“Magic Johnson could average 30 points if he wanted but that wasn’t his nature”: Byron Scott dished on why Lakers legendary guard was passive on most occasions

Byron Scott dished on why Magic Johnson could very easily average 30 points a game but wouldn’t because that wasn’t in his nature. 

Magic Johnson is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time for having a stellar mix of individual accolades, skill, and overall team accomplishments. Everything from notching 10,141 assists in his career to winning 5 championships, Magic was a special talent from the get-go. 

After all, Magic Johnson did win Finals MVP as a rookie after dropping 42 points in a deciding Game 6 in Kareem’s absence by going 14-23 from the field. It was clear that Johnson was going to be the catalyst behind the ‘Showtime’ Lakers, diverting his attention to getting his teammates the best possible looks.

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However, him being passive for a majority of his career didn’t mean that Johnson couldn’t score the basketball. Merely a couple inches off from being a true 7-footer, Magic was as shifty as a 6’3 point guard, maneuvering his way through traffic in the open court and in the half-court. 

Byron Scott on Magic Johnson and his innate ability to score. 

Byron Scott shared the floor with some of the Lakers’ all time greats. He averaged 22 points a game for a season as a stellar role player alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar in the 80s. He would go on to have his final season in the NBA be with a rookie Kobe Bryant and a 5th Shaquille O’Neal.

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When asked by Dan Patrick if Johnson could score at will, Scott firmly replied by saying he could. Basketball ‘pandits’ may disagree but that would be foolish as who would know better than a man who played side-by-side with him in championship seasons.

Of course, Byron would go on to explain that taking a game over through shear scoring was not his M.O. as he was much more likely to pass the ball to a teammate who was in a better position to score. 

For what it’s worth, Magic Johnson had a solid 93 games, excluding the Playoffs, where he scored 30+ points.