With his dominance in the 2010s, Stephen Curry spearheaded his name into the best point guard of all time conversations. However, before Chef Curry took over with his long-range bombs and off-ball movement, another young and shifty guard held the unanimous #2 behind Magic Johnson; Isiah Thomas.
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The two-time NBA champion was asked “Who’s the best passer of all time?” on his X account. Zeke has previously confirmed that “when it comes to number one, that’s Magic Johnson.” But this time, he responded to the fan’s question with nuance and evidence.
Thomas reaffirmed that Magic “is the best passer ever because of his height, creativity, and imagination. He invented the no-look pass, I invented the bounce pass lob for smaller players. #creativity #imagination When you introduce the never-been-done unthinkable that’s the differentiator.“
Dani, @MagicJohnson is the best passer ever because of his height, creativity, and imagination. He invented the no-look pass, I invented the bounce pass lob for smaller players. #creativity #imagination When you introduce the never-been-done unthinkable that's the differentiator https://t.co/a3dunkmm6h
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) September 6, 2024
Thomas described innovation and creativity as the key differentiators between a good point guard and a great one. And he believes his iconic bounce passes cement his legacy in that regard. Zeke doubled down and shared a clip where those passes were on full display. He captioned it, “Well, it’s safe to say no one was doing this,” with some laughing emojis.
https://twitter.com/IsiahThomas/status/1832177611671216395?t=Zy4Zawr7Yq9gIHeLb7OpfA&s=19
After crediting Magic for inventing the no-look, a fan humbly interjected, recalling how Pete Maravich was pulling off no-looks a whole decade before Johnson. Zeke gave props where they were due and shouted out Pistol Pete along the way.
“Respectfully you may be correct on this one good catch.”
Respectfully you may be correct on this one good catch https://t.co/A6Tgmzj4Uf
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) September 6, 2024
However, we know how misleading highlights can be. If they were the only proof we had for a player’s greatness, Mason Plumlee would be a top 5 center in the league. So, to better understand this conversation about great point guards, let’s look into the statistics.
Through his 979 regular season games, Zeke dropped 9,061 assists, best for 10th on the all-time assists list. Johnson, through 906 games played, created 10,141 assists, best for 7th all-time. In the playoffs, Magic outpaces everybody, sitting at #1 with 2,346 assists. Thomas, who played, 79 fewer postseason games, is at #15 with 987.
Clearly, the numbers support Zeke’s claim that Magic is the undisputed greatest point guard ever. But that doesn’t diminish the value Thomas created for his franchise. Across 13 seasons, he was an All-Star 12 times, leading the Pistons to several deep playoff runs from 1987 to 1991. These include Motor City’s back-to-back championships in ’89 and ’90.
The 1989 title was particularly sweet as Thomas and the Pistons got a rematch against the Lakers, who beat them in 7 games during the previous NBA Finals. Where Johnson led in numbers, Thomas had one clear edge in his favor. He swept Magic and the Lakers, becoming only the second team to dispatch the 6’9 point guard in 4 games.
With his height, Magic Johnson was an elite floor runner because he could always see over the top of the defense and make tight passing windows. Eight inches shorter, Isiah Thomas, relied on keeping his dribble alive to create advantages for his teammates and inarguably provided a stronger defensive presence than Johnson.
As Zeke put it, “it’s a matter of taste, and I’m just happy as a small guy to be in the conversation.” With that in mind, who are your top 3 point guards of all time?
