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Lv 7
? asked in SportsBasketball · 1 decade ago

Basketball players Elite TC question Jordan vs Magic?

Based on the information provided below give me your honest opinion. This is very simple really just be honest as you can with no bias answers. This is a link to the information on this page.....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/66751-nbas-top-...

Earvin Johnson, "Magic"

Magic Johnson is the greatest basketball player of all time. He is far and away the best team player ever, and he was one of the biggest winners in the history of the league.

During his career, he led the Lakers to nine Finals appearances in the toughest era of all time—the '80s—while winning five of them. His career averages are 19.5 points, 11.2 assists, 7.2 rebounds, and two steals per game. He also shot a tremendous 52 percent from the field, and a very good 85 percent from the free-throw line.

He was selected to 12 All-Star teams, and he made the All-NBA team nine times, all first-team selections. He won three consecutive MVPs, and three total Finals MVPs. He also won two All-Star game MVPs. He ranks third all-time in total assists, and first all-time in assists per game.

Magic also had the greatest postseason performance of all-time in Game Six of the 1980 Finals against the Sixers.

The Lakers were up 3-2, and Kareem was injured and couldn't play, so Magic started at center, and also played forward and guard. Magic scored 42 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had six assists to lead the Lakers over Doctor J and the Sixers and win the Lakers' first championship since their legendary 1971-72 team.

Michael Jordan

Jordan is one of the three greatest players of all time. In his 15-year career, he averaged 30.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists along with 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks. He also shot a tremendous 49.7 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line.

He was selected to the All-Star team 13 times, winning three All-Star game MVPs. He was also one of the greatest defensive players of the all time as he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987-1988.

He was selected to the All NBA Defensive team nine times, with all of them being first team selections, and to the All NBA team 10 times, with nine of them being first team selections.

He led the Bulls to two different sets of three-peats in the 1990s, winning six Finals MVP Awards. He is also second all time in MVP Awards with five, behind only Kareem, who has six.

12 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I don't see anything wrong with Magic being considered G.O.A.T.

    I mean he accomplished just as much as Jordan, Kareem, Bird, etc. He just had a different style.

    There are a handful of players you could argue are the greatest ever, there's no clear cut G.O.A.T, IMO.

    Nice read, thanks.

  • 5 years ago

    Dont get me wrong Wilt was a GREAT player. Probably the best Center ever. But they come from different eras. MJ was with a lot of talent in his position and Wilt was physically way ahead of everyone even though he had some competition. He was more dominant but Jordan was a small guard and could get his shot off against anyone, could obviously play defense, and pass pretty well. He could score in every which way. When deciding a great player you gotta go far beyond stats. MJ is a legend and will not and can not be surpassed in my opinion. Also it is very debateable to say Jordan had the ball more. Part of the reason wilt had that 50 ppg year was because his teamates just let him ISO in the post every time down the floor. Jordan was a good play maker. I think Jordan was a great perimeter defender, but Wilt was obviously better in the paint.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Correction: MJ wasn't one of the greatest, he is the greatest. Who says so? Every analyst, Magic, Kobe, Shaq I mean people who have had watch the NBA for decades like me knows that nobody is like mike. Wilt and Bill play in a era where there was not more than 14 and 20 teams respectively where everbody was short compare to them and they runned every posesion to then.

    Jordan numbers before he cameback with the wizards are far more impressive. He averaged over 32 points per game and shot over 50% compared to wilt 30.1 even though of his size advantage. No player has ever been as complete offensively and defensively in the league. Comparing Shaq and Jordan in the same sentence has to be a joke. Kobe needs to win champioshimps with this team since is so talented. Another thing, nobody could shut down mike. Not the great celtics team, not the bad boys or the lakers.

    I am sorry people but like or not MJ was the greatest.......and Magic is the second greatest, but this one you can debate it with very few players/

  • 1 decade ago

    I don't really like debates about the greatest of all time, because the players are different, played in different eras, played with different teammates, played with different coaches, organizations etc.

    You could make a case for Wilt, Russell, Kobe, MJ, Shaq, Magic and many more.

    Also how do you judge the greatest. By number of MVP's? Championships? Stats?

    i think all the players who could seriously be considered as the greatest should all be recognized as greats, instead of endless debates over who was better.

    Personally I preferred MJ's style of play, but I can still appreciate the amazing play of Magic.

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  • 1 decade ago

    While I have always maintained that Magic, Jordan, Bird, Jabbar, Big O, Bill Russell and Wilt have their merits for the GOAT claim, I just have this itch of saying Jordan was a little better than Magic in this case.

    You must remember that Magic played with Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and he needed no improving, also had James Worthy from 1982 onwards, the best acquisition for any teams... Had a variation of dedicated great players namely Bob McAdoo, Michael Cooper, Byron Scott and Jamaal Wilkes.

    All winners in the 80's are teams with full package of players... Philly had the combination of Moses Malone, Dr. J, Mo Cheeks and Andrew Toney. Boston had Bird, McHale, Parish, Archibald, Johnson, also had Pistol Pete and Dave Cowens on the first part of their campign. There is also the Bad Boys Pistons of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars and their cast of henchmen... From the you-love-to-hate players like Bill Laimbeer, John Salley, Dennis Rodman, Rick Mahorn, Darryl Dawkins and the always hot on big games Vinny "the Microwave" Johnson.

    Jordan started out with forgettable names in Chicago. Jordan came to a Bulls team that was already rebuilding and actually missed the play-offs 3 straight season prior to Jordan's arrival. Jordan was the cornerstone of the Bulls franchise and from him the Bulls built their team. The fact that in 1991 the Bulls knocked off the Pistons, who were still at their peak, and bumped off the Lakers in the Finals is testament enough of how great Jordan was. You also have to consider that Pippen was nowhere near the great player he was in 1994. Another testament of how great Jordan was is the fact that while averaging 30 points per game in the Finals, Jordan also dished out 11 assists per game in that series is testament enough because no other player has done that in the big stage. Jordan averaged 31.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.35 blocks and had 2.35 steals.

    It's hard comparing this players for how great they are but the numbers don't lie... The fact that Jordan has one against Magic and Magic saying "There was Michael then the rest of us" proves he has high respect for "His Airness".

    Hope this helps.

  • MC™
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    Magic did manage to get the whole team together and play with great energy, he is the most important player for the showtime Lakers. But with all that said Jordan's basketball skills are unmatched, even though Magic is a very versatile player, Jordan's athleticism and fundamentals are by far the best combination of any player that I have even seen. Honestly it's very hard to compare them because they bring very different things for their team, but in the skills department Jordan is definitely the better player.

    Source(s): MC
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    well i think they both skillfully different magic was a 6-9 point guard, mjs a shooting guard, but the thing is when MJ got to the finals he won them all he didnt choke in 3 or 4 of them so maybe thats the difference but yeah i wouldconsider magic as one of the G.O.A.T, but hes definately the greatest laker of all time no doubt,

  • Anonymous
    7 years ago

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    magic got shut down by pippen

    nuff said

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Elitist.

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