A detailed comparison between Steph and Magic, to discover the true point guard GOAT. Follow Nonstop Instagram: / nonstop TikTok: / nonstop Twitter: / nonstop Imagery supplied by Getty Images
Different era, different skillsets, in Magic’s time his skillset was never seen before specially for his size, same as Curry his shooting prowess is beyond we have ever seen in basketball world ever
@@Jupaa1090 I agree, it really depends on the areas, also I don't think it's fair to compare a guy as huge as Magic to Steph, a guy who's merely 6'2 without shoes. Just take a look at the top 10, only Kobe and Jordan are below 200 cm(6'7), and both of them are 6'6, which isn't short by any means. Magic is just like a full point guard version of LBJ, he could arguably be the Goat without AIDS,yall know. I always feel like comparing players in a different class(in terms of size) is pretty unfair. For example, Stipe Miocic will eat Khabib Nurmagomedov alive in a 1 v 1 match, but it doesn't mean Khabib is less dominant in his class. I know it sounds like an exaggeration because basketball is more of a team game, but they are haters all around the corner saying "Oh Curry can't guard Lebron, so he ain't super-star level."Like, come on,6'8 against 6'2? Not to say the mass differential. He isn't close to Lebron, and not Magic just yet, but he is the only 2 players under 6'3 in the last 2 decades to win 2 MVPs, the other one being Steve Nash. The shortest FMVP after Tony Parker in 2007, his awards beat all of those "short guards" even taller guards like Harden, Westbrook, and small forwards like KD and Kawhi in terms of achievements. This is impressive enough to put him as the GOAT under 6'5, and he's not done just yet.
The way I see it a lot of the players ranked in the top 10 all time are there due to their greatness (how much they accomplished), not necessarily their skill (although skill is a factor). In my opinion steph curry is a more skillful and talented player than magic but he hasn't accomplished as much especially due to his slow start
I love factoring a lot of skill, my top ten gets a lot of hate cause of it, but with Curry’s immense offensive skill comes sub-par defensive skill, that’s way he’s snubbed from my top ten.
Yeah it's definitely a mix of both but the achievements tend to matter more which is why agree with the video. Steph is the best player out of the two but magic is the goat PG for his achievements. Imo Steph wins another ring and FMVP he's the goat PG simply because he then matches Magic in winning with less help (let's not compare Klay or even KD to Kareem and the other all stars in the Lakers) and is a better player. that's just me tho Lastly I like how much respect the video payed to both players. What magic did is still insane to me. I think if he didn't get aids he could have been the Goat
@@bearwithme9433 no i'm saying that if steph ended his career right now I think he would go down as the more skillful player but he would also be the slightly less succesful one. which would make him "less great".
There are alot of players who are more skilled than other great players. Chris Paul and Steve Nash are without a doubt more skilled than LeBron, but no one would say that they're better players.
Curry is still writing his story. Honestly, despite their differing positions, Lebron is more comparable to Magic than Curry. Lebron does everything like Magic did, just in a more athletic body. Honestly, we haven't had anyone like Curry who is smaller, but dominates mostly from outside shooting. Maybe the closest thing was Iverson but he wasn't as efficient a score as Curry, but he was more athletic.
no offense but thats too less IF CURRY WINS ANOTHER FINALS MVP ONLY? i love curry but id rather u give it to curry rn THAN win another finals mvp id give IT TO CURRY ONLY if he wins 2 more rings and 2 more fmvps(becuz he has to be the best player) without a rob AND also have an assist title WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR A PG
@@bangeyboi2143 Nah if he has the same amount of rings the tie breaker is who is the better individual player. Steph would go ahead with another ring. He wouldn’t need two. Absolutely doesn’t need an assist title bc he plays in a motion offense. He doesn’t play the traditional facilitator role. That’s offense is amount the most efficient of all time btw & it’s all bc of Steph so that’s his claim on the assist side of things
Great explanation. Imagine if players of old had some of the advantages of now. Wilt Chamberlain was 7ft tall with a 48 inch vertical...which is higher than anybody in the league right now, and he didn't even have the advantage of modern shoes and equipment AND he was a freakin' center. It's hard to compare eras but i think this video did it well
@@secoTheSonicFan From what I have looked up and seen it was official. I could be wrong. I obviously wasn't there but anything I have seen shows it to be his actual vertical
@@vladirackpubama6785 Ok. My research said 48. I don't have the source either so I could be wrong. I actually saw 48 in multiple places. Even if it's just 40 that's still impreasive for a 7ft center
@@vladirackpubama6785 wasn’t 40 it wasn’t recorded just like a lot of myths about Wilt like him dunking from the free throw line with a running start. All just Myths
@@jeremiahtalkssports1832 Wilt also said he also slept with 20,000 women and could bench 500, do you believe everything he says? 7 ft 1 and could jump higher then Jordan and was stronger than Shaq even though he looked like a twig in comparison?
