasons.”