No coaching plans for Stockton

SPOKANE, Wash. — Standing Sunday morning on the very same Salt Palace floor that long ago served as the Jazz's homecourt, John Stockton addressed coach Jerry Sloan's club with the wood-plank wisdom of a retiree who is merely the NBA's all-time leader in steals and assists.

There is no need, however, to create space on Sloan's bench — or any other in the league, for that matter — for the man who toiled all 19 years of his professional career in Utah.

At least not now.

"That's a long ways ahead," Stockton said of the possibility that some day, perhaps when his half-dozen kids are all grown and gone, he may actually yearn to coach in the pay-for-play league of NBA millionaires.

"I'll worry about that," he adds, "when, or if, the time ever comes."

So many others like him, though, crave the opportunity.

Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas, two other superstars of the game, gave it a shot.

A multitude of former teammates are in the business, looking for the break that some day will result in one of 30 coveted chief bench-boss jobs: Jeff Malone and Mike Brown coach in the NBDL, Rusty LaRue just took a college post, Adrian Dantley and Tyrone Corbin are NBA assistants, just to name a few.

Heck, even one of Stockton's best buddies during his days with the Jazz — Jeff Hornacek, now a shooting consultant for the Phoenix Suns — evidently has the itch.

But not Stockton.

At least not yet.

"At this time," Stockton said Sunday, "I sure don't feel that same urge.

"But who knows what time will do? Who knows?"

The thing is, it does seem to be in his blood.

"I enjoy coaching," said Stockton, who watched the Jazz open their 2004-05 preseason against Seattle on Sunday night at Spokane Arena. "Most definitely."

It's just that kids control his clock these days, not babies who get paid to play like a child.

At The Warehouse, a massive multi-sport complex Stockton built in his hometown here, the man who once ran up and down that old Salt Palace floor now helps to coach teams of children on it.