The debate over the greatest point guard in NBA history always seems to come back to two names: Magic Johnson and Steph Curry. Magic set the standard for what a floor general looked like, using his size, vision, and flair to run the Showtime Lakers to five titles. He made everyone around him better and could control a game without ever needing to hunt his own shot. Curry, meanwhile, simply revolutionized the game.
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Curry completely flipped the position on its head. His shooting changed how teams play, how kids learn the game, and what coaches look for in a point guard. Stretching the floor will forever be traced back to the man who refused to let his size determine whether he could make an impact.
The funny thing is that both have claimed to be the best. This was not a situation where one guy showed love to the other. Magic believed he was the best because of the attention he brought to the NBA at a time when the league was less popular, and Curry simply said “yes” when asked at a press event earlier this year if he was the game’s greatest point guard. Both men have a right to sit atop the throne. So it really just depends on who you ask. Byron Scott, for instance, has his pick.
The Lakers legend turned coach was asked to weigh in on the debate during a recent interview with Brandon Johnson. Unsurprisingly, Scott decided to side with his fellow Purple and Gold teammate.
“That’s the greatest point guard of all time and I don’t care what anybody says!” Scott said about Magic. “There’s nobody that can put up stats that’s going comparable to what he’s done in this league, you know?
“Him and Larry Bird. When they first came into the NBA, the NBA was a product that wasn’t viewed very well, you know? They weren’t getting the corporate sponsorships, they weren’t getting the TV deals… games were tape delayed. You bring these two guys in the NBA and the whole league changed into where it is today, you know?”
It’s an excellent point. The game was paved by Magic’s era at a time when basketball was still finding its footing culturally. And Scott was right there by him when he was doing it. “I know his body of work and what he’s been able to do in his career. He’s the greatest point guard of all time by far to me,” stated Scott.
“Now Steph Curry is in that category when you talk about your greatest point guards and you want to make a list of [top] five he’s in that category. But when you’re talking about the greatest [point guard] of all time, it’s Magic Johnson,” he added.
Well, that’s a no-brainer. Regardless of where you have the two legendary 1s ranked, there’s a good chance they are both near each other at the top of that list.
This is one of those debates that says more about eras and personal taste than it does about right or wrong. Magic helped build the league into what it is today, while Steph took that foundation and pushed the game in a completely new direction.
One defined greatness through control, vision, and championships. The other did it through range, innovation, and constant pressure on defenses. However you rank them, the truth is the NBA has been lucky enough to witness two point guards who did not just dominate their time. They each reshaped the sport in their own way.
