Question: Who is perhaps the only player in NBA history arguably better than the great Michael Jordan?

Answer: Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Magic Johnson played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the franchise’s glory years from 1979 to 1991. During that span, Johnson helped the Lakers win five NBA Titles: 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988. He was also a 12-time NBA All-Star, a three-time Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987) and a three-time league M.V.P. (1987, 1989, 1990).

Magic Johnson is often referred to as the prototype big point guard and was the only player in NBA history that could play all five positions effectively. Given his size, speed and athleticism, he not only could play all five positions, but dominate as well.

Johnson’s forte on the court was the fast break, where he excelled at getting the ball out of his hands and to his teammates for scoring opportunities. If his teammates were slowed up in transition, Johnson was outstanding at positioning himself under the basket for in-the-paint points.

Magic Johnson’s greatest effort came when he was just a rookie. At age 20, his Los Angeles Lakers took on Dr. J’s Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went down with an injury in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson took over, scoring 42 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, as well as finishing with seven assists and three steals. It might have been the best individual Finals performance of all time.

Along with his many career achievements, Magic Johnson was also a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, was nominated to the 1980 NBA All-Rookie Team and was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Johnson was also a nine-time All-NBA First Teamer and was a Second Team All-NBA Player in 1982.

The legend Johnson finished with 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds and 10,141 assists in his career. If it weren’t for him being tested positive for the HIV virus during the 1991-1992 NBA Season, Johnson might have continued to add to his unbelievable career.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 7:40 pm and is filed under Basketball, General, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.