The Story Behind Stockton & Malone

NBA history is littered with the bones of great teams that just weren't great enough; iconic, memorable squads that could never get over the hump. Perhaps no team fits that bill as famously as the John Stockton and Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz teams of the 1980s and '90s.
They had one of the greatest point guards, power forwards, head coaches, and home-court advantages in basketball history. They made the playoffs 18 times in 18 seasons together, won 16 postseason series, made two NBA Finals… and won zero championships.
Written & Narrated by: Joseph Casciaro (@JosephCasciaro | Twitter)
Produced & Edited by: Stephen Addante (@stephenaddante | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)
Courtesy List: controlc.com/2e94304b
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#UtahJazz #JohnStockton #KarlMalone

[@masterchinese28]

In the '98 Finals, I had a bet with my roommate. He would buy me lunch if the Jazz won and he would get lunch from me if the Bulls won. That last lunch that I had to buy him was the hardest. Amazing basketball by Stockton to Malone, but it just fell short. On another note, Sloan never getting a Coach of the Year award is also tragic.

[@TimothyMcGaffinII]

John Stockton and Karl Malone are true Champions.

[@YosefCardoso]

when the greats say the Stockton and Malone duos pick n roll was the best. you know its good. I've heard Shaq, Barkley and Kenny go on and on about just that.

[@WarioSaysSo]

Beside Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen duo, the Karl Malone & John Stockton duo is in my book regarded as the best duo of all time. 100% THE best that never won a championship, despite 2 valid efforts against the dynasty Chicago Bulls. They NEVER missed the play-offs, was season by season a strong team and they where near always All-Star selected players and so much more. RESPECT is the word. The West with San Antonio Spurs and the Houston Rockets was deadly rivals in there era.

[@minecraftbeast5]

Shaq and Kobe better than both

[@WarioSaysSo]

@@minecraftbeast5 Well on paper yeah, but they also had many feuds. I loved Shaq back in the day, but Malone & Stockton proved to me be better solid duo. Heck, when Shaq invited Malone in 2003, that would be Lakers "saving grace" for that 03-04 season as Malone had to be the leader to kleep the team togheter! To bad he got injured that season and Shaq & Kobe just messed things up.

[@michaelgrantgaane4234]

The beauty of the Jazz team in this era sprouted and stood hellbent against their opposing teams that finally ends in the encounter with the almighty Bulls twice in a row..Those games highlighted the best of pick n roll executions never seen before against bigger and favorable teams.Magical crossover moves of Tim Hardaway and the wizardry of other point guards,power dunkings of Kemp,Shaq and Robinson proves how intense each and every game was that the Jazz played and dance with .Never did I see the John Stockton Malone not part of a wonderful ,great NBA story to tell .

[@WarioSaysSo]

@@michaelgrantgaane4234 Amen to that!!!!! I have always been a Bulls fan, but the Jazz was my western team, so it was heavy heart to not see these two get any championship rings despite all hard work and great play. The 2004 NBA fanals I remember madly wanted Malone to get that ring....but for a 3rd career time not to happen.

[@LeeGHThomas]

The Rockets, who ranged from mediocre to good-but-not-great, during Hakeem’s tenure will tell you that the championships were absolutely worth any sustained success. That’s what the game is all about.

[@topramen5718]

If Mj wasn't playing baseball those 2 years the rockets don't have those two championships ! FACTS !

[@LeeGHThomas]

@@topramen5718 If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts wouldn't it be a marry Christmas? Not facts. The bulls had no answer for Hakeem and Jordan has a losing record against the rockets for his career. If you think the bulls would have seriously won 8 straight your basketball knowledge is worse than a casual.... you're delusional.

[@stackboostuploads]

​@@LeeGHThomasrockets most def would've beat the bulls in 95 heard there roster was kinda weak that year

[@thomascook5804]

1998 was the funnest and most heartbreaking year in Utah. Finals appearance from the Jazz a final four run by the Utah Utes both losing in the championship. Still hurts.

[@charismatic9904]

Yep and Utes blew that second half against Kentucky.

[@macysondheim]

Lol I was cheering against Utah the entire time. Was a great time for me 😁

[@macysondheim]

They should change their name to the Utah losers 😂

[@topramen5718]

​@@macysondheimdid your team beat the bulls in the finals ? Unless your a bulls fan you have no room to talk

[@macysondheim]

@@topramen5718 Lmao Utahs so pathetic. Absolute embarrassment to the league, and in my opinion, a disgrace & embarrassment to humanity overall..

