My statement is according to my own eyes and observation and I have no doubt about it. I won't comment about Sloan's words though since I don't know what exactly he said but chances are he was talking in a comparing sense since a PG, especially one that is arguably one of the top 3 of the game history, that doesn't call plays is a ridiculous thing even to imagine.
Thanks, I had no desire to look this up to appease someones anecdotal evidence.
@Broncster, OK, before everything I've written below, I had also collected half a dozen videos that do show Stockton calling plays in his own accord numerous times. But what you wrote here is a deal breaker in my arguing principles. So I changed my mind and instead of posting the videos, I've decided to write more of what you call anecdotal evidence, so here you go...
Try harder for what? Those quotes are just as I expected, in a comparing manner trying to put the different styles and tendencies of the two subject players. The latter quote is also more about emphasizing the mutual love and the respect between Sloan and Stockton.
To make inferences like Stockton didn't call plays from those quotes, you really have to read them literally and with intent out of the context. But actually you can't even do that with this quotes because they in fact tell that Stockton did call plays. Please read again "...didn't do that
much at all..." - "...
typically preferring to look back at his coach for the call..." and "...with the latter calling
most of the plays..."
But if you want to insist to infer that Stockton didn't call plays from those quotes, let me give an example about why you shouldn't read everything verbatim..
Think a mother talking about his sons, one is fat the other is skinny... "Joe, my fat son, loves food and has always great appetite, he eats everything. Jack his brother, on the other hand, hates food and doesn't eat at all." (I didn't even put the word
much here)
Can you conclude from that sentence that Joe indeed eats everything or Jack never eats anything? Of course not, because guess what, you can't eat everything nor you can't live without eating. Same in basketball, the very nature of basketball requires a PG to be able to call plays and to use that ability. That's an inseparable part of being a PG, which is essentially described and called as "Play Making" and "Play Maker" in the basketball literature, so you can't be one without having it.
You can't be a PG without calling plays, you can't be a PG in the NBA without calling plays, you can't be the freaking Jonh Stockton in the NBA without calling plays, and you certainly can't make 16K assists and achieve an unbreakable record without calling plays.
It's against the coaching notion too. Coaches and players complete the each others. During games, a coach can't have in-game feeling and in-game perception of his players that are actually on the court and playing the game, especially of a PG. And the players may not be able to see the game from an outside viewpoint as coaches are able to do so. A coach determines the game flow and will always make his intervention to make his adjustments according to his style and the understanding of the game while considering his players' characters, styles and abilities as well. There the whole point and difference stand really. Deron and Stockton indeed are/were different PGs and have entirely different characters, one is wayward and much more independent, the other was more devoted and much more mature. Sloan knew it better than anybody so he acted and got responses in accordance. He steered Stockton more and draw a respectful deference from him, he let Deron more unfettered and made him more beneficial to the team.
Like I said in my previous post. My statement is according to my own eyes and observation and I have no doubt about it, not one bit! Stockton did call plays, he did call plays not one, not two or not many times but countless times. In his own accord. Without looking at Sloan. Without asking anybody. I saw it, I watched it, so did everyone with eyes. Disaffirming it or claiming the opposite is ridiculous. The very end point I would buy is the fact that he was not as free-spirited and obstinate as Deron is, which is the truth and no one denies it in the first place, just like the fact that neither Deron called all the plays nor Stockton didn't call any.
And what about the interrupted plays in games. In basketball the called plays hardly pan out. Most of the time the players can't implement the plays correctly or plays get broken by the opponents. In every games the PGs are having to recall or reshape the plays tens of times. What happens then, what did Stockton do when those happened? Did he look at Sloan in the middle of every broken plays and ask for help? No, he did what he did when he did call plays, so, called plays!
I will say one more time, calling plays is an essential and inseparable part of being a PG. Stockton had it and used it at an excellent level. Saying he was dependent to Sloan or he had to look at Sloan for every calls out of respect or for whatever reason, would be disrespectful itself to both Sloan and Stockton. Stockton was never completely destitute of Sloan to manage the game and lead his team, and I bet Sloan trusted Stockton more than anyone in his team so he would never demand such a complete dependency from Stockton, especially not for the sake of respect, because I'm sure they both know it's not the only way of showing respect.
. But as I told my team: had this league done playoffs, we'd be the champions, not that anyone is keeping track of wins and losses, though.