The 90s had some of the best ball handlers in the NBA. They were the definition of true point guards, who would demolish the defense and find the right man in the paint. Utah Jazz legend John Stockton was a perfect example of this. He was considered a menace with the ball in his hands. In the 19 years he played for the Jazz, the toughest team he faced in the West would arguably be the Chicago Bulls. Some would say his best rival was Michael Jordan, but Stockton has a completely different list. This list also includes Jordan’s arch-nemesis, which might surprise the NBA world. 

Stockton’s Utah Jazz and Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls were two teams in the NBA who would often top the regular season in their respective conferences. Jordan had Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, while Stockton had Karl Malone. The Jazz and the Bulls met only twice in the playoffs, and it was in the Finals. But both times, it was a rivalry. 

Michael Jordan got the best of the Jazz in both the Finals. However, when Stockton was asked about his toughest matchups, he did not include the Chicago Bulls icon. He said, “I felt every guy I played against was better than me. There’s certain guys you circle on your schedule… Isiah Thomas would be at the absolute top of that list. Except for we only played twice a year…every night was a dogfight, especially out west”

Let’s hope Jordan doesn’t get to hear this. Stockton not only snubbed the 6x champion but also gave Jordan’s nemesis Isiah Thomas first place. Detroit Pistons legend Thomas was a player that MJ was not a fan of. The Last Dance documentary would be proof of it. Stockton went on to add Kevin Johnson, Terry Porter, Magic Johnson, and Gary Payton to his list, but not Jordan.

John Stockton’s surprising revelation on Michael Jordan and his aura

You can be the best player in the world, but do you have an aura like Jordan? The one thing that made Jordan the best among superstars was his unmatched aura. His fans and NBA veterans who met him for the first time would always highlight his godly presence. However, Stockton did not feel any of it. 

He shared in an interview from 2023, “We had our hands full out West for my entire career. We played great teams, and we were so close so many times…I never said, ‘Oh my goodness, this is the Bulls.‘ I sure didn’t feel an aura about Michael Jordan or the Bulls.”

From a rival’s point of view, Stockton’s point makes sense. He faced MJ only twice in the playoffs, in 1997 and 1998. On both occasions, MJ and the Bulls beat them 4-2 to win the championship. Stockton did not include any player from the Bulls on his list, which is quite surprising. 

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