Recently, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry created a minor stir when he said that he, not Magic Johnson, is the greatest point guard in NBA history. Curry has a very impressive resume that includes four world championships, two regular-season and finals MVPs and two scoring titles, but many believe Johnson had a greater career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson’s teammate on those legendary Los Angeles Lakers teams of the 1980s, added some food for thought when he said neither Curry nor Johnson was the greatest point guard ever. Abdul-Jabbar believes Oscar Robertson is the greatest
Johnson was asked about Curry’s opinion on the debate, and Johnson said, respectfully and with tact, that Curry isn’t the greatest to play the position (h/t Lakers Daily).
Who is the greatest point guard of all-time, @MagicJohnson or @StephenCurry30?
Magic emphatically makes the case as to why it's still him‼️
You can hear the entire conversation today on @CBSSportsRadio's The Zach Gelb Show at 6:00 PM Eastern/3 PM Pacific. pic.twitter.com/Vemgoxt4rT
— Zach Gelb (@ZachGelb) September 27, 2023
“Well, does the numbers say that, Zach?” Johnson said when asked if Curry has surpassed him as the best point guard ever. “So if he got more than five championships, if he got more than three Finals MVP and three league MVPs, then he’s the greatest. If he got more than No. 1 in assists all time in the Finals, No. 2 in double-doubles, No. 1 in triple-doubles all time in the NBA Playoffs, No. 4 in steals all time in the playoffs, if he got more than those numbers, he’s the best.”
Just about every Lakers fan can rattle off Johnson’s accomplishments from memory. But what made him special even beyond his resume is the impact he had on the franchise. When he arrived in 1979, the Lakers were a bridesmaid franchise that was used to reaching the NBA Finals, only to lose. The team won the world championship in Johnson’s rookie season, and before it knew it, it had earned five rings in his first nine years.
That era, known as Showtime, made the Lakers into the gold standard of basketball greatness.
The NBA as a whole was also in trouble at the start of the 1980s, both financially and in terms of reputation. But Johnson, along with his arch-rival Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics, made the league into must-see television by mid-decade. The battles the two had in three memorable NBA Finals in the mid-1980s played a large role in that turnaround.
While Curry and his Warriors have had a positive impact on the league’s predominant style of play, it pales in comparison to what Johnson did to save the league in the first place.