Comparing players is nothing new in the NBA community. It is the most common way fans and analysts alike contextualize what they want to say about an athlete. Unfortunately for him, LeBron James has been the biggest victim of the fans’ habits. The man has been compared to Michael Jordan even before he was drafted into the NBA, something that has haunted him, no matter how much he achieves. Recently, he was compared to 5-time NBA Champion, Magic Johnson by John Salley, a former teammate of Jordan. But, while his statement started as a compliment, it soon turned into a sneaky shot at the Lakers star.
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James and Jordan have been locked in the GOAT debate for some time now. However, it was only after James won his 4th ring that the debate became a serious one. Since then, the already ruthless debates within the NBA community only became more visceral.
LeBron weighs in on the GOAT debate 👑 pic.twitter.com/yxIFoNsUB8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 7, 2023
LeBron has also claimed that, in his eyes, he became the greatest basketball player of all time after his famous 2016 Finals win with the Cavaliers. As one might expect, it only added to the fire of the debate.
John Salley speaks on Magic Johnson being an amalgamation of Michael Jordan and LeBron James
In terms of his game, many have compared LeBron James to Magic Johnson in the past. The similarities are there to behold, whether it is stature, fluidity, or passing vision. And so, there haven’t been many disagreements to this claim.
However, former Bulls man, John Salley believes that this argument isn’t completely right. Instead, he believes that the 5-time champion is different from James in one key category. Here is what he said on the matter, as per Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson.
“Yeah, definitely. He is Magic Johnson but Magic Johnson also had the Michael Jordan killer aspect. So, Magic is like a mixture of both.”
LeBron James’ game resembles more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan shares John Salley.
Full quote:
“Yeah, definitely. He is Magic Johnson but Magic Johnson also had the Michael Jordan killer aspect. So, Magic is like a mixture of both.” pic.twitter.com/o4JWdmj5Kb
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) July 23, 2023
In Salley’s eyes, the key difference between Magic Johnson, and LeBron James, is that the former had a killer instinct. Admittedly, the argument that James lacks a killer instinct might be an ignorant one. After all, it is impossible to become a serial winner in the most skilled era of the NBA yet, if you don’t possess a killer instinct and a winning mentality.
Gilbert Arenas once had a far more common take on James
During the prime of his career, Magic Johnson was primarily a facilitator who could also get his bucket when needed. On the other hand, while Michael Jordan could facilitate for others when required, he was primarily a scorer.
Keeping these in mind, Gilbert Arenas once spoke about how LeBron James is a blend of the two. Arenas said James had the ability to be both players, as per the situation, and how the NBA community wants to give him alternating titles when he does. Here is what he said.
“LeBron was considered Magic Johnson first,” Arenas said. “He’s Magic with Jordan-like ability. So if you ask the question, what’s his gift? Magic mentally, Jordan jumping ability. So when he comes down, and he has this game-winner, and he sees a 3-point shooter open, that’s the Magic. When he averaged 37 points, we want to give him the Jordan title.”
Admittedly, this seems to be the most logical take on the Lakers star. While he may not be the greatest ever, he has shown the ability to emulate these two according to what is needed.
