Fans roast John Stockton's speculations of "a big number" of athletes dying from COVID vaccine, hail Michael Jordan for keeping him ringless

Retired basketball legend John Stockton has made some controversial comments about the COVID-19 vaccination that has landed him in the headlines. The newest claim he made was about the death of “thousands” of athletes who have taken the vaccine.

Many on social media couldn’t resist trolling and taking vicious shots at the former Utah Jazz point guard:

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“Let’s give MJ a 7th ring for not letting Malone and Stockton get one.”

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John Ledesma

@JohnnyNBA

Let’s give MJ a 7th ring for not letting Malone and Stockton get one. twitter.com/TheNBACentral/…

NBACentral

@TheNBACentral

John Stockton now thinks ‘thousands’ of athletes may have died from the vaccine

“I had the proof in my hands, the piece of paper with the names…I think it’s in the thousands now. Don’t quote me on that one,I’m not saying 1,000,but it might be. It’s a big number”

(@thecomeback)

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John Stockton now thinks ‘thousands’ of athletes may have died from the vaccine

“I had the proof in my hands, the piece of paper with the names…I think it’s in the thousands now. Don’t quote me on that one,I’m not saying 1,000,but it might be. It’s a big number”

(@thecomeback) https://t.co/w1WFfubeYl

Let’s give MJ a 7th ring for not letting Malone and Stockton get one. twitter.com/TheNBACentral/…

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fan account

@Asensii20

@TheNBACentral @thecomeback Thank god MJ stopped this plumber from winning a ring

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@TheNBACentral @thecomeback Thank god MJ stopped this plumber from winning a ring

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Unbiased NBA Fan

@nonbiasednbafan

@TheNBACentral @thecomeback He's right, I heard Giannis, Curry, LeBron and Durant all fell victim :\

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@TheNBACentral @thecomeback He's right, I heard Giannis, Curry, LeBron and Durant all fell victim :\

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When John Stockton originally claimed that athletes were dying, he said that it was around a hundred. And yet, he didn’t come up with any proof that has been verified by legitimate health authorities.

The figure has since gone to more than a thousand, but the reason he was questioned and even ridiculed before remains the same. He hasn’t provided solid evidence to back up his controversial assertions.

Besides his claims, he’s also had a run-in with his alma mater Gonzaga. The university stripped him of season-long tickets for refusing to wear a mask during home games. He stubbornly dug into his stance and told Jason Whitlock this:

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“I felt like I had a duty to not (wear a mask). Somebody has gotta stand up for these kids.”

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Jason Whitlock

@WhitlockJason

NBA legend John Stockton visited the Fearless Army today and talked about getting his Gonzaga season tickets stripped because he refused to wear a mask inside the arena. "I felt like I had a duty to not (wear a mask). Somebody has gotta stand up for these kids."

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NBA legend John Stockton visited the Fearless Army today and talked about getting his Gonzaga season tickets stripped because he refused to wear a mask inside the arena. "I felt like I had a duty to not (wear a mask). Somebody has gotta stand up for these kids." https://t.co/yDDtKZV1Gl

When John Stockon’s first statements about the COVID-19 vaccinations came out, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar minced no words criticizing him. The LA Lakers legend appeared on CNN to give a lengthy explanation why Stockton’s claims were “not based on facts and reality.”

Fans who are limited in expressing their comments on social media have resorted to some nasty remarks. Most of the time, they troll Stockton’s failure to win an NBA championship, particularly since they couldn’t do it against Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls and Jazz met in 1997 and 1998 for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. On both occasions, they couldn’t get past “His Airness”, not even when the Jazz had home-court advantage in ‘98. The Bulls eliminated them in six games in both championship rounds.

After retiring in 2003, John Stockton largely stayed out of the limelight until his anti-vaccine comments put him back into the national media consciousness.

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John Stockton’s place in NBA history should be unquestionable

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While some fans question John Stockton’s legacy because of his COVID-19 vaccination stance, his numbers dismiss those basketball-related criticisms. Yes, he never won an NBA title, but he also played in an era that had Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the mighty LA Lakers.

The Utah Jazz also had to contend with Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets and the Seattle Supersonics featuring Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. When Utah finally emerged from the bloodbath in the Western Conference, they were just unfortunate enough to play against perhaps the greatest player of all time.

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Tommy Beer

@TommyBeer

John Stockton is criminally underrated.
Just how dominant was Stockton??

Consider this:
Among all NBA players, Jason Kidd is second all-time in assists and steals.

John Stockton has 3,715 more career assists than J Kidd.
And Stockton has 581 more career steals than J Kidd.

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John Stockton is criminally underrated.
Just how dominant was Stockton??

Consider this:
Among all NBA players, Jason Kidd is second all-time in assists and steals.

John Stockton has 3,715 more career assists than J Kidd.
And Stockton has 581 more career steals than J Kidd.

Magic Johnson was the flashy playmaker who ran the NBA’s deadliest fastbreak attack in the ‘80s. John Stockton, though, wasn’t too far behind. Stockton led the league in assists for nine consecutive seasons.

Stockton retired with 15,806 assists, which is 3,715 more than the second-placed Jason Kidd. “Stock” is also the king of swipes with 3,265 in his career with “J-Kidd” still the closest pursuer with 2,684.

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