Steph is my favorite player currently. But I have Magic above #30. 3 MVPs, 5 rings, 9 finals appearances, multiple finals MVPs, winning a championship as a rookie.
I agree. Magic is more of like a point guards usually have more assists but then again going guards are also usually the best dribblers on the team, like steph. Its hard for me to explain but another way for me is this. Tim Duncan or Kevin Garnett? Most likely people will choose Duncan since he’s ranked higher on the all time list Lebron James or Larry Bird? Lebron cause he’s ranked higher Magic or steph? I’d have to go magic since he’s ranked higher on the all time list. So in my opinion I choose magic
@@nhjhbvfggfvcf8508doesn’t matter all that Magic shit wouldn’t fly today those lay ups would get sent by most players today especially people like Giannis etc and he def couldn’t shoot curry would torch him think about how he did Lebron and Lebrons def better den Magic all time Curry is as good as it gets in a tuff era
@@NeuroDrags honestly i dont think u even watch this video but to discredit magic like stupid warriors fan always did.Most of them start watching nba since 2015 and didn't even watch players in the 00s lol, maybe u are the one too
@@NeuroDrags and what did steph did to lebron lol???? every time they face each other, lebron always outplay him,the only reason steph had a winning record is because hes at the team with 73-9 win and adding KD.... .Honestly i think KD torch lebron in the finals was even a better expression
@@victor-pw9im bro u have an opinion nothing u say is facts in terms of who’s better Kareem has more rings den Lebron more more often den not Lebron is ranked higher right ? Accolades and shi ain’t everything it’s my opinion Magic Johnson would be dog shit in todays league “ in my opinion “ I can’t see his style of play working if you disagree with that den that’s coo it is what it is cause we can argue forever and they’ll still never be able to play eachother
Wow, what a great video. Everytime i wanted to bring up something for either player, you already brought it up. Honest analysis like this without disparaging either and understanding difference in time is whats missing from the regular sport media.
Exactly, he did n excellent job giving props to both of them and if you’re truly a fair person that’s what you’re supposed to do because these 2 players are all time greats.
That's assuming that Curry will play in the 80's with his 2020's skillset, which doesn't make sense. If he played in the 80's, 1. He won't have the coach to train him with those skills 2. No former players to emulate and improve those skills 3. Insufficient technology and knowledge on improving one's physiology compared to today 4. He will travel mostly by bus or in coach. 5. He might stay in cheap motels when away. 6. He won't be paid enough 7. Different rules. And a lot more era differences. So, you can't compare player's skillset from different era. You can only compare their accomplishments, impact, how they dominate in their era and how transcendent a player was in his time. Even then it's still always debatable.
Exactly, it's like saying if I had my current knowledge (2022) and if I were back to 80's I'll probably the one who will invent Laptops and Smartphones 😂
I think there are a couple things being overlooked here. Some of it is really hard to account for, but I feel like it at least deserves acknowledgement: The 3 didn't even exist in the NBA until Magic's rookie year, and it wasn't adopted at high school and NCAA levels until even later. So it's not just that it was a tool players used less; it's that they went through their entire formative years not even accounting for it. Sure, maybe Magic would never have been an elite outside shooter, but the fact 3s were never even an option for him throughout his high school and college careers should at least be recognized. I know longevity is often not highly valued in these kind of comparisons, but that usually involves career length. Shouldn't the fact that Magic could be counted on for more minutes per game be a point in his favor? Maybe he wasn't as efficient in some categories as Steph, but as you said, he outperformed him per game in many metrics, and if you can get more out of your star player, that's a good thing, right? Also, and this may not necessarily be "valid" for the premise of this video (best PG), but I feel like Magic's ability to line up at any position deserves a bit more credit. He played shooting guard to share backcourt duties with Norm Nixon early, he famously played center to close out the 1980 finals, but that was far from the only time. In his comeback season in '96, he lined up at PF to suit the Lakers' needs at the time...and got MVP votes. As you said, he never really excelled on defense at any position, but the fact he could and willingly did slot into any offensive role made him a tremendous asset. His place on the all-time career triple doubles list (and playoff triple doubles lists), despite his relatively short career, really highlights that insane versatility.
I see your argument but curry has had no doubt better longevity. This is also bout the best point guard not the most flexible between positions. The thing that makes me put curry over magic is how curry is the best shooter and has excellent iq and passing on top of ball handling. Where magic has considerable the best passing to the game but doesn’t also excel at shooting and speed. (Take with a grain of salt because it’s entirely different decades and competition)
as a steph fan magic is still the goat pg, simple answer, he was 6'9, could play 1-5 and is easily the best PG ever at passing the rock, as for steph he most likely passes magic by the end of his career simple answer, greatest scoring pg ever that changed the game forever, the only thing that separates them is accolades, which steph isnt to far from.
