Cheers for Stockton come from a fan down under News Utah Jazz

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ? Standing outside the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Jake Carroll joked about how John Stockton might need to place a restraining order on him. Stockton probably doesn't. Carroll is a jovial mate and seems well-grounded.

Even has a girlfriend and a job. Just in case, the Jazz great might make sure the order is valid across international borders. After all, this Australian tourist didn't just coincidentally happen to be in the middle of New England while Stockton was there. Carroll traveled to Massachusetts from Melbourne because Stockton was going to be there. Yes, he's THE one ? among 200 or so journalists and expected throngs of fans ? who's here to see somebody other than Michael Jordan. It'd be tempting to tease Carroll ? a follower of the Hall of Fame inductee's career since he saw the Jazz play on TV in Japan in 1990 ? about being a Stockton Stalker or a Gonzaga Groupie. He even laughs that his level of have-hero-will travel fandom "seems kind of stalkerish" and that he's razzed about being "crazy" for going on a $5,000 Stockton sighting tour. Truth be told, Carroll is simply the NBA's all-time assists and steals leader's biggest fan from Down Under. He's got the frequent-flyer miles and the classic No. 12 J-note jersey from eBay to prove it. Now all he's hoping for is a chance to meet his role model, maybe get their picture taken together and pray that Stockton doesn't think he's a "doofus." "In the hope," Carroll said, "that I can just shake his hand and say, 'Congratulations,' that would be well worth sitting on a plane for 22 hours cramped in economy." The 30-year-old Carroll says his parents hope this will cure him of wearing Jazz gear around the house. "My girlfriend back home was supportive," he added while watching for Hall-of-Famers named Stockton at a reception Thursday. "She said, 'Ah, just go and get it out of your system and then we can buy a house together and get married.'" Talk about a heavy price for commitment(s). Carroll once visited Utah to watch the Jazz play, but Stockton had retired. On a different trip, Carroll went to the bar owned by Stockton's dad in Spokane, Wash. Fortunately, Jack was there. Unfortunately, John wasn't. Even so, Carroll soaked up his experience, got a drink at Jack and Dan's and heard fun stories about Stockton from friends and family as a bonus. When Carroll found out Stockton was Hall of Fame-bound, he booked his ticket for his "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to maybe, just maybe, get a chance to meet his American idol. "That's just how much I love the guy," he added. "He's just the best athlete, very humble. He just played the game the way it should be played." If his Stockton quest comes up short, Carroll still feels the trip was worth it. He saw Jordan, got Charles Barkley's autograph and had his picture taken with a guy who happened to coach Stockton. "I was happy to meet Jerry Sloan," he said. Carroll could be the only one from his continent who can say that he met Sloan this week. And just imagine the bragging he'll do if he meets the other Jazz Hall-of-Famer in town. e-mail: jody@desnews.com