[@JasonWjddphotography]

honestly, there was SO much good basketball being played back then. ♥

[@JC-se8mi]

It’ll be glossed over by Revisionist History, but the ‘98 Finals was much closer than it has been remembered.

[@joshuaarawole8589]

A lot of finals and just playoffs series are like that generally

[@jordzbuenafe6239]

Its closer nobody said those were blowouts. Its just that they played against the Greatest Player to touch the basketball of all time.

[@arp_909]

I would rather gloss over the 96-54 loss in game 3 to be honest. Dark times

[@jamesbullock4]

@@arp_909 lol too true. I remember those times vividly still. Fond memories but also nightmarish times lol

[@monolithgeometry3221]

They sandbagged it. Ostertag was not a starter on a championship team. The pick and roll is a good system .. for two players. They made it as good as it could be.. maxed it out.. But they should've graduated from it when they were at their peak. It's like incorporating different styles of kung fu.. stick with 1 style and you're limiting yourself. Waaaah. Utah is baller tho . Nothing but respect for them

[@karlwarner7401]

i loved them when I was a kid. they will be my basketball heroes, always. also, Stockton is a very upstanding guy in life. hard worker, family man, has priciples.

[@KRS_two]

Absolute baller but he had some wild COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories earlier this year Kareem called him out on that shit.

[@ianL-S]

@@KRS_two also Malone is a pedo,, so there's that too

[@relforeal]

Karl Malone love kids too

[@fletic_sg]

@@relforeal wtf💀💀💀💀

[@marlonitona2077]

Salute to Utah Jazz, Stockton and Malone era💪

[@cooldudes6025]

Been watching theScore since the old TV days and been following since - absolutely love that you're not only still around but excelling in these NBA story pieces. Y'all are the best, keep it up!!! ❤

[@veepeecee8630]

If they didn’t face Michael Jordan in them 2 NBA Finals the Utah Jazz would have 2 championships! But instead they met the greatest basketball player that ever step foot on the basketball court. And that’s how the cookie crumbled. It’s too bad for the jazz,, they were a great team.

[@stpbasss3773]

They also had their chances the two year MJ played baseball but the rockets seized that chance.

[@user-sd5nm5hz3z]

They had 13 othe chances to get rings but failed, its not just MJ who stopped them...

[@kmena05]

@@stpbasss3773 yea those 2 years everyone probably thought the nobody would stand in the way and the The Dream took over w dominance.

[@necromora666]

I remember watching game 6 finals rematch with bulls and Jazz. Was so mad at tussle slipping up. Was a huge Jazz fan back then.

[@phillipcollins1658]

I seem to remember Malone having the longest damn free throw ritual ever. Like c'mon man, just shoot the ball!! Lol

[@housesuns-kings8480]

giannis be like

[@michaelbietsch2864]

Malones ritual was to wait 13 years before he put it in the hole

[@imaxman1]

This channel really is under appreciated. You deserve a lot more subs

[@austinbrown86]

Great video. Those finals losses have left holes in my heart forever.

[@mustbe.sonny.]

This is quality content I'm looking for. Informative, entertaining and the perfect length

[@krisdavis1470]

A great video Sir! Very well done! It brought tears to my eyes! I watched most of those Jazz games throughout the last 40 years. It's amazing how much of everything in this video I remember.

[@tapfuma]

I’m so surprised with what you guys have done telling these stories 10/10

[@danielschwanke7580]

I really love the theme music for this series. Well done

[@bandito241]

Stockton and Malone would’ve won on any other era where MJ didn’t play on the Bulls.

[@moorishempire7224]

What about ‘99?

[@Ghost-hj5jy]

@@moorishempire7224 too old.

[@shinnkun3730]

Theybhave their chances i believe but can't get pass the blazers or the suns.

[@tiagos5804]

I was able to watch many nba games in the 90's, even from europe. I was not a fan of the UJ team, don't know why. Maybe the name or jerseys were not appealing. I do liked this duo very much. They were the way i like them. Cold and deadly. John was a methodic block of ice and the mailman was a ripped machine that only a few tried to block.