When Steph was drafted in 2009 who would have ever dreamed that one day he would be compared to the great Magic Johnson? That alone is a testament to Steph's greatness and what he had to do to reach that level.
Curry doesn't even deserve to be compared to the great magic Johnson, currys not even a top 50 player of all time and they're comparing him to a top 10 player of all time?!, that's crazy to me
@@gameknightgd9096 Check the numerous lists online of the top 75 NBA players of all time and let me know where they list Curry. (Get back to me with what you found. If I don't hear from you I'll take that as an apology).
Greatness to me is a combination of skill/talent and impact. Skill and talent wise Steph wins. Steph is the best offensive engine ever and a decent defender. In terms of impact however, Magic out classes Steph. If Magic and Bird hadn't been in the NBA, it is likely the league would have folded and there would've been no Steph. Yes, Steph changed the game with 3s, but I think magic has the bigger impact. This impact I feel outweighs the skill difference. So I put Magic higher.
That’s not a good argument because you put Steph in that time and he is even a bigger deal than he is now. How did Magic have a bigger impact than Steph?
Just cause Steph most likely could do that, it doesn't disprove my argument. You can't just take away the fact that Magic saved the NBA. Just cause, someone else maybe could've done it, doesn't mean that Magic shouldn't get credit for being the one to do it. Like it or not saving the NBA is a feat that Magic did. Personally I have Steph top 7-8 he has earned that and can maybe earn more. But for now I think Magic is greater even if as I said Steph is the greatest Offensive engine ever.
@@soleil3gs What if we put Trae Young in the 2008 draft? Is he the greatest shooter ever? How do you know that people would have loved Steph for certain? Based solely on their accomplishments and what they've done Magic is greater. This however, is only subjective and comes down to how I value shit.
I loved the way this was approached. Some people always to talk about the "old days" and fail to realize that the players are constantly improving, which is not to say that the old players were bad, but you just can't deny that they play much better nowadays. The thing is that "greatness" is not only defined by how well they play. If you follow a little bit of e-sports, that would be a great example already, because since it's a relatively new thing, players were still improving massively in these last years, nowadays we have a ton of casual players who would've destroyed the pro scene some years ago, even though they're not even close to going pro today, even if they wanted to.. So in the end, in my opinion Steph is the best player you could have to build a team around, he's the only player that can pretty much give you everything that he has to offer regardless of playing style and regardless of whether he's going to play more on-ball or off-ball. Yeah, I believe Magic is greater overall, but I'd take Steph over him any day, any time. That being said, I wouldn't say that it's absolutely impossible for Curry to close the gap, although very difficult... It really is a shame that Magic's career got cut short, but at the same time it's hard to account for something that didn't happen, we can't just speculate that he'd keep the same level going on forward. This debate will never be an easy one, but it'll definitely be easier once both players in said debate are retired.
Magic Is The Goat Point Guard , Curry Changed The Game With 3 Point Shooting Sure But You Cant Deny Magics Accolades In The Span Of Time That He Accomplished Them. Also Like Was Said Magic Saved The Nba With Showtime So It Isnt Like He Didnt Help The Game For The Better.
I really like the take of this video. Different eras favor different playstils etc. Curry may never catch Magic on the all-time list, but I would put prime curry in my starting five all-time ;)
@@Soldier979 GSW had a top 5 stadium with the most attendance and viewership in the We Believe Warriors before Steph was drafted. Not everyone is a bandwagon
The Russell playing against Shaq example lacks context with how Bill played the game. He was physically dominated by Wilt also, but still shaved his points and efficiency well below his averages while also picking up the win most of the time. It's not as simple as well he'd drop this amount of points. Russell would effect Shaq's ability to positively impact the game, as he did Chamberlain.
@@janetata4856 just bc someone has a different opinion doesn't mean he's a hater. Using accolades is a bad arguement and cury isn't a top 10 player but I have him around top 11-15
The way I look at the question: which guy would I want less to be forced to guard? To me, that guy is Steph Curry. Stretching the defense, chasing him around screens, etc., would take its toll on any team. In contrast, there are a lot of athletic forwards in the modern game who could cover Magic. Note: I grew up in the 1980s, and on the Bird-Magic rivalry, which to me was the Golden Age of the NBA.
Nowadays in the NBA the positions are kind of fluid. It's starting to become known as "position-less basketball." Draymond is often the true point guard for the Warriors and Steph is more of a shooting guard. Not always but often.
Fr now we see Lebron, a small forward, passing to the point he was an assist leader, and Jokic, a center, getting called the greatest passer ever by some people💀at this point, idk what roles are today
Magic was miles better, this is actually not even remotely close, Magic achieved more in less time, in 12 years for 12 years, Magic had more points, more assists, more steals, more rebounds more championships and more MVPs. This is a silly comparison.
