During the electrifying Super Bowl halftime show, amidst the dazzling lights and roaring crowd, an unexpected name echoed through the stadium and across social media: John Stockton. The legendary former Utah Jazz point guard found himself in the lyrical spotlight, courtesy of Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar. Lamar’s performance featured his track “Not Like Us,” a song that includes a direct shout-out to Stockton, creating a unique intersection of basketball and hip-hop culture on one of the world’s biggest stages.
“Not Like Us,” released in May 2024, emerged as a defining track in the ongoing rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and fellow rap icon Drake. The song is packed with cultural references and clever wordplay, and within its verses, Lamar drops the name of John Stockton. The lyric, “It’s too many options, I’m finna pass on this body, I’m John Stockton,” is a boastful comparison to Stockton’s unparalleled passing ability in basketball, implying Lamar has so many choices he’s “passing” like the assist king himself.
While the mention might have caught casual Super Bowl viewers off guard, Stockton himself was in on the secret. Having heard the song prior to the performance, thanks to his children, Stockton was prepared for the potential name drop during the halftime spectacle.
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“I knew of the song, I have young people in my life,” Stockton explained on The Ultimate Assist Podcast. “My kids all know about this song and we frankly knew it was coming.” Despite his career being marked by a relative avoidance of the media spotlight, the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals embraced the Super Bowl moment. Stockton revealed that his family gathered around the television specifically to witness if his name would be uttered during Lamar’s performance, turning it into a shared, anticipatory experience.
The Super Bowl shout-out transformed into a flurry of activity for Stockton’s wife, Nada. As soon as the lyric was delivered, her phone became inundated with messages from friends and acquaintances who had caught the performance. “My wife’s phone started ringing kind of incessantly after that,” Stockton recounted. “She spent the rest of the game texting back and forth for all the people that saw it, so apparently it was a big deal.” The anecdote underscores the widespread reach of the Super Bowl halftime show and the surprising cultural impact of Lamar’s Stockton reference.
For those unfamiliar with his illustrious basketball career, John Stockton is an NBA Hall of Famer renowned for his exceptional playmaking and longevity with the Utah Jazz. During his tenure, he earned 10 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA honors, and five All-Defensive team nods. Stockton’s name is synonymous with assists, holding a commanding lead in the NBA record books, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest point guards in basketball history. Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl homage serves as a testament to Stockton’s enduring recognition, transcending the world of sports and entering the realm of contemporary pop culture.
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Ben Anderson is the Utah Jazz insider for KSL Sports and the co-host of Jake and Ben from 10-12p with Jake Scott on 97.5 The KSL Sports Zone. Find Ben on Twitter at @BensHoops, on Instagram @BensHoops, or on BlueSky.
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