Opinion: Magic Johnson or Stephen Curry – Is There Really A Winner Between The Two?

Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry are two of the most prominent NBA stars of all time. While Johnson used to dominate the court during the 80s with his breathtaking passing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Curry has found fame amongst the NBA enthusiasts of today by displaying his shooting prowess for the Golden State Warriors. But who is better? Many NBA fans and enthusiasts are doing their best to draw up a comparison between players of the current and the past generations.

While old fans are of the opinion that the NBA players of today are “soft”, the younger people argue that the players of today are the most complete and developed players that have been seen in the league’s 77-year history. Keeping the above point in mind, we shall be looking at who deserves to be called the best point guard in NBA history: Magic Johnson or Stephen Curry.

Magic Johnson’s prowess defined the 80s

Making his NBA debut in 1979, Magic Johnson emerged as the face of the iconic ‘Showtime Lakers’. Donning the purple & gold for 13 seasons before retiring in light of his HIV diagnosis, Magic established his presence from the start by becoming the first and only rookie to date to be named the Finals MVP.

The 1980 miracle was a start. With Johnson leading them, the Lakers were able to secure 4 more championship wins in the next 8 years, with Magic becoming the Finals MVP in two of them. Before the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls were able to reign supreme during the 90s, the Lakers were the talk of the town, thanks to what Magic brought to the floor.

Magic Johnson wasn’t able to devote as many years as he wanted towards his NBA. Despite this, his career average of 11.2 assists remains the highest in league history. Johnson’s legacy is one that needs to be a part of the history books for generations and generations.

Stephen Curry has broken all shooting barriers

Stephen Curry joined the Golden State Warriors as the 7 overall draft pick during the 2009 NBA Draft. It didn’t take long for him to make his mark amongst the other team members and emerge as their leader. When starting out, Curry was allegedly criticized for not only being undersized but also for possessing a lack of athleticism and poor defense capabilities. That opinion, however, started to change over the years.

It took him 6 years to win his first NBA championship. The victory propelled him and his team to work harder and deliver three more wins, with the latest one being in 2022, where Curry won his first Finals MVP award. Along with the following accomplishments, Stephen Curry has also managed to become a 9x NBA All-Star and an inspiration for the aspiring players of today.

The thing that sets the 35-year-old apart from everyone else is his shooting ability. Accumulating a total of 3,117 threes made by the end of the 2022 NBA season, Stephen Curry has shattered the previous record set by Ray Allen to emerge as the best three-point shooter of all time. With many more years to go before he retires, Curry continues to add more accomplishments to his name and build up his ultimate legacy.

Who reigns supreme?

In the author’s opinion, if he had to choose his pick among the two dominating point guards, he would go with Lakers legend Magic Johnson. The 3x MVP stood tall at 6’9. In most cases, such stature is reserved for players who play in the frontcourt. However, making use of the same in a point guard position, the Lakers star was able to get a better vantage point of the court and perform better in the process. By not considering himself as a traditional point guard, Johnson was able to bring something new to the game.

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Despite the fact that Magic Johnson was capable of playing all five positions on the court when required, it did not affect his ability to substitute one for the other. This was seen during his 1980 Finals, when a rookie Johnson substituted the role of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, leading to a historic win for the Lakers.

Other than his scoring ability, what made the Lakers star better was his passing ability. Johnson’s average of 11.2 assists per game highly surpasses that of Curry’s career average of 6.5. Many former players and analysts have voiced their own opinions on the same. Amongst the most prominent former players who have voiced their opinion on this debate is none other than Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. A few weeks ago, ESPN Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith made headlines after revealing a text message he received from His Airness at 5:54 in the morning.

Smith read the message aloud to his co-stars. It said: “Good morning, sir. Although the greatest of anything is always a debate, I beg to differ on the greatest point guard of all time, with what you said. Magic Johnson is easily the best point guard of all time. Steph Curry is very close but not in front of the Magic. You must define point guard to really have a serious debate.”

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Magic Johnson’s brilliance was something that extended far beyond the statistics. It was about the ‘magic’ he brought to the game of basketball itself. Stephen Curry is a boon that not only has been bestowed upon the Golden State Warriors but on the NBA world as a whole. However, when placing him on a pedestal alongside Magic Johnson, the scales will tip only toward one individual.

Editorial Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EssentiallySports.