By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
John Stockton is a regular at the McCarthey Athletic Center where his No.12 jersey can be seen hanging from the rafters, however, that has changed at least for the near future as Gonzaga decided to suspend the Hall of Famers seasons tickets.
One of only two players who’s had his number retired by Gonzaga has gotten at odds with the University due to the school’s mask mandate.
“Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit. And therefore they received complaints and felt like from whatever the higher-ups – those weren’t discussed, but from whatever it was higher up – they were going to have to either ask me to wear a mask or they were going to suspend my tickets,” Stockton said, per The Spokesman.
Stockton has taken a strong stance against COVID-19 vaccines, shutdown measures and mask mandates, initially offering his views last June in a documentary titled, “COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed.”
“I think it’s highly recorded now, there’s 150 I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead – professional athletes – the prime of their life, dropping dead that are vaccinated, right on the pitch, right on the field, right on the court,” Stockton said.
Stockton noted that he didn’t think his relationship with the university was permanently fractured as a result of the suspension but suggested it could take time to repair.