Magic Johnson has been widely considered to be the greatest point guard in the history of the NBA for a long time now. However, in recent times, this title has been challenged by Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry. In many ways, Steph can make a good case for himself in the race for GOAT PG. However, in 2017, the Warriors guard was far from being considered one of the greats, and even Magic knew it. Speaking to Patrick Bet-David, the Los Angeles Lakers legend claimed Steph didn’t have the resume to make it to the top PG position and picked Isiah Thomas over him. Just six years after Magic’s remark, Curry would call himself the greatest PG ever, irking Michael Jordan.
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In 2017, Magic joined Patrick-Bet David on the stage for a live interview. Elaborating on his career in the NBA, Johnson spoke about a variety of different things. The topic of Chef Curry came up when he spoke about some of the best players in each position. Here, he insisted on picking Isiah Thomas, which surprised many. But Magic was firm with his opinion, claiming Steph still hadn’t done enough.
Magic Johnson once suggested Stephen Curry did not have the resume to be considered a top point guard
During the 2017 interview, Magic Johnson was asked by PBD to name his best players in each position. Starting off with the point guard position, Magic’s mind first went to his former rival and good friend, Isiah Thomas. This led to some groans from those who were expecting to hear Stephen Curry’s name. But the five-time NBA Champion broke it down.
He explained that Steph was nowhere near the list of top point guards of all time. At that point, Steph had only one Championship to his name. That aside, he still hadn’t accomplished close to anything of what Zeke had. So, all things considered, Magic’s argument at the time was sound.
“I would take Isiah Thomas at the one. Steph Curry got of lot of work to do sir! He’s got a lot of work to do! He doesn’t have the resume yet. He’s only got one Championship. They’re saying he’s the greatest point guard of all time…No! No! You got to have a full body of work!”
Fast forward to six years, and things are slightly different now. In that time, Steph has won three more NBA Championships and a plethora of other awards. His accomplishments have been so vast that he himself made the bold declaration that he is the greatest point guard of all time. A declaration that did not sit well with several veterans, including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. In fact, Michael Jordan would text ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith at 5:54am in the morning, letting him know about his discomfort with Steph picking himself ahead of Magic.
Shaquille O’Neal agrees with Magic about Steph not being the greatest point guard of all time
2017 wasn’t the first time Magic Johnson had dismissed claims that Stephen Curry is the greatest point guard. In fact, Magic once again broke down why exactly Steph isn’t the greatest just a few months ago.
Citing his lack of championships, MVPs, assists, steals, and more when compared to him, Magic made his case. And, several other greats agreed with him, including Shaquille O’Neal, who shared the take on his Instagram story.
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Clearly, this debate is set to go on for a long long time. To be fair to Steph, he is well on his way to becoming the greatest point guard ever. But as long as possible, there will be those who refute such an argument. Earvin Magic Johnson is the first among them.
