John Stockton Reacts To Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Shoutout
Feb 14, 2025, 11:44 AM | Updated: 11:50 am
Kendrick Lamar performs onstage during Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – John Stockton had a unique experience during the Super Bowl, hearing his name mentioned during the halftime show by performer Kendrick Lamar.
Lamar’s Grammy-winning record “Not Like Us” was the centerpiece of the rapper’s performance. The song features a shoutout to the former Utah Jazz point guard.
Related: Kendrick Lamar Featured During Super Bowl Halftime Show
John Stockton Mentioned In Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance
“Not Like Us” was released in May 2024, and emerged from Lamar’s ongoing beef with fellow rapper Drake.
Among several pop-culture references and double-entendre, Stockton was directly mentioned in the song.
“It’s too many options, I’m finna pass on this body, I’m John Stockton,” Lamar says on the track.
While it may have surprised some fans who hadn’t heard the song, Stockton wasn’t caught off guard.
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“I knew of the song, I have young people in my life,” Stockton said on the Ultimate Assist Podcast. “My kids all know about this song and we frankly knew it was coming.”
Though Stockton has traditionally shied away from media attention, the NBA’s all-time assist and steals leader didn’t hide from the Super Bowl shoutout.
“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 said.
The mention led to a busy night for Stockton’s wife Nada who was bombarded by messages from friends who watched the performance.
“My wife’s phone started ringing kind of incessantly after that,” Stockton said. “She spent the right of the game texting back and forth for all the people that saw it so apparently it was a big deal.”
During his time with the Jazz, Stockton was named to 10 All-Stars teams, 11 All-NBA teams, and five All-Defensive teams.
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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.
