With a name like Magic Johnson, expectations can become overwhelming. Perhaps the true wizardry was that the Los Angeles Lakers icon lived up to the billing and more.
Johnson was a five-time NBA champion, a three-time MVP and is arguably the greatest point guard to ever grace the game. Only a small handful of players could play alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and outplay the greatest scorer in NBA history, and Magic did exactly that while displaying alien vision and passing to pair with his magnetic charisma and infectious energy.
Magic was undoubtedly a generational talent - most people knew as much when he led Michigan State to the NCAA Championship title in 1979 - but it was his ideal physical frame that stood out. Johnson had a height of 6’9”, which was an unheard of size for a point guard known for flying around the court throwing no-look passes at will.
Labelling Magic as ‘revolutionary’ doesn’t feel like enough of a testament to his greatness as for fans in the 1980s, watching Johnson felt more like an experience rather than a simple game of basketball. He left onlookers with an ineffaceable memory of what they had just witnessed: one of the all-time greats who left a permanent mark on a league during his 13-year NBA career which was tragically cut short by HIV, winning and accomplishing almost everything possible.
Johnson was a 12-time All-Star, nine-time member of the All-NBA First Team, and he claimed gold at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona with the iconic Dream Team. His all-round play even inspired the term ‘triple-double’ which has risen to prominence in the modern era, although Oscar Robertson was truly the pioneer in posting such balanced statistics.
Regardless, ever since Magic burst onto the scene, scouts are looking to find the next iteration of this talent. It’s a daunting task given his unique archetype: a big skilled ball-handler with elite passing and shooting who can orchestrate success seemingly at will.
Magic was won of the first ‘point-forward’ players that is still a relevant trend in the NBA. Players like Scottie Pippen, who assisted Michael Jordan in leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s, were among multiple generations of ball-handling wings who have taken inspiration from Johnson.
The trend continues today, with players able to storm from coast-to-coast armed with scoring and playmaking skills. Giannis Antetokounmpo and LaMelo Ball are two examples to rise to prominence recently, and while LeBron James is compared to Michael Jordan, the King’s game is far more similar to Johnson.
James is as versatile as they come; a gifted passer who is on pace to beat Johnson’s all-time assists while chasing Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time scoring record. He is one of the very best and another core member of the unique players suited to position-less basketball, much like Magic.
They both encapsulate a five-position threat who thrive as primary creators as well as chief scorers if necessary. Their rare combination of physicality and athleticism allowed the pair to dominate, and Pat Riley - one of the few figures to work with both legends - believes James is most similar to Johnson, who he considers to be the greatest basketball player in history.
“LeBron is the closest thing to [Johnson] that we’ve ever seen because of his size, his speed, his acceleration, his vision—everything that he can do,” Riley said. “[James] just had more pressure on him to have to score all the time. [Johnson] could’ve scored 30 points a game if he wanted to.
“LeBron is a winner. But the way that LeBron plays the game now — coast to coast, handles the ball, runs the offence — it’s just like Earvin. I mean, same mould. Same DNA. They’re winners.”
Even outside of James, you don’t need to look hard to see Magic’s influence on today’s game. The inaugural Western Conference Finals MVP - the Magic Johnson MVP - was awarded to Steph Curry after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Dallas Mavericks to advance to the NBA Finals.
In fact, Curry’s opposite number is perhaps the example to look to when considering a modern version of Johnson.
Luka Doncic grew up idolising James, which makes sense given his style is similar to the Lakers star - but the Johnson comparison is a natural one. The Slovenian pairs mesmerising skills, deadly shooting and elite playmaking with a welcome physicality thanks to his size.
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ESPN’s Jay Williams suggested there was “a bit of Magic Johnson ‘Showtime’” in Doncic, who makes his teammates better and can score at will by attacking from the perimeter or driving to the rim. Williams added: “When you're watching him play, it doesn't feel like you're watching a game. It feels like you're watching an event.”
It’s a necessary point to make, as very few players can claim to have such magnetism, but former NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell went one further than Williams as he quoted what Detroit Pistons legend Isaiah Thomas once said about Magic when describing Doncic. He said: “They may give him the title of point guard but that’s not a point guard in that body. That is a power forward.
“He is something we’ve never seen before and quite frankly, with his size and skill set, we may never see again.”
With key comparisons to and clear influences on James and Doncic, Johnson remains very much in the NBA’s subconscious. You could argue the three men symbolise the past, present and future of position-less, highly-skilled basketball, and they are three men whose talents have become synonymous with the one word that captivated the United States in the 1980s: magic.
They Call Me Magic is streaming on Apple TV+
