Jazz rookie guard Isaiah Collier recently surpassed Hall of Fame former Utah guard John Stockton’s longstanding rookie-season assists record of 415, a mark Stockton had held for 40 years, as relayed by Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Collier, selected with the No. 29 overall pick out of USC, has become a key contributor off the bench for the rebuilding Jazz.

Over 70 games, including 45 starts, the 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 8.5 points, 6.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 25.8 minutes per game. In comparison, Stockton averaged just 18 minutes per game during his rookie season, Larsen notes.

Collier has now totaled 434 assists as a rookie. The all-time rookie-season assists record remains at 868, set by former New York guard Mark Jackson. With four games left in the Jazz’s season, Collier has the opportunity to further extend his franchise-record assist tally.

NBA Europe

Commissioner Adam Silver’s interest in launching a new NBA venture in Europe extends beyond potential financial gains, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. According to Vardon, the primary advantage would be direct access to a player development pipeline that has produced numerous NBA stars in recent years.

“The European development of the kids, especially in the Yugoslavian area, especially in terms of fundamentals, is 10 times better than in the States,” said Misko Raznatovic, former head of Mega Basket, Belgrade’s pro club, and current Serbian-based agent for Nikola Jokic. “This is the reason you are getting more and more players from Europe.”

Vardon explains that in Europe, there are no school teams; instead, top players join clubs operated by professional organizations. Unlike the AAU system in the U.S., where the focus is often on playing multiple games in a weekend, European programs place a stronger emphasis on skill development. Players showing early potential, like Jokic, Luka Doncic, or Victor Wembanyama, often transition to professional teams well before they reach high school.

“At the age of 15 you get Jokic, you get Doncic, that kind of player, if you don’t teach them how to play basketball, don’t develop their skills and don’t develop their IQ, they will score zero points because based on their athleticism, their quickness, they cannot score anything (in the NBA),” Raznatovic added. “That’s the reason that the guys from this area are getting more skill and a better basketball IQ.”