Home NBA Kelly Olynyk praises hoops great John Stockton in pick-up game: ‘He’s darn...

Kelly Olynyk praises hoops great John Stockton in pick-up game: ‘He’s darn near the best player out there every single possession’

Even long retired and continuing to age, the basketball court remains a playground for John Stockton.

And Kelly Olynyk had a glimpse of what the hall of famer continues to display during a pick-up game filled by former NBA players and their fellow Gonzaga University alums in Spokane, Washington.

Per Olynyk, who was invited by Stockton to the game, the all-time great point man still moves like he never left the professional scene almost 20 years from now.

Yeah, he can play,” Olynyk said of what he saw on Stockton, per KSL Sports’ Ben Anderson. “He’s [darn] near the best player out there every single possession.”

The big man also praised Stockton’s sharp shooting from the perimeter, one of the former All-star’s signature go-to moves back in his heyday.

“When you go and play with him, he’s one of those guys that he doesn’t miss mid-range jumpers,” Olynyk said.

“When he plays, he plays all by ones,” Olynyk said. “Threes are one, twos are one, layups are one, He’s old-school.”

Furthermore, Olynyk viewed the tactics and wizardry of Stockton while holding the ball and imposing that god-given court vision.

“He’s just so good with the ball, so good with his eyes,” Olynyk said. “He’s so strong — so strong setting screens on the ball, can’t bump him off the ball. But he’s a competitor, he loves to play.”

Olynyk, a former college standout for Zags, now enjoys a new beginning in the Utah Jazz – the franchise that became the one and only home of Stockton in his whole illustrious career.

Stockton, 60, stands as the purest floor general in NBA history as he currently holds an untouchable all-time top record in total career assists (15,806) and steals (3,265). With fellow great Karl Malone, he powered the Jazz to Western Conference supremacy in the late 90s and led them to back-to-back Finals appearances in 1997 and 1998.

Exit mobile version