- Former NBA player Richard Jefferson explains why Magic Johnson is a better point guard than Stephen Curry
- Jefferson says the gap between Steph and Magic is more than the gap between Kobe and Jordan
- RJ praised Johnson for scoring more than 40 points in a game during the NBA Finals in his rookie season
Who is the greatest point guard of all time? For decades, Magic Johnson was the undisputed GOAT point guard in the eyes of most NBA fans. However, over the years, Stephen Curry has slowly entered that conversation.
Former NBA player Richard Jefferson was asked if Magic Johnson still deserves that title over Stephen Curry. Jefferson gave a detailed answer in a recent episode of the Road Trippin’ podcast.
“The gap between him [Stephen Curry] and Magic is further than the gap between Kobe and Jordan,” Jefferson claimed. “The gap between like from the point guard spot, between Steph and Magic is greater than that.”
“Steph’s career did not start when Mark Jackson and him showed up and he broke the three-point record, I want to say, his fourth year,” RJ continued. “There were three years before that. And Steph also didn’t show up with Kareem and Norm Nixon. Steph didn’t have that.”
“But the fact Magic Johnson was a bad enough man to show up and be the best player on a Championship team as a rookie and put up 40 points? Bro, people can’t do that in their prime. He was just getting started,” he concluded.
Richard Jefferson weighs in on the Steph vs. Magic 🐐 point guard debate: “The fact that Magic Johnson was a bad enough man to show up and be the best player on a championship team as a rookie and put up 40 points… Bro people can’t do that in their prime…” 👀 pic.twitter.com/XV2BVsabVs
— Road Trippin’🎧 (@RoadTrippinPod) August 31, 2023
As Jefferson pointed out, Johnson was a phenomenal player since Day 1 in the league. Moreover, his memorable 42-point performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the first NBA title of their Showtime era.
Magic averaged 21.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game against the 76ers. He became the first and only rookie to ever win the NBA Finals MVP award. Johnson was just 20 years, 276 old when he won the 1980 NBA Finals MVP.
Stephen Curry Boldly Claims He Is The GOAT Point Guard Over Magic Johnson
Stephen Curry has been one of the best players in the NBA over the last decade or so. Following his 2022 NBA Championship triumph over the Boston Celtics, Curry has rightfully earned a spot on the table of the greatest point guards of all time.
But is he the best of them all? Well, Stephen Curry recently hailed him as the GOAT point guard, even ahead of Magic Johnson.
“I really feel like Magic’s resume is bigger,” Curry said. “The fact that we’re even having that conversation, it’s a place I never thought I’d be in.”
He added: “That’s why we have the conversations. That’s why people watch. If you put me on my own team, I’m going to rep myself, for sure.”
There’s no doubt that Curry has a stacked resume, but he still needs several accolades to surpass Magic as the greatest point guard of all time.
Stephen Curry’s huge claim apparently led to Michael Jordan’s intervention as he made the case for his former rival, Magic Johnson.
Can Stephen Curry Become The Greatest Point Guard Of All Time?
A quick look at the career comparison between Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson shows that the former is still behind the latter.
Curry is a 4x NBA champion, 1x NBA Finals MVP, 2x NBA MVP, 1x Western Conference Finals MVP, 9x All-NBA, 9x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Scoring Champion, and 1x NBA Steals Champion.
On the other hand, Johnson was a 5x NBA Champion, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 3x NBA MVP, 10x All-NBA, 12x NBA All-Star, 2x NBA Steals Champion, and 3x NBA Assists Champion.
Curry is roughly a Hall of Fame career away from reaching Johnson’s status. Considering he’s already 35 years old, his window for surpassing Johnson is closing fast.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
