SALT LAKE CITY — After dishing out an incredible amount of assists during his hall of fame career, many are saying Utah Jazz legend John Stockton is dishing out bad advice in an anti-vaccine documentary.
Stockton appears in a clip as part of a 9-part series titled "Covid and the vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions." The former Jazz point guard seems to be the most recognizable name among those featured in the series.
In the clip that made the rounds on social media, Stockton claims to have done a lot of research on COVID-19 and shares his thoughts on the virus that has so far taken over 600,000 American lives.
“This isn’t a virus cheating us of this opportunity,” he says. “It’s the guys making decisions saying, ‘No, no we’re too scared. We’re going to shut everything down. Sit in your house and be careful.’ My kids and my grandkids hearing these things and accepting them as truth when I know by my significant amount of research that it isn’t, it’s very frustrating.”
In a quote in an advertisement for the documentary, Stockton uses the name of another all-time NBA great to make an unexplained connection to the coronavirus.
“One of the things that sticks in my head is losing someone like Steph Curry to basketball would be a crime,” he said. “I just think what a disappointment to this world it would be if that guy didn’t become who he is. So I wonder, who are we missing out on right now.”
The company making the series, VR COVID, states their mission is to “prevent vaccine injury and death and promote and protect the right of every person to make informed, independent vaccination decisions.”
Dr. Jay Jacobsen, an emeritus University of Utah profess for infectious disease, worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Jacobsen was trained specifically in epidemiology and treating infectious diseases — something he worked in for 42 years.
“There are fourteen diseases that we prevent in children that most parents have never seen as a result of vaccines,” said Dr. Jacobson.
Yet, some question the new COVID-19 vaccines.
A clip in the documentary trailer features a chiropractor saying putting mRNA type into vaccines is absolutely terrifying.
Dr. Jacobson said it was a marvelous new way to fight infectious diseases.
“The goal of these new vaccines is not to change your continuing genetic makeup,” said Dr. Jacobson. “It is simply to get cells in the body to manufacture the antibodies that will protect us against a particular virus.”
Stockton faced a barrage of criticism on social media following the clip's release.
"I’m a doctor. The only thing you should accept from John Stockton is a sweet bounce pass as you’re driving the lane," read one tweet.
"John Stockton, basketball Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist, can now add 'Covid-19 expert' to his resume. #sarcasm," another person tweeted.
One tweet went the humorous route following the clip's unearthing.
"And now we see why John Stockton had so many assists. Man is terrified of the big shot," the tweet read.
Stockton was a 10-time NBA All-Star during his 19 seasons with the Jazz, helping lead the team to the playoffs every year he was in the league.