Basketball followers and gamers alike took to social media Monday to sharply criticize the COVID stance of former NBA level guard John Stockton, whereas additionally praising Stockton's alma mater, Gonzaga College, for suspending his season tickets.

Stockton, 59, is broadly recognized for his anti-vaccine views and had reportedly refused to put on a masks whereas attending Gonzaga basketball video games, violating the college's indoor masks mandate. Consequently, the varsity suspended his season tickets for the rest of the yr.

The transfer entered the Spokane, Washington-based college right into a quarrel with Stockton, who's broadly thought of their most well-known athletic alumnus. After a standout school profession with Gonzaga, Stockton can be drafted in 1984 by the NBA's Utah Jazz, with whom he would spend his total skilled profession.

Stockton reiterated various unproven conspiracy theories relating to the COVID vaccine in an interview with The Spokesman-Evaluate following Gonzaga's resolution, together with the debunked declare that huge numbers of individuals have died on account of the vaccine.

John Stockton
Former NBA participant John Stockton was broadly criticized throughout social media for his unsubstantiated views relating to the COVID-19 vaccine, together with that it had lethal penalties. On account of his refusal to put on a masks, his alma mater Gonzaga revoked his season tickets. Right here, Stockton may be seen throughout a e book tour in 2013. Dave Kotinsky/Getty

"I feel it is extremely recorded now, there's 150 I imagine now, it is over 100 skilled athletes lifeless—skilled athletes—the prime of their life, dropping lifeless which might be vaccinated, proper on the pitch, proper on the sector, proper on the courtroom," Stockton claimed.

This declare has been broadly proven by the medical group to be unfaithful. The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) reported over 529 million doses of the vaccine administered in 2021, of which lower than 0.0022 p.c died from a doable complication of the shot.

Stockton additionally claimed within the interview that "kids and youngsters...have actually zero statistical threat of being harmed by the illness and so they have important statistical threat of being harmed by the unwanted side effects of the so-called vaccines."

This has equally been confirmed unfaithful, as various research have discovered that unvaccinated youthful folks nonetheless had a threat of contracting extreme sickness or potential demise from COVID. Whereas youthful folks could expertise worse unwanted side effects from the vaccine than the aged, in accordance with the CDC, these signs sometimes go inside just a few days.

Following Stockton's claims, folks throughout social media criticized the purpose guard for spreading misinformation, whereas additionally lauding Gonzaga for his or her actions.

"Somebody ought to inform John Stockton how idiotic he sounds about all this," @jackfrank_jjf tweeted. "Every thing about his stance is embarrassingly dangerous."

"Properly executed, Gonzaga," a person named @PlagueDocIsIn wrote on Twitter. "One more athlete who thinks he's higher than all people else. That is getting previous."

Followers weren't the one ones talking out, as a few of Stockton's former contemporaries additionally voiced their displeasure together with his claims.

Detlef Schrempf, one other NBA Corridor of Famer, referred to as Stockton's views "bat s**t loopy."

"I'm so disillusioned we now have so many function fashions lower than the duty." Schrempf wrote on Twitter. "This isn't serving to!"

Corridor of Famer and humanitarian Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, broadly thought of one of many best gamers in NBA historical past, said on CNN that Stockton's views "made the general public look upon athletes as principally dumb jocks for making an attempt to clarify away one thing that's clearly a pandemic."

"I feel John [Stockton's] response to the vaccine is excessive and never primarily based on actuality or information. If John may simply verify the information out, he would perceive that this vaccine is saving lives." Abdul-Jabbar stated.

Newsweek reached out to the Utah Jazz for remark.