Magic has every physical advantage. He was born for the NBA Curry on the other hand clawed his way to the top with sheer skill and perseverance. Magic was built for the NBA Curry made NBA adapt to him.
So we go put curry back in the 80s with all his advantages he got from playing in todays era but not go give magic any advantages from this era when we put him in it? Right
@@boosie4482 better training, would have grown up practicing year round, aau, having a better handling due to rules allowing yu to be able to carry. It’s a lot of advantages players have today players ain’t have back then. Like Gianni’s for example if he wasn’t able to lift weights and add that muscle on he would have never had become the player he is today. If he was in the 60,70,80s he wouldn’t have lifted weights or got on a ridgiment
Traditional pg role by far goes to magic, his assist were fantastic and if he had to score he could heat up. Curry is more like AI as they both score off dribble and many times carry their team. Both are fantastic in their own way
Curry is GOAT. A prime Jordan in today's game would be a smaller Jaylen Brown or a smaller, poorer shooting Kawhi. If you give credit to players for evolving over the course of NBA history, your top ten list would only include active players or recently retired ones (I.E. Tim Duncan). But you have to give the legends credit too. No player can evolve farther than the limits of their own era.....except for Curry. That is why he is GOAT.
Stop using accolades. Yall ruining his reputation as a overrated player when he's not top 5. Coming from someone who's a curry fan as well but he's not better then the guys on the top 10 list.
Magic Johnson is better at playmaking and playmaking only. His accolades shouldn’t be the reasoning for him being the goat pg, dude had one of the best teams of all time.
This video is onesided. Steph is definitely the greatest pure shooter we've seen. But, the game today is designed for more offense. If Steph was playing in yesteryear, the hand checking, bodies leaning on you, etc.. would seriously slow him down. And, Magic wasn't a terrible shooter if he was left open. Similar to the way NBA player play defense now a days.
I can see it affecting him in an iso situation, but Steph has never been a primary iso guy and when he does iso it’s usually in matchup advantages against bigs he can outspeed. His main play-style is incredible offball movement and honestly I don’t see how a change in era is gonna make any difference considering how much players nowadays already tug, pull, and shove Curry to stop him from getting into position. Unless you’re arguing that players back then will literally tackle Steph offball to stop him and it won’t be considered a foul then that’s a whole different conversation which I disagree with.
Pound for pound Steph takes it. Not the fastest, tallest. He perfected 3pt shooting and play off the ball. He may not have the most assist but his impact to him team mate is huge.
This has to be the most fair video I’ve ever watched regarding those 2 greats. You can make a case for both of them really because they played in 2 different eras. Magic had the luxury of playing with Kareem off the bat so have to keep that in mind but that does not diminish his greatness at all. I think Steph Curry is the better player but Magic is the better pure point guard
Fr tho- the goat in every sport is debatable. All the players have played in different era's. There is just to much different categories to determine these two. I would put curry higher just because he changed the way basketball is played today. But tbh there both rlly hard to rank
i may have a bit of bias being from the bay, but im going to give this to curry. I understand magic's accolades outweight that of curry's at the moment, but curry's intangibles are something else. it's one thing to play great in the system, another to dominate the system, and a whole other thing to change the entire system. curry blew up the 3 point revolution and literally molded today's game. that's something no other player has ever done. it's stuff like that that gives curry the edge for me. still i can understand choosing magic and i think it's an either or. But, i'll say this: if curry can do anything more to add to his resume, be it an MVP or a ring (highly unlikely) or crossing a barrier (career points, threes, etc.), or literally anything of the sort, I think curry will have a much stronger case for best pg of all time.
To be fair Magic also changed the entire system (along with Bird), in the 80s they were the two cornerstones of the NBA. And I believe that the NBA would have been completely different if not for them (in a bad way) that the one we know today. But in any case I respect either opinion. To me Magic is the goat at the PG position because I never saw anyone with such a high basketball IQ along with a great versatility and so forth. But still I agree that in today's game, Curry is a great representation of a great PG and that he could crack the Top 10 of all time by the end of his career. In any case I still think it's too early to compare them and that it is not very accurate since they are so different.
I genuinely can’t understand the argument for Magic being a better PG than Curry. The only thing Magic is better at than Curry is passing (and even that’s debatable). If the only other argument for Magic is rings then why is Bill Russell not the GOAT? Idk it just seems like people still refuse to give Curry the flowers he deserves
But you can’t say that “if this player played in a different era, then they would’ve done this” Because, if steph curry played in the 1983 season he would obviously average atleast 40 ppg just because that they aren’t used to his style of play.
