“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead -- professional athletes -- the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton said. John Stockton is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. His renowned career with the Utah Jazz earned him a reputation as one of the greatest point guards and passers of all time. He is the NBA's leader in steals and assists. “There absolutely, positively, will never ever be another John Stockton -- ever,” Karl Malone, one of Stockton’s teammates, once told NBA History. But despite his accolades and legendary status, Stockton has been banned from Gonzaga home games for refusing to comply with the university's mask mandate. Stockton's jersey hangs from the rafters and he is a season ticket holder. But he was alerted by Gonzaga Athletic Director Chris Standiford that he was no longer welcome at games, as Washington state's Spokesman-Review reported. Stockton said the conversation with Standiford was “congenial” but “not pleasant.” “Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,” Stockton said.
