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Stephen Curry vs. Magic Johnson: Comparing Two Best Point Guards in NBA History
Edwin Kiplagat
updated at May 2, 2023 at 10:05 AM
- The debate of the best NBA point guard between Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson has been raging since Curry’s 50-point game on Sunday
- The Golden State Warriors superstar led his team to Round 2 of the NBA playoffs with an epic Game 7 performance vs. the Sacramento Kings
- Magic Johnson dominated the NBA in the 1980s with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Curry has been a top player in the last few seasons
The Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James tussle has been the longest-running debate in the NBA for the last few years. The two stars are considered the best NBA stars of all time.
However, the Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson debate has been gathering pace in the last few seasons. Many fans believe that Curry is arguably the best point guard in NBA history, a title Magic Johnson has held for the last three decades. So, what do their stats and accolades say?
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On Sunday, 30th April 2023, Curry scored an NBA record 50 points in Game 7 of the Golden State Warriors Round 1 game against the Sacramento Kings. He now has the most points in a Game 7 in NBA history.
The performance was almost like his crowning achievement as he heads into the twilight of his hugely successful career.
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Meanwhile, Johnson was one of the stars of the NBA in the 1980s. He won plenty of individual and team awards with the Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, he’s been regarded as the best point guard in league history.
Curry has been earning admirers in recent seasons. He has led the Warriors to four NBA titles in eight seasons which has garnered him plenty of individual awards. But how do their CVs stack up? Has Curry surpassed the Great Magic Johnson?
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Here's how they compare per Sporting News.
Curry vs. Johnson regular season comparison
Curry is the greatest shooter the NBA has ever seen. He transformed the way basketball is played. In December 2021, Curry surpassed Hall of Famer Ray Allen for the most three-pointers in NBA history, per NBC Sports.
Curry’s ability lies in his elite movement off the ball, shooting, and finishing at the rim.
Johnson’s size (6’9) made him a better rebounder. He was also a great passer of the ball, which gave him plenty of assists. He has the third most triple-doubles (138) in NBA history behind Russell Westbrook (198) and Oscar Robertson (198), per Bleacher Report.
Regular season stats
Magic Johnson | Per game | Stephen Curry |
19.5 (17, 707 points) | Points | 24.6 (21,712 points) |
7.2 | Rebounds | 4.7 |
11.2 | Assists | 6.5 |
1.9 | Steals | 1.6 |
0.4 | Blocks | 0.2 |
3.9 | Turnovers | 3.1 |
36.7 | Minutes | 34.4 |
52.0 | FG% | 47.5 |
30.3 | 3PT% | 42.8 |
84.8 | FT% | 90.9 |
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Playoffs stats
Johnson and Curry are reliable performers in the postseason. Curry has a higher point-per-game number compared to Johnson. The Lakers icon has better rebounding and assists numbers.
Magic Johnson | Per game | Stephen Curry |
19.5 | Points | 26.8 |
7.7 | Rebounds | 5.3 |
12.3 | Assists | 6.2 |
1.9 | Steals | 1.5 |
0.3 | Blocks | 0.3 |
3.7 | Turnovers | 3.4 |
39.7 | Minutes | 37.4 |
50.6 | FG% | 45.3 |
24.1 | 3PT% | 39.9 |
83.8 | FT% | 89.1 |
Curry vs. Johnson accolades
The reason Johnson and Curry are the top two point guards of all time is because of their accolades, both individual and team. Both have won multiple NBA championships and regular season MVPs.
Magic Johnson | Awards/Accolades | Stephen Curry |
5 | NBA Titles | 4 |
3 | MVPs | 2 |
3 | NBA Finals MVPs | 1 |
10 | All-NBA | 8 |
12 | All-Star | 9 |
0 | Scoring titles | 2 |
4 | Assists title | 0 |
2 | Steals title | 1 |
The two basketball icons had a great supporting cast behind them. Curry has played all his 14 NBA seasons with the Warriors. His backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, is one of the best shooters of all time. Draymond Green is a defensive juggernaut. For a few years, he had Kevin Durant, one of the best scorers the league has ever seen, per Fox Sports.
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Johnson played alongside Kareem Abdukl-Jabbar, a top-three player of all time. He also had James Worthy.
Many analysts have already called Curry the best point guard of all time after his performance versus the Kings. If he leads the Warriors to another NBA title, the debate will be taken to new heights.
Curry's top playoff performances
Sports Brief earlier reported on Curry's best playoff performances after dropping 50 in Game 7 against the Kings.
Curry's last great playoff performance was Game 4 against the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. He scored 43 to stop the Celtics from taking a 3-1 lead.
He also dropped 47 in Game 3 of the 2019 NBA Finals but fell short against the Toronto Raptors.
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