But u gotta think if curry was born in that time he wouldn’t be the shooter he is today cuz that was a different time line and he could of been a completely different person so we can’t we compare that
That only holds true if you assume you're sending 2013 or so Steph back in time. You have to consider if he had been born when Magic was. He'd have grown up watching a different NBA, he wouldn't have been able to watch Reggie and watch Ray Allen and all those guys that paved the way. And he might have just been immediately benched if he just started throwing up 30 footers. Also, remember his career was almost ended because of his ankles. Imagine if he's playing in those garbage Converse shoes. And growing up with 70's nutrition, with 70s sports medicine. His career could have easily have ended within the first couple years.
You don't time travel the current player LOL let Curry born and develop in the 80's and lets see if he will be the same player... It's like saying if I were back to the 80's I'll be the one who will invent Laptops and Smartphones LOL
People need to understand this, magic is a more complete player he can rebound, assist, and get you a bucket if you need him to; Curry's main purpose is offense,magic is also much better on defense than curry. Magics legacy is also better too but it's close with that between the 2
Björn Borg was the only player to win on clay and grass in the same year. Agassi was the greatest returner ever. Pete Sampras set a seemingly unbreakable record. Then came Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, all of whom would smash those preconceived notions of who the greatest tennis players are, with only stubborn old heads trying to convince you that the Borg-McEnroe rivalry was better. It’s the same with the NBA. Old heads will always be stuck in the past. But the fact is that players today are simply better.
The thing about tennis is that the current big 3 are just better at everything than older players, both skillwise and accolades wise. That's not the case with basketball.
@@Splackavellie85 yeah it makes it much harder to tell in basketball. You have players in all eras of basketball playing at a level above their fellow competitors, so you give them modern training methods and more film to study then they'd be better. Larry Bird never practiced 3 points shooting growing up because it didn't exist, but was still almost a 40% shooter for his career. That's not the case in tennis because the current big 3 all play in the same era and they still are better compared to their level of competition than players like Agassi and Borg.
Give the legends of the past with their skillset all the modern nutrition, weight training and performance enhancing supplements that players are jacked up on and spoiled with today and they’ll easily crush this era. The fact that we’re still comparing athletes today to 50 years ago says that the players really didn’t evolve that much, just in a different way. Players back then have more skill and players today have more athleticism. Lebron literally spends a million dollars a month on his body alone just so he can play at the level he does
@@SoggySlopster You need to learn the meaning of the word literally. And if you think legends of the past are more skilled, you should look at Kyrie Irving and Allen Iverson.
5 rings, and 3 MVPS in 12 years… imagine if he had those extra years this wouldn’t be a contest Edit: people acting like magic can’t shoot for nothing, he averages 30 percent from 3, that’s still good and if Steph was in the 80s era he’d be benched if he shot more then 4 three pointers, if he made them of not. Larry bird didn’t even shoot over 5 threes a game, if he shot over 5 threes a game, they would always say he’s throwing up garbage” Meanwhile, Magic in the todays era is a somewhat good 3pt shooter of Ben Simmons. But Magic is something else, the best playmaker, a 6 FOOT 9 point guard, I’m sorry to tell you but until curry wins another MVP and Finales MVP, he ain’t better then MAGIC
So Steph got 4 rings 2MVP n 13yrs. So Magic resume looks better plus ta rule a whole Decade is nothing ta sneeze at. Steph jus changes da game n his Decade. Dey both had a bad Finals but came back next year n Hoo-Ride Tha Association. So it's super close. But even as an Oaktown Bizz Playa Magic got a slight edge 4 now. But Curry on da way!!!
What’s crazy is magic would be pure ass in todays game. Hed be a discount half off ben Simmons. While curry would be god himself in magics era lmfao. Imagine how many rings and mvps curry would have in magics era. 😂😂😂😂 curry almost has the same amount of accomplishments with more time left in his career while also being the better player playing against competition magic couldn’t even imagine going against.
30% 3pt is NOT good. The league average today is 35%, any player shooting above that is considered a good 3pt shooter. The league average during Magic’s time was between 30-35%. So Magic was often average to below average at 3pt. I still think Magic is the GOAT PG, but let’s not pretend that he was good at everything on the court. And the whole “switch them in their eras” argument is heavily flawed due to the eras being entirely different. Of course Magic wouldn’t be dominating in today’s era because basketball is at its most skilled yet. Have Steph brought up in Magic’s era and he wouldn’t be chucking up 3’s like he does now, because the NBA was heavily centered inside the line. Use logic, people.
If you switch players, curry in 80s to 90s and magic on todays era. People will say: Curry by mile. Dont get me wrong, Magic is one of my favorite pt guard back then. People dont appreciate the talents of todays athletes, maybe bec of social media or internet they are over exposed even their personal lives. Thats people mindset.
