Magic Johnson Appreciation Thread

[Abraham Lincoln]

Thou shan't deny this man is one of the most talented players in NBA History. I am glad that I watched him evolve into a great player since he was drafted by the Lakers from Michigan State.

http://stuffiranianslike.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/magic_johnson_lakers_8x10_mid.jpg

http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/PHO/AAEK001_16x20~Magic-Johnson-Ball-in-left-hand-Posters.jpg

http://espn.go.com/photo/2006/0505/nba_g_mjohnson_430.jpg


1974-76 Michigan Class A All-State Team
1976 Michigan Class A Championship Team
1979 NCAA Championship Team
1980 NBA All-Rookie Team
1980, 1982-92 NBA All-Star Team
1980, 1982, 1985, 1987-88 NBA Championship Team
1980, 1982, 1987 MVP NBA Championship
1982 All-NBA second team
1982 Citizenship Award
1983-91 All-NBA first team
1984 Schick Pivotal Player award
1984 IBM All-Around Contributions to Team Success Award
1987 Player of the Year, Sporting News
1987, 1989-90 League MVP
1990, 1992 MVP NBA All-Star Game
1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal
2002 ROBIE Humanitarianism Award (Jackie Robinson Foundation)
2002 Named to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame



Magic Johnson- Greatest PG of All-Time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxBM3dTPc_k

[sharpshooter88]

agreed! was the best PG to ever play basketball!

[sharpshooter88]

agreed! Magic Johnson was the best PG to ever play basketball

[nbastatus]

lakers legend:bowdown:

[Lebron23]

GOAT PG. :applause: :applause: :applause:

[ruslan]

greatest pg and second greatest player behind MJ.

[The Magic Man]

Was gonna work on this tonight. Well done sir. My donation...

http://i41.tinypic.com/35b6yl1.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ir8cq9.jpg

The saddest day of my childhood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSfy4AhDDnw

When this was anounced I was in 7th grade. I'll never forget. This press conference happend in class. It was my teacher who showed it to us during class. I got choked up, hell, even the teacher was crying. Knowlegde of the disease wasn't what it was now, I honestly thought he was gonna die in a matter of weeks.

To be continued...

[97 bulls]

i believe he and bird saved the nba. an nba player with aba style.

[The Magic Man]

The comeback. First game back: 19 points 8 rebounds 10 assists after being away from the game 5 years! Watch the post game interview. If this guy doesn't have the most magnetic smile ever, I don't know who does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cvWn6fH7Cg

Versus The Bulls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g_qd-fryJE

The Lakers took a beating in this game but watch the post game stuff. Magic's sportsmanship is amazing. And when have you ever seen two star players from opposing teams do interviews together? Peep MJ's comments about L.A.'s heart. Lol, classic stuff.

[RedBlackAttack]

Thou shan't deny this man is one of the most talented players in NBA History. I am glad that I watched him evolve into a great player since he was drafted by the Lakers from Michigan State.
:oldlol:

One of the better gimmick accounts I have ever seen.

[The Magic Man]

http://i43.tinypic.com/vd0ho6.jpg

Magic question of the day...

If Magic did not retire in 1991, would he be the career assist leader?

Stockton - 18 years, 15,806 assists
Jackson - 14 years, 10,334 assists
Kidd - 15 years, 10,148 assists
Magic - 11 1/2 years, 10,141 assists

[bigkingsfan]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_d6JjJ00I4/R-xNwhv2VJI/AAAAAAAAMO4/zE3eQsLq5PI/s400/magic+johnson.jpg

[Lakers13]

http://i43.tinypic.com/vd0ho6.jpg

Magic question of the day...

If Magic did not retire in 1991, would he be the career assist leader?

Stockton - 18 years, 15,806 assists
Jackson - 14 years, 10,334 assists
Kidd - 15 years, 10,148 assists
Magic - 11 1/2 years, 10,141 assists



I would think so. Dude retired at what, 31? 5 more productive years and he would prob still be #1 in assists.

GOAT of PGs!:bowdown: :bowdown:

[hateraid]

For me growing up a Sixers fan, I respectfully declare this guy as my personal GOAT. A guy who plays every part and position exceptionally well and possesses a skillset that no player will ever duplicate.

