Magic Johnson and LeBron James are two of the greatest players to ever grace a basketball court. Two mercurial players who defined their respective eras, Johnson and James are regarded as the two greatest passers in NBA history.
Magic was a lifelong Laker and won several NBA championships and MVPs with the franchise. Magic was able to lead the Lakers to 9 NBA Finals across his career and won 5 NBA championships for the franchise, along with 3 regular-season MVPs and 3 Finals MVPs.
As for LeBron James, he entered the league in 2003 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he spent 7 years of his career without winning an NBA title but was able to lead the Cavs to the 2007 NBA Finals. He then joined Miami, where he went to 4 consecutive NBA Finals and won 2 consecutive NBA championships.
Upon his return to Cleveland in 2014, James helped the Cavs reach 4 consecutive NBA Finals, and helped them win the 2016 NBA championships. LeBron moved to the Lakers in 2018, a move that Magic Johnson helped orchestrate and won an NBA title within his second season with the franchise in 2020.
James has been to 10 NBA Finals, tied for third-most in NBA history with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. On top of that, he has 4 NBA championships, 4 Finals MVPs, and 4 regular-season MVPs, and is still playing to this day.
James and Magic have incredible legacies as individual players, but their combined legacies are truly something to behold. Magic Johnson responded to LeBron James’ tweet with the picture of the two of them, counting down their combined legacies.
Combined we have 19 NBA Finals appearances, 9 NBA Championships, 7 League MVPs and 7 Finals MVPs…crazy! 🔥 https://t.co/4AO0qF3Dmh
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) September 20, 2021
“Combined we have 19 NBA Finals appearances, 9 NBA Championships, 7 League MVPs, and 7 Finals MVPs…crazy!”
While most fans choose to compare LeBron James to Michael Jordan, LeBron’s player profile is actually closest to Magic. Both players were incredibly big, gifted passers, and could play at any position on the court.
Magic will be rooting for LeBron James to win even more championships, as he will be the leading figure of the Los Angeles Lakers as they try to return to the championship podium at the end of the next season.
