WHEREAS, Spokane native John Houston Stockton achieved athletic excellence early in life, as a standout at Gonzaga Preparatory School and Gonzaga University; and
     WHEREAS, Stockton placed equal emphasis on academics, graduating from Gonzaga in 1984 as an Academic All-America team member, and as the West Coast Conference male scholar-athlete of the year; and
     WHEREAS, After being drafted by the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association, Stockton displayed a loyalty almost unheard of in modern professional sports, remaining with the Jazz throughout his celebrated 19-year career; and
     WHEREAS, Stockton was the embodiment of consistency throughout his career, playing in every game during 17 of his 19 NBA campaigns, and sitting out a total of only 22 games while playing in 1,504; and
     WHEREAS, Having helped other players – most of all his career-long on-court partner Karl "The Mailman" Malone – score an astounding 30,000-plus points, Stockton retired with, and still holds, the NBA's all-time record of 15,806 assists, proving that the adage "anything is possible when you don't care who gets the credit" applies to more than just politics; and
     WHEREAS, Stockton also holds the NBA career record for steals with 3,265 successful takeaways, was named to the NBA All-Star team 10 times, and was a member of the U.S. Olympic "Dream Teams" that won gold medals in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games; and
     WHEREAS, Stockton was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in September 2009, an honor shared by fewer than 300 other basketball notables since the Hall's first class was enshrined 50 years ago; and
     WHEREAS, Despite all these and many other athletic accomplishments, Stockton would be the first to say that his family – wife Nada, and children Houston, Michael, David, Lindsay, Laura, and Samuel – has always come first; and
     WHEREAS, Throughout his career in Salt Lake City, Stockton continued to regard Spokane as his family's home, returning to live there full time upon his retirement from the NBA in 2003, to rejoin his parents, Jack and Clementine, and his brother, Steve, and sisters Stacey and Leanne, and their families; and
     WHEREAS, Since his retirement from the NBA, Stockton has volunteered his time and talents supporting and promoting youth sports, enriching the lives of countless young people by passing along his work ethic and his love of sports, physical fitness, and teamwork;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor John Houston Stockton for his character, for his accomplishments, for being a positive role model on and off the court, and for his contributions to the city of Spokane and the great state of Washington; and
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Chief Clerk to John Stockton, Jack & Dan's Bar & Grill, the NBA Hall of Fame, Spokane Youth Sports Association, the City of Spokane Mayor's office, and the City of Spokane Council office.