During his playing career, Magic Johnson faced some of the greatest point guards in NBA history, and he is often considered as the finest in the sport. Who, though, is the best player Magic has ever faced? You may or may not be surprised by the response.
The two most significant NBA players ever
When it came to player recognition and popularity, the NBA in the 1980s set a new standard. All of it was made possible by the NBA’s unexpected emergence of several stars and fantastic super teams. Although many would refer to it as the NBA basketball “golden era,” everyone was aware of who the two sheriffs were. All that mattered was Magic and Larry.
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry was reignited because the two most significant players of that era of basketball represented the league as a whole. Despite being bitter competitors, the two superstars who entered the league in 1979 would go on to win eight titles and six MVPs between them while also developing a fraternity.
The Lakers-Celtics rivalry was reignited because the two most significant players of that era of basketball represented the league as a whole. Despite being bitter competitors, the two superstars who entered the league in 1979 would go on to win eight titles and six MVPs between them while also developing a fraternity.
It all began in the 1979 NBA Championship Game, where Magic won, and it went on for more than ten years on the biggest platform in the league. Magic won occasionally, and Bird won other times. Nevertheless, they were both acknowledged as some of the greatest NBA players ever.
Magic had the opportunity to play with players like Kareem and Worthy as well as against superstars like Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, and many more, but he only thinks of one as the greatest, and that is his buddy and longtime opponent Larry Bird:
“We entered the game at the same moment, and our only concern was winning—we didn’t care how many points we scored. We both enjoyed the big occasion and striving for excellence, and we had a flair for improving our teammates. In high-pressure situations, Larry Bird remains the best opponent I’ve ever faced. He had an incredibly strong passion to win and was extremely intelligent. We grew up together, in a sense. He ends up in Boston, which the Lakers despise, and I wind up in Los Angeles. From then on, it was all business. It stood up to all the expectations and had fantastic drama and games.”
Because of his relationship with Larry, Magic might be biased, but it’s difficult not to believe him. It wasn’t simple to take on Bird during his college years and heyday, which is why Johnson holds him in such high regard. However, Larry would likely treat Magic with the same deference if you posed the same question to him.
Given his GOAT status, Michael Jordan may have been the obvious choice, but the competition between MJ and the originals isn’t quite the same because MJ rose to prominence at the same time as Magic and Larry started to decline.
