This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
He saw his childhood idol standing there, so Raul Neto did exactly what you would would have wanted to do: He asked for a photo.
And, naturally, John Stockton was happy to assist another Utah Jazz point guard.
"That was one dream I had," Neto said with a smile, recalling that encounter with the basketball legend at a Utah football game earlier this year, "and now it's true."
For Neto, the Jazz rookie who is playing Stockton's old position in an arena guarded by a statue of the Hall of Famer, each day in the NBA has been another part of that dream come true.
"I think every moment is special for me," he said.
The 6-foot-1 Neto is quiet, unassuming and inconspicuous. Thousands of fans cheer when his name is called as Utah's starting point guard, but he can go unnoticed when he's out around town.
His role once the ball is up in the air can go unnoticed at times, too. Through 10 games, Neto is averaging 17 minutes per game — fewer than backup point guard Trey Burke — and averaging a modest 3.4 points and 2.4 assists.
That suits the Jazz and coach Quin Snyder fine for now.
"I think he's handled it great," Snyder said. "If you look at a lot of international players, and particularly the guards, there's an adjustment period. I think he's way ahead of that."
"I'm really happy with the job he's done so far," Snyder added.
When he first heard of Neto nearly a decade ago, former BYU sharpshooter Jonathan Tavernari asked his mother for a scouting report. Thelma Tavernari is a coaching legend among Brazil's basketball youth and she came back with high praise.
"She told me he was [the son of a coach and former player] and he was so little but played so smart, that if he grew enough he'd make it to the NBA," Tavernari said.
The former Cougar standout, who would go on to team up with Neto on the Brazilian national team, has been pleased — but not surprised — by his rise through Brazilian basketball, Spain's top league and now the NBA.
"He's very poised; under control. A silent assassin," Tavernari said. "Don't get it twisted, he'll foul the heck out of you if he's annoyed. Reminds me a ton of Stockton."
Don't get that twisted either, he's a long way from Stockton yet.
Neto has a chance to be a good defender, but has struggled with more established point guards. Still, the Jazz's defense has been better with him on the court than off it. And after a poor shooting season last year in Spain, Neto has been able to knock down open shots with a little more consistency in the NBA.
His work ethic and progress early on give the Jazz hope of more to come.
"When I first got here, I didn't really feel comfortable," Neto acknowledged. "In the first practice in open gym, it was too hard for me."
His new teammates were too big and fast.
"He couldn't score a basket," center Rudy Gobert said.
Maybe think of that the next time Neto drives to the hoop now and throws a behind-the-back pass to a teammate for a dunk.
Neto, nicknamed 'Raulzinho' in Brazil, might be notching assists on a soccer pitch if circumstances had been different. By his own account, he was a good midfielder as a kid. He played the game until he was 13 and, at one point, quit basketball for six months to focus on a citywide tournament with his friends.
"But I saw all my brothers going to the basketball court," Neto said, and the draw to the family business was too strong to ignore.
Neto's father, Raul Togni Filho, played basketball professionally in Brazil. He could shoot. He could pass. He could defend.
"He was a smart point guard," Neto said. "An American on his team called him his John Stockton."
So the Jazz legend would become a father's favorite player and a model to help shape a son's game. Now a coach in Brazil, Neto's father still makes sure to phone his son with advice after every game.
"He just got the League Pass so he's watching every game 2-3 times," Neto said. "He always has something to say. Sometimes he says you gotta go harder, you gotta make more decisions. Always he has something to say about the last game."
Twitter: @tribjazz —
Jazz vs. Raptors
At Vivint Arena
Tipoff • Wednesday, 7 p.m.
TV • ROOT Sports
Radio • 1280 AM, 97.5 FM
About the Jazz • Have played the fewest home games of any team in the NBA this year. This will be their third. … Sitting at 5-5 after losing three games on their most recent road trip. … Forward Derrick Favors has impressed early, averaging 15.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
About the Raptors • Could be dealing with tired legs after playing at the Golden State Warriors late Tuesday night. … DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are a tough one-two punch, combining to average more than 40 points per game. … Former Jazzman DeMarre Carroll is averaging better than 12 points and 4 rebounds per game for his new team. … Former Runnin' Ute star Delon Wright was Toronto's first-round draft pick in June and has appeared in four games.