who was better Micheal Jordan or Magic Johnson?

Question

and why? based on talent and stats

Answer 1

Dear cjb,

It's a tough comparison, because players of their pedigree would probably measure it by Championships. And unfortunately Magic having to retire early because of HIV and his injury one year during the playoffs cost him a couple of rings. Although it can be argued that MJ could have kept playing and won a couple more as well.

i think MJ is probably the best overall although i think Magic's scoring ability is down-played. When he had that incredible Game 6 against the Sixers in the NBA finals- he said before the game he was going to go back to High School days and be a scorer- Magic could have scored 30-40 a night if he wanted to... but he definitely was better at making his teammates better and he introduced a whole style of play called show-time. Jordan had the ability to carry a team. It's a tough comparison and there's merits for both sides. At the end of the day i think you can count championships and because of the circumstances one will never really know...

Nickster

Answer 2

Jordan hands down. It's no contest that Jordan was better defensively and offensively (for the most part). The only statistical advantages Magic has over MJ is in assists (3rd on the NBA career list) and triple-doubles (1st overall on the NBA career list). Everything else is all Jordan. The fact that Magic was a 6-8 point guard versus guys who were 6-8 inches shorter than was a major factor there. That's not a knock against him, since Magic had the skills, smarts, and unselfishness to play point. MJ played shooting guard and was about average height (6' 6") for the position. We don't need to mention Jordan's scoring. MJ played defense as just as hard as he played offense and was a shut down defender. Magic had trouble against quick point guards, just look at old games that get replayed on ESPN Classic or NBA TV when the Lakers played teams like the Pistons, Jazz, or Celtics. Magic would get his, but so would a team with a quick point guard. Both are among the best of the best, but MJ was the better player at the end of the day.

Answer 3

Better at what? I will take Jordan over Magic. Jordan was better offensively and defensively. Not taking anything away from Magic but he had Worthy and Kareem to throw the ball to. He had Cooper and Scott to take on the tough defensive assignments. Now, Magic did not have to carry the load offensively or defensively, he had a great offensive supporting cast, he had someone to play defense for him and he had an ugly game. No offense Magic but I am not all that impressed with him but I have to respect his stats and the way he ran his team, he is one of the greats.
I know Jordan and Magic are two different players, two different positions and styles, etc. . . Let's swap these guys, Jordan on the Lakers and Magic on the Bulls. I say the Lakers still win championships but I'm not sure about the Bulls winning with Magic Johnson. There is no question about who is better.

Answer 4

Magic is the best point guard of all time, but Jordan is the best player of all time. Magic knew how to get his teammates involved, and was able to create mismatches because not many point guards were capable of guarding him. However, what makes Michael the best of all time is that he was not only a terrific offensive player, but was just as intimidating on the defensive end. He won the Defensive Player of the Year, while earning several scoring titles and having the best career scoring average of all time. While Magic was great at creating mismatches and leaving the defenders wondering what he would do, everyone knew that Jordan was gonna either take it strong to the rim, or shake off the defender and hit a jumper; in short, he was going to score. However, even with the knowledge of knowing what he was going to do, nobody was able to contain Jordan. Also, remember that Magic had the privilege of playing with Kareem, Worthy, Cooper, etc., while Jordan had to carry a team that at first was just as bad as Kobe's Lakers. Add the fact that Magic's offensive arsenal was somewhat limited to the mid range, you can clearly see that Jordan was the better player.

Answer 5

Magic Johnson. Talent wise: Magic could play all 5 positions with extreme effectiveness. People overlook the fact that he was a great low post defender, and played really great team defense. In stats, how much more all-around can you get when talking about triple-doubles.

Answer 6

Magic Johnson is my favorite, but even I would admit that Michael had more talent and better stats.

Answer 7

i think Micheal Jordan is better cause he set alot of records during his career which still probably nobody has broken them and went past his. also he made the bulls go to playoffs which happened after he got drafted. at his time the bulls stats were really low and they did not win alot of games in their regular season. After he came they started to win games due to mike. and Magic Johnson's team is not bad it is going well unlike the bulls did.

Answer 8

MJ... He did more with less around him... How would MJ have done if he had played on the Lakers with the talent that was around Magic??? And he elevated the game of those around them... Who else could make guys like Pippen and Kukoc look as good as MJ did??? He even made Luc Longley seem moderately talented...

Answer 9

Magic Johnson.
He ACTUALLY made people around him better, and was better in 2 categories than MJ, namely rebounds and assists, whereas MJ was just the master of scoring and jack of boards and dishes.
Everyone loves Magic. He is more reachable, and humble.

Answer 10

Micheal Jordan
He has 6 rings