Just the opposite. Curry would struggle playing in a 2-pt offensive system with tougher (and at time brutal) defensive checking. Plus ball carrier rules a little stricter back then, although that was starting to change during Magic's career. Magic would prosper driving the lane in today's spread offense, as well as flipping the ball out for someone to take threes.
Magic got drafted into a team with a HOFer, sure they weren't a great team, but you can't use that against Steph because GSW in 2009 was basically 2003 Cleveland.
You really can't reasonably compare across eras, you have to look at a player in the context of their era & their dominance at the time. I respect Steph a lot, he's clearly the GOAT shooter, but he just didn't dominate the 10s/20s the same way Magic dominated the 80s. And I'd argue Magic being the best playmaker of all-time is just as valuable as Steph's shooting, especially relative to the 80s.
That's just full NOSTALGIA and no playmaking is not as valuable without Kareem and worthy his team would be trash cause of magic's lack of scoring.Curry woulda did well and would not struggle as much as magic because of his scoring magic is only good because of NOSTALGIA.
@@kirkjoe6085 You act like Curry can carry other team. We all know that Curry is great because of the system of GSW, put him in the Hawks and lets see if he can carry that team to championship.. Hell he even missed the playoffs last year LOL
@@blentoot9639 highly doubt that if u keep all hawks teammates trae young and the core they will take on the system and probably be great.Anyhow curry is great cause of his shooting and handles even if magic was on another squad and without at least 2 elite scorers he would be doomed.Curry on the other hand still would give a fight magic I expect a blowout I have watched both curry just seems better.Nostalgia is a key reason why people think he is the goat point guard but being honest he got sum of those awards he never should have.Magic is the original thing which is why people think he is better but honest that's just not true.
The only aspect of the game where steph is better than magic is shooting 3's, magic was a better defender, rebounder,passer, and an overall better shooter when inside the paint. And ofc his 5 chips and 3 fmvp's alongside the fact he retired at 31
John Stockton is the best PURE point guard IMO. I never hear anyone bringing up his name in the PG goat convo. Magic was more of a utility player, I mean he played center and forward position as well as BOTH guard positions for God's sake and Curry is a phenomenal shooter but that's about it, speaking Stats sheet Anyways, I mean yeah he can make plays, pass, and steal, but not anywhere close to the level Stockton did
Magic is still the best PG of all time. Magic leaders in all accolades and achievements over Curry. More all stars, all nba appearances (including more 1st teams). 5 rings , 3 FMVP and 3 MVPS. He has better overall career stats. Highest career AST average and leads the playoffs in triple doubles. Curry just has shooting and ball handling over Magic. Magic is 5- 9 in the finals and clutched the 1980 NBA finals while Kareem was injured and he played Center. Magic is the better facilitator and passer. Magic is also a better rebounder and is more versatile. Magic is a better playoff performer as well. Curry wont overtake Magic due to his slightly less career achievements and personal career success.
Magic Johnson is not a better playoff performer this Steph Curry Steph Curry beat him in every category in the playoffs you can literally go look it up. Steph Curry is the only person in the NBA history who won the MVP lead the leaves and steals and won the championship with a 50-40-90? He just need one MVP or another championship he's over him
Curry career stats are better and playoff stats are better too 27.5 finals avg and 26.6 in the playoffs he's gonna end up with 5 titles at least he's gonna pass him in all nba teams too Curry got at least 3 more years
@@jibes2239 boy his playoff stats are better Better percentage from 3 and FT line better on defense magic still avg 19.5 in playoffs and his assist total went down
1A / 1B, depends on the team do I need playmaking or scoring, the PG has changed so much. Time machines don't work with rule changes, Magic would shoot a lot more threes with the floor spacing; Curry would be less efficient cause how he dribbles now to get space would be called a travel
For me, both of them are number 1. It depends on what type of team you want to build. Center heavy, mid-range, slow offense? Give me Magic. Spaced out, distance shooting, fast offence? Give me Steph.
Curry and if you think im wrong then i guess youve never watched him before. Theres a reason why hes called steph chef look at curry and the baby faced assassin
Good points. However, I would say Steph has been just as important to the Warriors in the way Magic is important to the Lakers. The 2 guards are interchangeable if they grew up in whatever era because that’s what great players do. They dominate. Period. I do think Magic’s game would have been similar to CP3, but better defensively because of his size. His basketball IQ and today’s 3 point shooting would’ve been a problem
Magic shooting 3s was a 38 and 39 % , he has the same career Ft% as Klay and was amazing at the midrange growing up w the 3 would just make him better and his IQ is insane lol what u talkin bout
All due respect to Curry, but fouling isn't what is necessarily meant when speaking about the physicality of the game of yesteryear. Curry beefing up as of late would only mean he MAY be efficient as of late. Meaning his first years would have been horrible. Remember Magic is an inch taller than LeBron, and the sheer size enabled Magic to be able to contend. Once again "physicality of the game" of yesteryear does not ONLY apply to fouls. So even though I agree with the final assessment. (Magic better player, but Curry better PG) I don't think Curry would have been given the chance, and if so, his first at least half decade would have been so horrible that this conversation would appear to be silly to even have. Remember even up to Bryant's first 2 years he was coming off the bench. Not cause he wasn't better than some other guy, but the skinny kid wasn't "ready" yet according to Phil Jackson.