[snipes12]

the man is immortal , he cant even die with hiv

[Lakers13]

the man is immortal , he cant even die with hiv



Magic Johnson cried and cured the HIV virus

[Battosai]

Sh*t, I wonder what would've happened if Shaq came to LA a year earlier and played with Magic? That would've been interesting.

[Riker]

the man is immortal , he cant even die with hiv

Now this was beyond retarded.

[Biddy77]

The saddest day of my childhood.

When this was anounced I was in 7th grade. I'll never forget. This press conference happend in class. It was my teacher who showed it to us during class. I got choked up, hell, even the teacher was crying. Knowlegde of the disease wasn't what it was now, I honestly thought he was gonna die in a matter of weeks.

this may as well have been me typing, except i was in 9th grade. i watched magic (and tim hardaway) game tape basically every day for 4 years (all 4 years of high school). my VHS collection of their games was way past extensive.

best PG of all time, no question. possibly even the most charismatic player ever to lace them up. magic wasn't just fun to watch. he made you LOVE watching him. seeing the guy out there doing his thing with that crazy grin showing up (even when he was in Super Serious mode, he usually flashed it a lot between scowls)... and KNOWING he was a threat to embarass someone or do something amazing at any moment--even when he came back from retirement and had to play forward.

even Spree had to laugh about that ball fake...

[iTruWarrior]

He is the GOAT PG, and I hope he lives a long great life.

Magic = GOAT PG.

[EllEffEll]

I went to some of his first games as a Laker and he was literally bouncing passes off of his teammates (some bounced off of their heads even :oldlol: ) who never had a clue it was coming.

One who actually lived up to his nickname and the hype :bowdown:

His 1980 finals game 6 peformance (as a rookie) is one the all-time greats.

[Toizumi]

http://condodomain.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/magic-johnson.jpg

The greatest PG ever (arguably even the best player ever), a part of the greatest rivalry ever (pictured above :D ) and the role model for sportsmanship and comraderie. .

:bowdown:

[TheAnchorman]

He made passing super-cool. Thank you, Magic Johnson. =D

[DukeDelonte13]

only NBA player parodied on south park.

[Slam13]

Everybody likes Magic. :applause:

[Sir Charles]

The Magic and The Hick from French Lick...Made Basketball Beutiful to watch...it wasn`t just about Leaping High, Shooting 30 FGAs, Dunking, Scoring or Flashy Moves All Time...for them it was about Passing, Fundamentals, Making Other Teamates the Best They Could Be While Still Being in the Spot Light

They where ofcourse multiposition players from their positions...they where PGs, SGs, SFs, PFs etc...all in one package and they seemed to go agains tthe stereotype that black players are just high leaping, selfish and athletic playground stars that care only about themselves or that slow white players are too slow, too unathletic, to akward looking to actually compete...and they both schooled in their freakish styles

:bowdown: :bowdown:

[The Magic Man]

http://i44.tinypic.com/zwf62w.jpg

Magic Question of the Day...

If not for injuries to both James Worthy and Byron Scott, would the Lakers have beaten the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals or was it just MJ's time?

Tidbits:
-This was the first year NBC televised the NBA Playoffs.
-The Bulls beat Ewing's Knicks, Barkley's Sixers, and Isiah's Pistons to advance to the Finals.
-The Lakers beat Hakeem's Rockets, Run TMC's Warriors, and Clyde's Blazers to reach The Finals.
-Magic had 2 triple-doubles in the series with a 20 assist game in Game 5 (elimination game)
-Dispite what many on ISH will tell you, it was Game 2 where Phil Jackson put Pippen on Magic in an attempt to "slow him down". Magic ended the game with 14 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds. Meanwhile MJ guarded Vlade Divac.
-Magic averaged 18 ppg, 12 apg and 8 rpg.
-MJ averaged an astounding 31 ppg, 11 apg, 6 rpg.
-The series featured 3 HOFers: Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy.

[32jazz]

http://i44.tinypic.com/zwf62w.jpg

Magic Question of the Day...

If not for injuries to both James Worthy and Byron Scott, would the Lakers have beaten the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals or was it just MJ's time?




