- Magic Johnson is widely regarded as the greatest point guard of all time
- Stephen Curry has achieved greatness and changed the game, but he must achieve more
- The point guard GOAT debate is just as hot as any other topic in the NBA right now
Make no mistake: Magic Johnson’s legacy is etched in the annals of basketball history, defined by his dazzling passes, leadership, and championship rings. But Stephen Curry has recently redefined the game with his transcendent shooting ability and revolutionized the way basketball is played.
As Curry’s three-pointers rain down from beyond the arc, the question that looms large is what exactly it will take for him to ascend the throne and surpass the towering legacy of Magic Johnson.
In this article, we delve into the realms of statistics and accolades to decipher the milestones that Curry must conquer in his quest to dethrone the iconic Magic Johnson as the greatest point guard to ever grace the hardwood.
There have been many renowned analysts who have come out in support of Stephen Curry’s greatness, even proclaiming him the greatest point guard ever. Even those directly involved with Curry and his elite preparation have come to his defense, including his trainer, who made it clear that he has his reasons for why the greatest shooter ever is alone in the point guard GOAT conversation.
However, the facts are hard to argue against. When comparing Stephen Curry to Magic Johnson in a career comparison, it is obvious that Curry is very far off from challenging Johnson’s throne as things stand. In fact, it is still disrespectful to overlook the five-time NBA champion and legendary Lakers star when taking into account everything he has achieved. That is why Stephen A. Smith was blasted by Michael Jordan, the greatest player ever, about crowning anyone else except Magic as the best to have ever done it.
Luckily for Curry, a resume is never fixed, and as he is still the best point guard in the world, he has a chance to earn more accolades to close the gap and be named the GOAT of all point guards once and for all. Here are the achievements that Stephen Curry needs to win to surpass Magic Johnson and prove he is truly the best to have ever done it.
Achievements That Stephen Curry Needs To Win
Stephen Curry is receiving well-deserved praise for his incredible career that has been boosted in recent years, but he is still way off from equaling Magic Johnson in the point guard GOAT race. Despite what analysts and fans are saying, Curry needs to work on acquiring these achievements to one day surpass Magic Johnson in resume and accolades.
4 All-Star Team Selections
For Stephen Curry to edge Magic Johnson in the all-time rankings, he needs to surpass him in a few major categories. At the end of the day, total accolades mean a lot more than anything else including stats. One area that Curry must pass Magic in is total All-Star Team selections.
Obviously, Magic Johnson was robbed of more All-Star selections due to his HIV diagnosis, as he missed the 1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995 seasons dealing with the illness. Johnson did return in 1996, but he was a shell of himself and was on a retirement tour as he only started 9 games. That meant Johnson missed out on at least four more All-Star appearances, and Curry can take advantage to earn those four selections and pass the Lakers star.
So far, Curry has nine All-Star appearances and as he is 35 years old, he might be able to add four more to take his total to 13 in comparison to Johnson’s 12. That would be the first major step in getting Steph’s name to the top, but it won’t be easy. As long as Curry can shoot, which will be as long as he can run and come off screens, he will average at least 20 points per game.
If he can play four more seasons at least, with the last All-Star appearance potentially coming out of respect for his greatness, he can have a massive edge on the resume.
1 MVP Award
At the point guard spot, Magic Johnson might be the greatest regular-season performer in NBA history because three MVPs come as a result of his ability to impact the game in almost every area. The Lakers star had a career regular-season average of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game over his illustrious 13-year career. Magic also captured three MVP Awards as a result of his greatness, all three coming with the Lakers in the 1987, 1989, and 1990 seasons.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry has two MVPs, including one that was unanimous. Two MVP Awards for a point guard are incredibly impressive, and hardly anyone will dispute that the sharpshooter deserved them fully. By changing the game and kickstarting an incredible Warriors dynasty, Steph only needs at least one more MVP award on his resume to equal Magic Johnson’s total and continue closing the gap on the point guard GOAT.
Steph is 35 years old and will be 36 at some point next season, so capturing next year’s award would be a tremendous boost to his legacy. To his credit, Curry averaged 29.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.3 assists on 42.7% shooting from three this season while leading the Warriors to a 39-37 record (6th in the West).
If Stephen Curry can continue posting ridiculous numbers, he has a chance to also be in the MVP race next year and the next two seasons, at least if the Warriors get back to their title-contending ways now that Jordan Poole is out of the equation and the core of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are back. As long as Curry can continue scoring at an elite level and the Warriors get back to winning at least 57 games per season, it isn’t completely out of the question that the Golden State Warriors star will win one more MVP trophy although he will have stiff competition from the likes of Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum.
2 NBA Titles
Magic Johnson’s five championship rings stand as an enduring testament to his remarkable impact on the game of basketball. These rings are emblematic of Johnson’s unparalleled ability to orchestrate play, elevate his teammates, and lead the Los Angeles Lakers to multiple NBA titles.
