Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan both have their own very solid cases to be considered the greatest player of all time. The duo dominated their respective eras, Magic in the 80s and Jordan in the 90s. Both have been credited with growing the NBA’s brand across the globe exponentially with their attractive styles of play and larger-than-life personas, so it stands to reason that the two have always admired one another off the court.
The NBA celebrated the Top 75 NBA players of all time during a ceremony at All-Star Weekend in Cleveland on Sunday night. Some of the biggest names in the history of the game were present for the event, including Magic and MJ. This led to a multitude of legendary pictures being captured on the night, one of which was shared by Magic Johnson himself on Twitter.
MJ with MJ✨ pic.twitter.com/tCmvrWmzp9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 21, 2022
“MJ with MJ.”
The two seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves at All-Star weekend, mingling with other legendary players across different generations as well as their own. There was even an epic moment where MJ challenged the Lakers legend to a 1-on-1 game right there and then, something that Magic laughed off in good humor.
Magic Johnson was arguably the best player in the game when Michael Jordan entered the league and MJ had to go through him to get his first NBA title in 1991. The Bulls met the Lakers in what would be Jordan’s first-ever NBA finals and Magic’s last, beating them 4-1 to acquire the championship, a feat they would go on to repeat 5 more times in the remaining decade.
Michael Jordan had a 7-6 record over Magic Johnson across the time that their careers overlapped, and that’s fairly even. It’s not surprising then, that MJ wants to challenge one of the greats that came before him again, he does enjoy winning more than anything else. As far as fans are concerned though, seeing the two laughing and smiling together is sure to put a smile on any basketball lover’s face.
