Some cheeky fan put a mask on Utah's John Stockton statue because he refuses to do it himself

Because he refuses to comply with their mask mandate, former Utah Jazz guard John Stockton is no longer allowed to attend basketball games at his alma mater Gonzaga University.

When asked to explain why he does not wear a mask at Gonzaga games even though he was asked to do so, the 59-year-old claimed to The Spokesman-Review that “over 100” pro athletes have died from the vaccine. However, there is no evidence supporting this assertion.

Stockton made headlines in June 2021 when he appeared in a clip that was promoting vaccine conspiracies in COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed. Then in Dec. 2021, he spoke in favor of Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving’s decision to not get vaccinated.

Although the former Jazz guard told The Spokesman-Review he considered reversing his anti-mask policy so he could keep his season tickets, Stockton ultimately decided against it. As such, it’s no surprise to see fans react to his firm stance.

For example, after Utah’s loss against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, The Salt Lake Tribune sportswriter Andy Larsen tweeted a photo of Stockton’s statue outside of Vivint Arena.

Because the former NBA guard is unwilling to wear a mask in his actual life, it seems some clever prankster at least made sure that the sculpted version of the player was following COVID-19 protocol.

Although many fans were able to have a laugh at the little gag, others recognize the danger of Stockton’s rhetoric. One individual who spoke up against Stockton was six-time NBA MVP and six-time NBA champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. (Via CNN):

“I think statements like that make the public look upon athletes as basically dumb jocks for trying to explain away something that is obviously a pandemic and the best way to fight pandemics is through vaccination and testing … It doesn’t make sense what he’s saying.”

Stockton says that he is unwilling to budge on his decision to not wear a mask.

That means he likely won’t be able to attend any more Gonzaga basketball games — or many of the other places around the world with similar policies — any time soon.