[@andrewgratata6769]

It’s a shame this duo never won a chip. Probably the greatest duo to never have done it

[@ianL-S]

Nah they deserve it especially Malone

[@americasteam2112]

Nah. One is a predator and the other is a nutcase

[@jordifuentes2299]

@@ianL-S malone’s child loving self doesn’t deserve shit 😂

[@shinnkun3730]

They choke thats why. Cp3 is like modern stockton always choke in the biggest moment. Lol

[@robertgibson963]

@@shinnkun3730 malone choked not Stockton

[@badger297]

This channel deserves so much credit. Super well done. +1sub

[@fhsa7239]

There is one thing people alwasy fail to mention. Sacramento, Salt Lake City and few other places are too small to be able to be profitable for NBA to have as champions. They usually had to go against refs and also the entire NBA corporation in order to win the title, and they never did. No one wanted to play there, and they were never given a chance of any super team. I know Karl Malone and Stockton were, but imaging them with true support like Jordan had in Pipen, Rodman, Kukoc (best EU player at the time), Horace Grant (early years), Kerr etc. They had deep bench and could always have 3,4 superstars on the teams, while Utah was only having 2 superstars and few OK players ( Hornasek, Anerson). They had no bench and no center at all (even Longley looked like a pro next to that mullet wearing cowboy Ostertag). It doesn't matter if it was a faul, pushing of the leg or whatever else, the whole series was pushed right from the first game, and besides that blow out game the others were very close, with no help from refs maybe Bulls woulda won it anyways, but you can't play against the entire corporation of NBA and win the title. That's why NBA is and was always rigged. Find online The Greatest Tragedy in Sports (they removed it from KZbin) and you'll see what I am talking about.

[@topramen5718]

Facts ! Well said because it's the truth.

[@kingtrawal]

Love your channel. glad i found it. been binge watching it.

[@FlightNSurf]

"The mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays." I will never forget that commentary.

[@TheJayofthejungle]

unless the recipient is an underage girl he wants to impregnate.

[@seyahtan24]

How the hell does this channel not have more than 100k subs. Bruh..

[@paulyiustravelogue]

I could be wrong, but the Jazz roster really didn’t have much continuity until the mid 90’s. And when their starting roster began to form, they never really addressed bench depth. Then again, for some reasons some players really hate playing in Utah, and would not want to sign with the Jazz or be traded there. I vividly recall Derek Harper (the with the Mavs) rejected a trade to the Jazz before the deadline in 1997. I believe the Jazz could have a better chance in beating the Bulls that year, if they had a much better vet at the point when Stockton was resting.

[@monolithgeometry3221]

They had alot of holes in the boat . They were amazing for what they had . I got a feeling coach Sloan said 'damn the torpedoes ' and never made those small tweaks to get em over

[@coachnd8139]

Good overall point, about depth but Harper was more of a shooting guard than a point. It's seems that they were tight fisted financially despite having great attendance.

[@kompjuterastas2310]

Yeah, they didn't find anyone to replace Mark Eaton. Arvydas Sabonis would've been a steal of the decade. Missed opportunities.

[@squidMB]

My favourite Duo will always be Shawn Kemp & Gary Payton, but you can’t deny the success Malone & Stockton had

[@topramen5718]

Kemp and Gary where a great duo and great players

[@jehushaphat]

Stockton & Malone: the unambiguously fab duo!

[@jonathandy727]

Its amazing to think stockton is number 1 in all time steals and assists and he wasnt even a starter for his first few seasons

[@janisgegernieks7137]

one of the best duets

[@billd6416]

It’s a really great video. Stockton and Malone didn’t fail to win a championship because of Stockton and Malone. It was because even though they had really good role players, they never had a third guy who could get them a bucket when they needed it. Some championship teams have 5 or 6 guys like that, instead of just 2.

[@verteidigungsblock]

great video

[@Turk_2023]

Plenty of championship teams will be forgotton over time but Malone, Stockton and Barkley never will be.

[@tsukikotsutsukakushi9339]

Malone's Draft Day fit is 🔥

[@dillonfarnsworth826]

Maan, yall coulda at least mentioned the head to head with stock and magic in the '88 WCF... He outdid Magic head to head.

[@coachnd8139]

Like Sacramento, they were on the wrong side of some critical calls in the playoffs.

[@dealpha3698]

90's kids Stockton to Malone.

[@deomartinez77]

Stockton and Malone never got a ring because the Bulls were a better defensive team and they were able to outscore the Jazz in key matchups caused by Phil Jackson's triangle offense that put players like Dennis Rodman and Tony Kukoach in position to keep the games always within 5 points. Still a shame they never got at least one title.

