Part 8/11:
Great players often benefit from the talents of their teammates, and it is rare to find an all-time great who accomplished their feats in isolation. Players like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, or Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, demonstrate that pairing with another elite player is commonplace. Criticizing Stockton for benefiting from Malone while ignoring similar partnerships among others is an unfair double standard. Even without Malone, Stockton averaged an impressive 9.6 assists per game, underscoring his individual skill level and contribution to the game.