@@ND-OPS Magic is in the top 5 because of his resume not because he is a better player necessarily. Like Kevin Garnett as a talent is very close to tim duncan in his prime, but Tim Duncan accomplished so much more.
Magic was the better pg Steph is the better player idk how you got those two confused but Steph isn't asked to be a great pg anyways.. if the team was structured for Steph to have 15 assist he could do that easily. But he's such a good shooter that he does alot of stuff off ball.. in fact Steph off ball does as much for the offense as if Steph had the ball.. Steph's the better more complete player.. is what it is.. Russell Westbrook always has more assists than Steph anyone crazy Enough to call Russ a better pg..
Pretty good video the only i would add is magic never won a ring without kareem a top 3 player and steph has won without kd buuuuut i mean magics still above curry for now🌚
My opinon I would have Magic as the greatest why is because Steph can only shoot and pass Magic could defend dunk shoot mid skyhook steph it’s definitely top 2 and top 10 but I don’t think he’s the greatest yet.
It's Always Hard to compare players in different Era, because of the Game was played. But in my opinion, Curry is the GOAT because he made a revolution in shooting and spacing. Like Jordan brought some athleticism concept of the shooting guard.
Imagine Jordan getting the worst ass kicking in finals history even though he was playing on a super team, being swept twice in the finals, getting outplayed by JJ Barea, coming in 11th place while teaming up with 4 other top 75 players of all time. 😳😂🤣
@@siryessirr1240 Steph couldn't get a single game with 3 chances?? C'mon bruh, stop making excuses. Y'all don't have that same energy about the 2015 Finals
You can argue that Curry is the greatest shooting point guard ever.. You can even argue that Curry is a better overall player than Magic.. However, with that being said.. when it comes to the Point guard position based solely on duty and distribution.. No one played point better than Magic.
argue that he is the greatest point guard? he is by far the greatest shooter ever and it's not even close and yes he prolly does play the PG better then magic
@@appendexhouse7735 by curry gravity he set his team wide ope because he that good people double or tripple him he the greatest shoot of all time curry had good passes to
The points made in this video are some of the stupidest I've ever heard. Steph is great in his own right but saying he would dominate in the 80s much less average 40 points is delusional. his 3 point volume would drastically decrease as no nba coach would allow their point guard to shoot at the volume of a curry, iverson, kyrie etc. most coaches thought the 3 point shot was a gimmick and discouraged their players from attempting it Mehmoud abdul rauf was a phenomenal shooter in the 90s but was benched in favour of less talented players like micheal adams, isiah was a damn good shooter but attempted more midrange shots because that was the game back then. in the 2010s the three pointer was much more popular compared to the 80s even before curry changed the game. curry would be benched for shooting too man 3s especially if they were contested shots. the spacing was much worse back then making it imposible for a guy of his size to try to finish inside and his three point attempts would be harder to come by. his off ball play would suffer because set plays involving heavy use of picks and screens werent developed back then. plays like that started in the 90s and would truly reach their modern form by the 2000s thanks to dantoni and steve nash. curry is one of the most synergistic players ever and his gravity isn't all that value if he 1 doesnt have shooters who can take advantage of his gravity and 2 if he doesnt have the set plays to get him open. lots of rules in the 90s and 2000s made it much easier for smaller players to become dominant players in the league things like the loss of hand checking, 3 in d and others. he is a great pullup shooter in small bursts but his isolation scoring isnt good enough to run a whole offense off of. dribbling rules back then were much stricter and most of his modern day moves would be considered carries, that changed due to guys like tim hardaway and to a much more extreme degree allen iverson. the video mentions that magic got open jumpers and nobody would close out on his jump shots but that has less to do with how teams played defense and has a lot more to do with the fact that he was a bad shooter so leaving him open was considered a better decision then risking a drive or a pass, it just happened to be that magic hit his jumpers that game, steph also wouldnt out run most players considering they can be more physical with him and that opposing teams had to put slower footed bigger players on magic to stop him considering he was 6 foot FREAKING 9! curry would take way more midrange shots and he is a good midrange shooter but not elite like larry bird, MJ etc. considering he wouldn't have the luxury of zone defenses to fix his short comings he would be abused on defense considering he didn't really bulk up until this season point being curry could be good the 2010s and 2020s are the best era for a guy of his style to play. Im not saying magic would be as good in this era but this video is just disrespectful in its points about how magic would play in this era. first things first they mention currys gravity but dont mention how magics