John Stockton spent 19 seasons with the Utah Jazz, made 10 All-Star teams and retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals. Through most of that career, he rarely said a word about politics. That’s changed in recent years, and now the Hall of Famer has put his name, and his money, behind Minnesota’s Republican Senate candidate, Michele Tafoya.

Tafoya’s campaign highlighted his endorsement on X on Thursday, Oct. 29, five days before Election Day on Nov. 3, sharing a graphic that read “Endorsed by John Stockton.”

“John Stockton is one of the most respected men in basketball, a Hall of Famer whose discipline and hard work made him the NBA’s all-time leader in assists and steals,” Tafoya wrote in her X post.

“I’m honored to have him on our team in this election. Join our team next Tuesday, November 3rd, and let’s bring common sense back to Minnesota!” the post said.

Stockton’s support isn’t new, though. In May, he appeared in a campaign video for Tafoya, bringing up the hostile Timberwolves crowds he used to play in front of.

“I’ve known Michele for a long time,” Stockton said in the video. “She has common sense, she has mature wisdom, and she has a little bit of toughness to boot.”

He’s also given $3,500 to her campaign, according to Front Office Sports.

Stockton isn’t the only sports figure in her corner. Vikings co-owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, Wild owner Craig Leipold and former Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor have all donated to her campaign, while former NFL coaches Tony Dungy and Jason Garrett have filmed videos supporting her.

So, what does a Washington-based basketball legend have to do with a Minnesota-based candidate? In John Stockton’s case, it’s actually an interesting story. Stockton became a public health activist during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2021, he appeared in a video documentary series titled V-Revealed, COVID Edition, which raised questions about vaccination and government restrictions during the pandemic. The Hall of Famer even voiced his opinions across various interviews.

In January 2022, Stockton told the Spokesman-Review, “There’s 150, I believe now, it’s over 100 professional athletes dead,” claiming they died after getting vaccinated. PolitiFact rated the claim False, and there’s no scientific evidence to support it.

Later that year, he went on Tafoya’s podcast, Sideline Sanity, and pushed the number even higher. He explained that he had a system to help him track the number of people and athletes affected by the vaccines.

His support for the Republican Party isn’t limited to just Michele Tafoya. In 2023, he also backed Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential candidacy. RFK Jr. is now the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, and his relationship with Stockton is still strong.

Overall, this isn’t Stockton’s first time delving into politics and the Republican Party. Michele Tafoya, however, is an interesting candidate given her own personal history with Minnesota State.

In September, she told Minneapolis radio station WCCO, “I’ve never said I was embarrassed to be from Minnesota or to be a Minnesotan.” But CNN’s KFile found a deleted March 2023 post in which she wrote, “I’m embarrassed to say I live in Minnesota.”

When another user suggested she leave, she replied that that was the plan and said she was considering a move to Tennessee. KFile reported that she said at least four times in recent years that she planned to leave the state.

Now, in the final stretch of the race, she’s leaning on one of basketball’s most recognizable names to help her close.