During the Super Bowl halftime show, a name echoed beyond the football field, resonating with NBA fans and music lovers alike: John Stockton. The legendary former Utah Jazz point guard found himself unexpectedly spotlighted in the midst of Kendrick Lamar’s electrifying performance. Lamar, the Grammy-winning rapper, chose his track “Not Like Us” as a centerpiece, a song that notably includes a direct shoutout to Stockton.
This unexpected name-drop in front of a massive Super Bowl audience has sparked conversations across sports and entertainment. “Not Like Us,” released in May 2024, is known for being a key track in Lamar’s ongoing feud with fellow rapper Drake. Amidst its layers of pop-culture references and clever wordplay, the lyric, “It’s too many options, I’m finna pass on this body, I’m John Stockton,” stands out.
While the mention might have caught many off guard, Stockton himself was far from surprised. Having heard the track prior to the performance, thanks to his family, Stockton shared his reaction on The Ultimate Assist Podcast.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Ultimate Assist (@theultimateassistpodcast)
“I knew of the song, I have young people in my life,” Stockton explained. “My kids all know about this song and we frankly knew it was coming.” Despite his well-known preference for staying out of the media glare, the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals embraced the Super Bowl nod with good humor.
“Everybody was kind of huddled around the TV to see if my name got mentioned at halftime of a Super Bowl, which it did,” Stockton recounted. The unexpected recognition turned into a flurry of activity for Stockton’s wife, Nada. As friends and acquaintances tuned into the halftime show, her phone became the center of a buzzing network of reactions.
“My wife’s phone started ringing kind of incessantly after that,” Stockton said. “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.” For context, John Stockton’s career is decorated with accolades, including 10 All-Star selections, 11 All-NBA team honors, and 5 All-Defensive team selections. His name, now intertwined with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, continues to resonate across different cultural landscapes.