[@trey2810]

If only Utah had Mark Eaton in his prime during the Finals

[@jehushaphat]

lol

[@monolithgeometry3221]

Yeah, or how about Andrei Kirilenko , or Derron Williams.... shoot all they needed was some time displacement equipment, huh. Ya turkey'

[@flibbidyx2]

I grew up watching the team. I went to dozens of games, including a few playoff games, in the old Delta Center (which is now the renovated Vivint Arena). I was even at Clyde Drexler's final NBA game when the Jazz eliminated the Rockets in 1998. A lot of memories, but the team could never finish when it mattered most.

[@Albert8044]

The one name that doomed Stockton and Malone's championship dream. Needs no introduction, Michael Jordan, did it twice.

[@unique_newyork]

That Pippen rim grab looked super questionable.

[@davidstone9154]

Imagine how things would have turned out had the Jazz not traded Dominique Wilkins to the Hawks for a few BUMS and cash, and had Center Mark Eaton to face off against MJ and the Bulls in those 2 years in the Finals?!! I feel confident in saying that Utah would have at least one championship in the 90’s!!

[@MannyMensah94]

Dope 🏀

[@onetruesavage]

JORDAN PUSHED OFF! 😂🤣😂🤣

[@hoseamatavao1208]

These 2 great (Duo's) watched them destroying team after teams 👍👍👍👍

[@2ColdScoprio]

Anytime my Hawks played these two I was scared.

[@Ivan-mu8di]

Mailman don’t deliver on sundy 😈💨

[@tshiamokuhle7460]

always the bridesmaid and never the bride, your word play is unmatched at the end.

[@charismatic9904]

Do one of these on the reggie miller pacers.

[@face77776]

idk if you wanna look TOO deep into the story behind karl malone. stockton is cool though

[@davidp420]

in what fucking world is John Stockton cool? Lol

[@1roundleft821]

@@davidp420 why talk shit about Stockton.

[@RedJay326]

@@1roundleft821 his personal opinions outside of basketball are unfavorable to say the least but to each their own

[@pvlapa]

@@davidp420 one of the best point guards, pulls up in a mini van. Looked like an accountant. And can eat an elbow to the mouth from David Robinson, and can pop right up like nothing happened. That's what makes him cool. 😄

[@johndebono1870]

We'll be polite and just say Utah deserves more rootable GOATs.

[@kompjuterastas2310]

Jazz needed someone to replace Mark Eaton properly. I can understand all salary cap issues, however, Jazz should've gone with something I would call a 'Euro hack'. We all know that Americans disregard European basketball players because they're European, it hasn't changed in freakin 30 plus years. At the same time, it makes them get European players for cheaper. Bulls signed Toni Kukoc, a point forward from Croatia. He was one of the best European players at that time. He was relatively dear, however, not as dear as he was actually worth. I think Jazz had to try hard to get Arvydas Sabonis. They would've got a 7'3" point center with incredible stretch, low post, pass vision and rim protection. Because of those stereotypes, a giant European wasn't as expensive as he actually had to be even though he used to give a hard time to David Robinson at World Cup and Olympics.

[@topramen5718]

That would have definitely made a difference he was a great center one of the first stretch big men

[@lemauntory2951]

been to a jazz game before and lemme tell u, it’s loud as fuck, to the point you can’t hear yourself.

[@futureDreamer4]

If the Jazz kept The Human Highlight Reel they would have won at least one title.

[@jerseygetsherwetter345]

basically

[@87alock]

Bryon Russell stayed getting game winners scored on him

[@thereal_notoriousakagdubb3486]

Scottie Pippen whispers in Karl Malone ears in the last seconds both missed free throws, "the mailman don't deliver on Sundays

[@thereal_notoriousakagdubb3486]

"

[@Mrgiftedsoul]

Imagine having wilkins malone and Stockton on your team

[@jerseygetsherwetter345]

crazy to think

[@bren8012]

But we all know that Bulls will win it all even before the season starts. Pretty stacked team!

[@davidbelanger9952]

13 years old

[@thomasf.1014]

Maybe they can win this first in-season tournament 😂...a nice cup 🥤 and some money 💰..

[@MrWoodMan23]

Legend has it that Byron Russell is still trying to heal from that broken ankle in game 6 of those Finals against MJ. 😎

[@stpbasss3773]

He has needed many ankle transplants since then 😂.

[@michaeldenison7339]

BRYON Russell. Sheesh, people still get this wrong.

