BIO: David Stockton was born in Spokane, Washington (USA).

FAMILY: David is the son of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton.

NBL EXPERIENCE

David Stockton made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 25 years of age. He scored 17 points in his first game.

A 16-12 regular season carried New Zealand to fourth place and into the 2016 Grand Final, where Perth won the deciding game to claim the series 2-1. Chief executive Richard Clarke and coach Dean Vickerman departed during the offseason, with Paul Henare promoted from assistant to head coach and Dillon Boucher taking over as general manager. Cedric Jackson (to Melbourne) and Tai Wesley (to Melbourne) also left, while Thomas Abercrombie, Corey Webster, Alex Pledger and captain Mika Vukona returned. Kirk Penney (via Illawarra), Robert Loe (via Limburg United), Ben Woodside (via Türk Telekom) and Akil Mitchell (via Antibes) were added, while Finn Delany, Shea Ili and Jordan Ngatai were elevated from development player roles.

Injuries quickly disrupted Henare’s new-look roster, with Ili suffering a back injury during the preseason and Penney and Webster also missing time before Woodside ruptured the plantar fascia in his right foot in early November and was ruled out for six to eight weeks. David Stockton (via Cedevita Zagreb) was signed on November 10 as Woodside’s injury replacement after the Breakers had considered him for the original import position during the offseason before choosing Woodside. The son of NBA Hall of Famer John Stockton left a three-year contract with Cedevita Zagreb to join New Zealand for the remainder of the season.

Stockton made his NBL debut against Illawarra at the North Shore Events Centre on November 18, coming from the bench and making eight of 11 shots to finish with 17 points and 5 assists. Pledger (14 points and 8 rebounds) and Webster (14 points and 4 assists) provided support, while Rotnei Clarke (17 points and 2 steals) led Illawarra as New Zealand won 100-85. “David came in and pushed the pace and added something different and shared the ball,” Henare said after Stockton’s first appearance.

Stockton (8.3 points and 4.2 assists across 10 games) made six starts during his short stint and finished with 83 points, 27 rebounds and 42 assists. He made an immediate impact after replacing Woodside, averaging 15 points and 6.5 assists across his first four appearances before failing to reach double figures in either points or assists over his final six games.

Stockton’s best game came against Illawarra on December 2, where he made six three-pointers and finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, and 10 assists in his first start for the Breakers. Loe (21 points and 5 rebounds) and Penney (15 points and 6 assists) provided the other major contributions, while Clarke (22 points and 3 assists) led Illawarra as the Hawks defeated New Zealand 95-91. The Breakers had trailed by 15 points at halftime before closing the margin during the fourth quarter, but the defeat was their third in succession and dropped them to fifth place.

Stockton’s season was then affected by a lower-back problem, which he aggravated against Sydney at Qudos Bank Arena on December 30. Stockton (2 points) lasted only 1 minute and 55 seconds before leaving the game, with Penney (20 points and 5 rebounds) and Paul Carter (14 points and 5 rebounds) leading New Zealand, while Jason Cadee (22 points) was Sydney’s leading scorer as the Kings won 85-80. The initial diagnosis suggested Stockton could miss several weeks, although his back improved enough for him to return once more before the Breakers made another change at point guard.

New Zealand’s injury problems continued around him. Webster (11.7 points across 15 games) battled hip and back problems before undergoing season-ending hip surgery, while Abercrombie (11.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 21 games) missed time with a broken hand. Carter (via Alba Berlin) arrived in late December as Webster’s injury replacement while also providing cover for Abercrombie. Woodside (8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.3 steals across 6 games) remained unable to return from his foot injury and on January 7 New Zealand released both Woodside and Stockton, with Kevin Dillard (via Pınar Karşıyaka) signed for the remaining nine games. Stockton’s ongoing back problem and decline in production contributed to the decision as the Breakers attempted to save their season, with Boucher saying, “The professionalism of David in receiving this news has been first class and reflects the person and player he is.”

New Zealand lost Dillard’s first game to fall to 8-12 after 20 games before Dillard (18.1 points, 4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals across 9 games) combined with Penney (17.4 points and 3.4 rebounds across 28 games) to lead four consecutive victories and revive the Breakers’ playoff hopes. Mitchell (9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds across 25 games) led New Zealand in rebounding before a serious eye injury ended his season, while Pledger (8.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks across 28 games), Loe (7.1 points and 3.4 rebounds across 26 games), Vukona (6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds across 27 games) and Carter (9.1 points and 4.5 rebounds across 11 games) provided the other major contributions. Penney was named the Breakers’ club MVP.

Stockton had returned to the United States by the time New Zealand closed the season against Melbourne at Vector Arena on February 10. Dillard (16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) and Penney (15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while Casper Ware (23 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal) was Melbourne’s best as the Breakers won 88-70 and finished fifth with a 14-14 record.

David Stockton played one season in the NBL. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 10 NBL games.