intangibles influenced his teams. his passing energized his teams improving their effort on defense and made his teamates more active on the floor because they knew that as long they get good position magic would find them fueling one of the most lethal fastbreaks in nba history, his passing also meant that no team could risk getting too close to magic because they would rather force him to score then risk a pass same ways point gaurds like Chris Paul get easy shots out of the threat of their pass. in the pace and space era the kick out potential and his ability too pass to 3 point shooter would make him lethal he would also have more lob targets than ever before, the pick and roll wasn't nearly as big in his era, the spacing and less packed paints would make him dangerous in his drives to the basket. he might just be the most lethal player in the open court ever. he is faster than most players his size and is really good in the post. he can legitimately play center for a whole season in this era and feast on the time of opportunities guys like jokic are given, he would play better defense in a zone. in the video they say he would play like a ben simmons which is only half true yes teams would be able to give him the ben simmons treatment but only to a certain extent. Magic is a more aggressive scorer than simmons, has better footwork, was a craftier finisher and had better touch around the basket, he incredible maneuverability in tight spaces has exceptional post game something simmons doesn't and is a slightly better midrange shooter than giannis while simmons simply cant and wont shoot at all. magic also became a decent three point shooter by the end of his career where he had a career best 3 point shooting percentage of 38 percent and that was before 3 point shooting was taken seriously. not to mention his defensive rebounding which enables fast breaks, outlet passing etc also his offensive rebounding which leads to second chance points, tip passes and more oppurtunities to score. Im not hating on steph im only trying to say that this video wasnt well researched and some of the points made in it are awful and disrespectful. I can umderstand i f someone thinks steph is more skilled or valuable to a team then magic but saying he would average 40 in the 80s is like saying jokic would average 50 in the 90s or luka would average 60 in the 2000s its stupid and shows a severe lack of understanding of the game. also the point about lebron averaging 70 is also dumb because thats not how lebron plays basketball.
Nobody about to read all of that , I read your first argument n knew you were delusional ! If a coach seen he had a player that can consistently make a 3 you think he would stop him from shooting them 😂😂😂
Difference is Magic got 5 rings because he got Kareem Same with curry, he got 2 rings because he got KD, but his 2 others are all him leading without KD amd After KD left him, so I'll say Curry is. Little bit better than Magic
Shooting matters a lot as a guard lmfao how can you be a pg if people dont respect your shot. Magic currently in the league would be a spacing nightmare.
I believe steph is the greatest of of all time. Imo magic was a forward that was allowed to play guard and did it pretty well. (Think of Ben Simmons and Lebron) but without a doubt Magic is the best Point forward ever aside from lebron
Yeah a forward who plays point guard better than the point guards, including Curry. Fuck outta here with that dumb shit. Curry is a shooter and nothing more, that boy is a 2 guard pretending to be a point.
At 20 years old Magic Johnson won nba finals mvp in a close out game six road win w/42 points, 15 boards & 7 dimes. At 20 years old Steph was averaging 25 ppg at Davidson, but we arguing who is more skilled? 2022 is a crazy time to be alive
If Magic had a longer career, he would have ended with 7 rings and probably better statistics in every category, there will be 3 names that will be mentioned as who's GOAT (MJ, LeBron, Magic)
@@blentoot9639 lmao how the Lakers were poverty after he left how would they have won? Worthy Reem Coop and Scott were long gone and Divac was starting in 94 🤣
@@evancase3087 they could sign superstars from free agency, you do realize the Lakers are a big market and if Magic was still there he could attract many superstars to join him and win a championship.
I've been a true GSW fan since the summer of 2015 and I think Curry is not only the GOAT at PG, but also a top 5 player of all time. How can it be denied at this point?
LOL Stephen is not Better then all these legends, mj, Kareem, Duncan, bill russel, lebron, magic, bird, Hakeem, Shaq, Kobe, west, Baylor, wilt, Oscar Robertson, and finally Steve Nash
@@mandypetrowski5004 Yeah well Curry shoots the ball from really far away and puts people to sleep when he celebrates. Pretty sure none of those 'legends' you mentioned did that
@@Surreal530_ so ur only arguement is shooting but guys like Price paved the way and main reason why curry is playing like that. It's not just curry. Those guys were better then curry and played both sides on the court.
@@Slamyar-sd8sr u seriously need to stop talking about basketball if u think there better then curry. Sure nash and Baylor but not hakeem or Duncan, Russell
Magic because he dominated in one of the greatest eras of basketball. Steph is great too but if he played in Magic’s era he would have been good but not as great as he is in this era. Magic on the other hand would annihilate in today’s game.