[@monolithgeometry3221]

He had a shoe contract with Zips

[@MrWoodMan23]

@@monolithgeometry3221 🤣💯

[@brentw0681]

Broken pushoff

[@areyounotentertained4133]

John stockton my GOAT Pg

[@christopherdonaldson8231]

Bryon Russell was the Craig Ehlo against Jordan

[@fajjybars]

Byron Russell MJ nemesis LOL!

[@ninjaoftherift1620]

They needed a wing they coulda traded some assets for a decent wing

[@brum23]

RIP Mark Eaton

[@johnlestergodoy3294]

Can you do Jason Williams?

[@kl2389]

15:20 that's not Pippen's fault. Anderson missed that layup badly.

[@dwaynem.1194]

90s we’re the best era in basketball in my book. Legendary teams that had complete rosters.

[@wdvsjsugshsys5653]

0:39 number 21 has to be lil nas x dad 😂

[@joeyramonelookalike]

Those two were always my favorites (mind you this was at a time when Jordan was the best). That counts more than any championship in my books. Lost interest in basketball after 98.

[@gltwn]

The Jazz should have won one of the finals series against the Bulls. But the Bulls had a third hall of famer, Rodman, who was the difference in both of those series

[@thereal_notoriousakagdubb3486]

The story behind special Olympics Texas area 20

[@Opochtli]

Utah jazz da besy

[@emmanuelmeribole4104]

First comment 💪🏾💪🏾

[@wakawaka1976]

The damn shove off…

[@allanwatima9193]

A cultural song brought me here

[@nbapbaupdate8338]

Jaylen Brown next video theScore 🙏🙏🙏

[@doge1590]

Biggest duo choker

[@coachnd8139]

How about all the teams that fell to the Celtics in the 60's. Those are the breaks. Sometimes you have to kick the door down.

[@brama9617]

man whats with jazz and succesfull regular but bitter post season

[@0401412740]

Who????? Who are these Jurassic players?

[@howardkriswandi5892]

Jazz lost all those years with limited budget....heck MJ's 98 salary was bigger than the entire Jazz payroll...money talks...NBA didn't have the modern salary cap rules like the past 15 years...

[@mugabi9502]

The best duo to never win a championship. If it wasn't for Michael Jordan they would have won 2 championships.

[@IxDEVOUTxI]

Don't disrespect my man BRYON Russell like that! It's not Byron pal!

[@Steadfast90]

19 times

[@tomek6132]

This video would've been 10 minutes if this guy spoke at a normal pace

[@bandito241]

I sometimes forget this sports athletes has so many surgeries on their bodies and come back like nothing. Derrick Rose should be called the bionic man after all those surgeries in both knees and he still playing. I remember when Kobe had that Achilles injury tear and saw what that meant and what surgery did.

[@ryanrabago6498]

"choke job" how disrespectful

[@mar9335]

Cant go vs the will of the league and the refs , been true then still is true today. Rigged league

[@mmafan2223]

The Jazz were GREAT. Only thing that stopped them was a dude named Michael Jeffrey Jordan

[@zzz1235]

We're just gonna jazz hands over the pedophile and anti-vaxxer part? I mean come on they didn't even win a title /s

[@geertminderhoud2641]

so being an anti vaxxer is bad? I agree with the pedophile part but the vax argument is very weak

[@nosihi3115]

Fight me!

[@cheetohands9]

Precisely why I don’t feel bad that either of them didn’t win a championship anymore

[@hectorlopez1069]

Jordan had scottie to destroy the jazz, but Hakeem didn't have nobody, and he destroyed the jazz, all by himself.

[@brentw0681]

He had some good teammates, no stars

[@topramen5718]

He didn't face Mj in the finals let's kep it real

[@Sarraqin]

For the umpteenth time, Russell's name is BRYON, not BYRON. Ffs

[@DavidBrown-pp5tt]

This is not some crazy right wing conspiracy dude. But the truth is the NBA and even the Jazz were privey to the fact that the NBA would loose millions if the Jazz won the championship. They took a dive so Jordon could retire as a legend. Making Billions for Jordon and the NBA. After retiring Antoine Carr (former Jazz player) spilled the beans on a local Utah radio show. Not only that, a prominent Utah congressman went to a party with the Bulls players, Finals referees and NBA executives. This was a contract and agreement between Jazz ownership and the NBA to make up for the fix. Utah was granted the NBA all star game in Salt Lake City.

[@DavidBrown-pp5tt]

The NBA is fixed

[@graysonwallis21]

I started to watch this because I love basketball and it’s history but I was like damn I don’t really care about the jazz 😂

[@princeokezie3941]

Kendrick Lamar sent me here