Legendary former NBA star John Stockton has been banned from attending games at Gonzaga University after being noncompliant with his alma mater's indoor mask mandate.
Gonzaga's most famous alum confirmed his season tickets were revoked after he was spotted missing from his usual spot at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center in Washington State when the university's Bulldogs beat San Francisco on Thursday.
'Basically, it came down to, they were asking me to wear a mask to the games and being a public figure, someone a little bit more visible, I stuck out in the crowd a little bit,' Stockton, 59, told The Spokesman Review.
The Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame point guard said the exchange between him and the university had been polite but still 'unpleasant.'
Stockton, who has been very outspoken about his negative to comply with mask and vaccine requirements, will be banned from games at least until the 2022-23 season.
Legendary former NBA player John Stockton confirmed his season tickets to attend games at his alma mater Gonzaga University were revoked due to his noncompliance to the university's indoor mask mandate. Above, Stockton, looks on during a game in November, 2021
Stockton played for Gonzaga from 1980 to 1984 and went one to become the university's most famous athlete alum
Stockton was spotted missing from his usual spot at Gonzaga's McCarthey Athletic Center in Washington State when the university's Bulldogs beat San Francisco on Thursday
In a statement, Gonzaga officials said they are committed to implementing health and safety protocols, which include an indoor mask mandate.
The statement read: 'Gonzaga University continues to work hard to implement and enforce the health and safety protocols mandated by the State and by University policy, including reinforcing the indoor masking requirement. Attendees at basketball games are required to wear face masks at all times.'
'The recent decision to suspend concessions in McCarthey Athletic Center is an example of this approach.'
Gonzaga reinstated an indoor mask mandate for indoor events in the university in August amid a surge of COVID-19 cases of the Delta variant.
Attendees 12 and older are required to either show proof that they're fully vaccinated against the virus, or a negative test taken a maximum of three days prior to attending the event.
Snacks service during the event has also been paused to decrease the chances of spectators potentially becoming infected with the virus.
The legendary point guard, whose number was retired both by the Jazz and Gonzaga in 2004, also appeared on the controversial documentary 'COVID and the Vaccine: Truth, Lies and Misconceptions Revealed'
More than 75percent of the US population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine
Stockton, who played for the Utah Jazz during his tenure from 1984 to 2003, has repeatedly made false and egregious claims about the spread of