Magic Johnson
The poster child for most basketball players today is Michael Jordan.
Whenever the next great thing comes along – like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James – he’s compared to Michael Jordan. He’s never called the next Magic Johnson or Larry Bird.
However, let me make my case on why I think Magic was better than Bird, Jordan and the rest. And as a bonus point, why I would take Bird over Jordan.
This is not aimed to disrespect Bird, Jordan or any other player. They left their marks on the game. Somehow, I still think Magic is under-appreciated historically.
Consider these points.
1. Magic could play all five positions. Bird was a better shooter. Jordan was more athletic and could “get up” unlike any other. But none of them could play all five positions like Magic did. Replacing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson put up this stat-line: 42 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists. Jordan or Bird never did that in an NBA Finals. They had “moments” and great games. But Magic’s game that night indicated he could have played all five positions if he wanted too.
2. Magic 138. Bird 59. Jordan 28. That’s how many triple-doubles each of those guys assembled during their careers. That’s more of a duck-tail item to the first bullet point. The 138 number indicates how versatile Magic was. Considering Bird played with Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, that 59 number’s pretty impressive, too.
3. Magic Johnson’s supporting cast was a little overrated. It’s tough to say any supporting cast that included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was overrated. However, that Jabbar was not “at his peak.” Other than Jabbar, only Jamaal Wilkes (2), Norm Nixon (1) and James Worthy (6) made All Star games in the Magic era. While Byron Scott and Michael Cooper were nice parts, neither were ever all stars. The knock against Magic from many is they consider his supporting cast epic. There was talent, but I think Magic “made” a few of those guys. The West was also significantly weaker than East, making it easier in theory to make the West’s All Star team.
4. Larry Bird’s supporting cast was underrated. In the many “Magic vs. Larry” debates I’ve taken part in over the years, many will contest that Magic had the better team, but Bird was the better player. Magic’s team was clearly talented, but don’t write off those Celtics teams. Robert Parish and Kevin McHale made a combined 16 appearances in the All-Star game while Bird played there. I would take Boston’s interior game over the Lakers seven days of the week. Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson and Tiny Archibald made appearances in the game. Cedric Maxwell, who averaged 20-10 and 18-9 in two early years with Bird, never made an all star game in the Bird era. Bill Walton also helped those mid-80′s teams off the bench. If those Lakers teams were the most talented ever, Boston in that era was a VERY close second.
5. Michael Jordan’s supporting cast was INCREDIBLY underrated. I’m saving Scottie Pippen for the next point, because there’s so much information on Pippen, it’s worth it. But in Jordan’s title runs, he had some other important pieces, too. Horace Grant nearly averaged a double-double multiple years for Chicago. Bill Cartwright was an all-star before he played in Chicago. B.J. Armstrong, John Paxon and other bench guys were key to those early runs. In the later runs, Chicago only had the sport’s best rebounder in Dennis Rodman, a great defensive guard in Ron Harper, a 6-10 forward in Toni Kukoc who could shoot. Steve Kerr was also a dangerous three-point shooter for those teams. Rodman had won two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, too.
6. Scottie Pippen. Pippen peaked during the years Jordan starred in Chicago. Same as McHale and Parish in Boston. Kareem was on the decline during most of Magic’s years. If a pool of the “Big 3′s” supporting cast was assembled for a draft, I would select the 1990s Pippen over anyone else, including Jabbar. Pippen averaged 22-9-6 in 1994. At the time, he was only the second NBA player in history to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals in one year. Pippen was probably the game’s best defensive player at that time (he was better than Jordan, in my opinion). When Jordan retired after the 1993 title, the Bulls only won two less regular season games and had three all stars. I’ve always wondered how Pippen would have done in his prime without Jordan. I’m not suggesting Pippen was better. However, he was very underrated by Bulls fans and those in the NBA.
7. Competitive eras. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell’s competition was limited, although Russell still deserves credit for owning Wilt. Jordan’s Bulls peaked when Bird and Magic retired. They also peaked when the Detroit Pistons under Isiah Thomas got old. Jordan came along at the right time. The 1980s was the best decade in NBA history and Magic thrived during it. Bird did too.
8. Magic, Bird got scalps. Magic’s five titles came against Philadelphia (2), Boston (2) and Detroit (1). Bird’s titles came against Houston (2) and Los Angeles (1). Boston, Philly and Detroit were easily the East’s best three teams and Magic’s Lakers took them down when each franchise was at its best – Philly in the early 1980s, Boston in the mid 1980s and Detroit in the late 1980s. Los Angeles and Houston were the West’s best. Jordan’s Bulls never beat a team in the finals with a dominant center (Shaq’s peak was 1999-2003). Regardless of seeds, I would argue Phoenix in 1993 was the only team that was the West’s best that year. Orlando with Shaq gave Chicago trouble, defeating them in ’95. To be fair, Chicago whipped Orlando in ’96, but I’d be curious to see what a more experienced Shaq and a healthy Penny Hardaway would have done to Chicago in ’97 and ’98. Magic beat the best of the best and Bird did too. However, Magic did it more with his five rings.
9. One more Scottie Pippen stat. Before Pippen was drafted, Jordan was 5-15 in the playoffs. In 1994, without a retired Jordan, the Bulls were 6-4 in the playoffs and was a controversial loss away from knocking off the New York Knicks in the semi-finals. Again, not saying Scottie was better. But he was really, really good.
10. Magic did best at making players around him better. Outside of Kareem, Magic should be credited in advancing the careers of every single Laker. His surrounding cast benefited directly from him. Their scoring averages took a hit when he wasn’t in the lineup. Although Bird deserves credit, Dennis Johnson was an all star outside of Boston and Walton was too. Regarding Jordan, Pippen was probably robbed of being a definite Top 20 player of all time, Rodman was the league’s best defender from ’88-93 and later the best rebounder. Jordan’s supporting cast of Pippen, Rodman, Cartwright and others showed they could play as well (or better) without Jordan. Worthy, Scott, Cooper weren’t the same without Magic and Kareem would only have one ring without Magic.
11. In a four-year span, Magic won a high school, college and NBA title. Jordan and Bird didn’t. Regardless of who was around him, Magic impacted his team at three different levels unlike any other player.
12. Jordan received preferred treatment from officials. This is mostly a gang up on Jordan at this point, but I think this point’s important. During his time with the Chicago Bulls (I’m eliminating the Wizards portion), Jordan averaged 8.72 free throw attempts a game. Magic took about 6.5 free throws a game. Bird averaged 5 attempts. The only advantage Jordan had over Magic and Bird came in scoring. However, if you eliminate free throw’s made per game, Jordan only outscored Bird by four points each year on average, compared to the seven in reality. His margin with Magic would still be 8 points, but not the 11-point advantage it is now.
After doing some research and considering all the points, I’d rank my Top 5 as follows:
1. Magic Johnson: See Above
2. Larry Bird: I thought he played in a tougher era than Michael and Bird brought more to the table.
3. Michael Jordan: A great, great player. I know I sound like a “hater,” as today’s youngsters would say. I just don’t think he was as good as Magic and Bird.
4. Bill Russell: The game’s ultimate winner.
5. Hakeem Olajuwon: The game’s most skilled center ever. Didn’t dominate just because he was fat or taller than anyone else in the league. A great defender and a great athlete for someone who was 7-0.