Magic Johnson’s first championship ring in 1980 as a rookie marked the beginning of a Lakers dynasty and his emergence as a transformative force in basketball. He also had the greatest rookie performance ever by posting 42 points and 15 rebounds in a close-out Game 6 while starting at center for an injured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Johnson also captured four more titles in the 1980s decade, as he was the undisputed face of that era alongside Larry Bird. His second came in 1982, while the others came in 1985, 1987, and 1988. Even when he had elite stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy by his side, Johnson was the driving force of the “Showtime” Lakers and did all his work in one decade with one team.
For Stephen Curry to be ranked higher than Magic Johnson, the greatest 3-point shooter ever must capture at least six championships to have ultimate separation from the iconic Laker. Curry has four rings right now, but two more would bring a solid separation since six is clearly higher than five.
Even though Curry benefitted from playing with arguably the most talented superteam in NBA history once Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, Magic also benefitted from a host of superstar teammates as well including arguably the most accomplished center ever in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hall of Famer James Worthy among others.
Curry’s championship in the 2022 Finals was huge because he was the best player in the series by far and, therefore, captured his first Finals MVP award. Some claim Andre Iguodala changed the game in 2015 while Kevin Durant took over the Finals in 2017 and 2018, but there is no doubt Curry was the man against the Boston Celtics two seasons ago.
In a nutshell, Curry would need to win two more titles to convince the masses that he had more of an impact on great teams than Magic did. While Steph will never have the recognition that Magic got when he captured his first championship as a rookie, he could close the gap by winning one more title and proving he was always the man in Golden State.
1 Finals MVP Award
Stephen Curry needs two titles to challenge Magic Johnson in the all-time rankings, but he needs to win one more Finals MVP award to be in the conversation. The point guard only has one through four title wins, and there was no denying Andre Iguodala or Kevin Durant over the 2015, 2017, and 2018 Finals victories.
However, Curry did a fantastic job in 2022 to win Finals MVP by averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on 48.2% shooting from the field, 43.7% from three, and 85.7% from the free-throw line. These are elite numbers, and the point guard finally added the trophy he was missing on his resume.
As great as Curry was in 2022, he needs to win one more Finals MVP award to come close to Magic’s three Finals MVPs. The fact that Steph will have one more NBA title will counter the fact that he will have one fewer Finals MVP award, and who could argue against six rings and two Finals MVP awards? Curry’s two Finals MVP trophies will rank fourth all-time and on the level of greats such as Kobe Bryant.
With two Finals MVP awards, Curry’s legacy will be intact. The point guard will have the evidence of being a spectacular Finals performer on two occasions and also the face of a Golden State Warriors franchise that welcomed in other elite stars to play with him. The epitome of unselfishness, Curry would see his stock grow tremendously if he captures two more rings and one more Finals MVP award.
Stephen Curry Can Challenge Magic Johnson’s GOAT Status With 6 Championships, 2 Finals MVPs, 3 MVPs, And 13 All-Star Teams
Stephen Curry is still far from Magic Johnson’s throne as the greatest point guard ever. What Magic did during the 1980s was nothing short of remarkable, as he literally carried the NBA with only Larry Bird having a say in what happened across the league. With five NBA titles, three Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and 12 All-Star appearances, Magic Johnson was at the pinnacle of point guard greatness.
However, Curry can enter the conversation and possibly convince enough of the masses that he is indeed the best point guard ever if he can end his career with six NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and 13 All-Star appearances. While it isn’t impossible, it will be very hard for Curry to come close to those achievements.
Firstly, he is 35 years old, 35 years old, and 164 days old, to be exact. That means early into the 2023-24 NBA season, the point guard will be 36 years old. For a player who relies a ton on off-ball movement and agility, it will be very interesting to see if Curry can stay relevant on top of the NBA world at his position for at least four more years. The four-year window is critical for a multitude of reasons.
For one, it gives him enough chances to win at least two more titles to edge Magic in total championships along with at least one more Finals MVP. Next, it gives him the time to win enough games and have a spectacular season like he did in 2016 to win one more regular-season MVP. Finally, assuming Curry can at least hover around his level now for four more seasons, he can easily have 13 All-Star appearances by the time he is 39 years old and counting.
What could be frustrating is, that even if Curry can achieve those four major accolades in their respective amounts, Magic Johnson will still have his protectors who will still claim him as the greatest point guard ever. Five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers, including one in his rookie campaign is hard to argue against, especially when looking at his other achievements which include four assist titles and the highest assists per game average in NBA history.
Curry could nonetheless enter the point guard GOAT conversation with six rings, two Finals MVPs, three MVPs, and 13 All-Star appearances, but until then, there shouldn’t be any doubt who the greatest point guard ever is.
