Utah Jazz: During brief run, David Stockton made an impact

David Stockton’s time with the Utah Jazz may have been short, but the point guard’s run was memorable nonetheless.

The Utah Jazz made a roster move earlier this week, announcing the team had waived point-man David Stockton. His release had largely been expected; after re-signing restricted free agent Georges Niang and inking Tyler Cavanaugh and Naz Mitrou-Long to two-way contracts, the Jazz essentially didn’t have a spot for Stockton.

Stockton knew as much, too, and had already come to terms with medi bayreuth of the Basketball Bundesliga in Germany. Still, officially saying goodbye to a fan favorite, and the son of Jazz legend John Stockton, feels like a big deal. And make no mistake about it — the younger Stockton undoubtedly made an impact during his brief return to Jazzland.

He felt like one of us; the fans’ own representative on our favorite NBA team. He was the hometown kid making good at the highest level of sport despite his small-ish stature and unassuming nature. In doing so, he even managed to give us some moments that stand out from a year that was full of an incredible ones.

When the competition ends and the lights are turned off at the gym, sports are ultimately about stories. By continuing to overcome the odds and giving fans a link to the great Jazz teams of the past while helping to usher in the next golden age of Jazz basketball, Stockton gave us a story to be remembered.

However, he may have saved his best for last.

Despite the fact that his Jazz fate was sealed, Stockton spent part of his summer representing his team and his family while sharing his knowledge and love of basketball with kids all over rural Utah as he toured the state on behalf of the Junior Jazz program.

The work he did on the Jr. Jazz trip, which was one-on-one in some cases, will undoubtedly affect lives in ways that go way beyond professional sports.

Now, it’s on to Bayreuth, a club on the rise in Germany. While there, Stockton is sure to drop dimes and get buckets in a manner befitting not only the name on the back of his jersey, but the hard work that he’s put in to follow in his famous father’s footsteps.

All the while, his run with the Jazz is sure to be remembered and recounted fondly. Stockton’s second stint in Utah was short, but it still made waves.