As a Laker fan I was a little surprised that the Lakers had even beaten the Trailblazers to make the Finals that season & don't believe they would have beaten the Bulls (nor the Pistons in '89) had they been healthy. Magic was very fustrated after that series & even openly contemplated retirement(although Magic would have never ever retired that young & was only fustrated immediately following a tough loss)

James Worthy was a great pure athlete ,but compared to the new 'tweener' type versatile forwards like Pippen he was a dinosaur of sorts(Worthy ,still healthy,abruptly retired less than two seasons later). And the 6'3 jump shooting guard like Scott was not really a match for neither Jordan nor Pippen either.

No matter how unpopular the decisions, the Lakers needed to address this if they would have wanted to compete with the Bulls dynasty had Magic not retired. A Mitch Richmond or an increasingly unhappy Drexler who was traded several seasons later would have been better more versatile running mates to Magic against the Bulls than Scott.

[DoGGa]

Best player to ever play the game in my eyes.

My all time favo player..

[The Magic Man]

As a Laker fan I was a little surprised that the Lakers had even beaten the Trailblazers to make the Finals that season & don't believe they would have beaten the Bulls (nor the Pistons in '89) had they been healthy. Magic was very fustrated after that series & even openly contemplated retirement(although Magic would have never ever retired that young & was only fustrated immediately following a tough loss)

James Worthy was a great pure athlete ,but compared to the new 'tweener' type versatile forwards like Pippen he was a dinosaur of sorts(Worthy ,still healthy,abruptly retired less than two seasons later). And the 6'3 jump shooting guard like Scott was not really a match for neither Jordan nor Pippen either.

No matter how unpopular the decisions, the Lakers needed to address this if they would have wanted to compete with the Bulls dynasty had Magic not retired. A Mitch Richmond or an increasingly unhappy Drexler who was traded several seasons later would have been better more versatile running mates to Magic against the Bulls than Scott.

Excellent answer. I feel the same way. I was just talking to my buddy about this a while ago. We were lucky to win Game 1 with that 3 from Perkins. Otherwise it would've been a sweep. Mike was just too much for the aging Lakers. i do think we shoulda re-uped with our roster after Kareem retired. That would've been a good time to bring in some fresh legs.

[Sriracha]

Lebron James is a better playoff performer!!!

[Biddy77]

As a Laker fan I was a little surprised that the Lakers had even beaten the Trailblazers to make the Finals that season & don't believe they would have beaten the Bulls (nor the Pistons in '89) had they been healthy. Magic was very fustrated after that series & even openly contemplated retirement(although Magic would have never ever retired that young & was only fustrated immediately following a tough loss)

James Worthy was a great pure athlete ,but compared to the new 'tweener' type versatile forwards like Pippen he was a dinosaur of sorts(Worthy ,still healthy,abruptly retired less than two seasons later). And the 6'3 jump shooting guard like Scott was not really a match for neither Jordan nor Pippen either.

No matter how unpopular the decisions, the Lakers needed to address this if they would have wanted to compete with the Bulls dynasty had Magic not retired. A Mitch Richmond or an increasingly unhappy Drexler who was traded several seasons later would have been better more versatile running mates to Magic against the Bulls than Scott.

great post. repped.

[32jazz]

Excellent answer. I feel the same way. I was just talking to my buddy about this a while ago. We were lucky to win Game 1 with that 3 from Perkins. Otherwise it would've been a sweep. Mike was just too much for the aging Lakers. i do think we shoulda re-uped with our roster after Kareem retired. That would've been a good time to bring in some fresh legs.

That is the reason why the Bulls were so obssessed with retooling the Jordan/Pippen Bulls(although they should have waited until they proved they were no longer able to win before they broke it down) as they had seen what happened to the Lakers , Celtics & Pistons & how they held on to their aging/injury prone roster a bit too long.

It may seem cruel & disloyal to even think of trading Scott(which the lakers eventually did to the pacers I think) & especially a champion like Worthy :cry: ,but the more versatile/athletic Bulls & Trailblazers were proof that the Old Showtime Lakers were done as far back as 89. Magic knew it after the Bulls series, but I agree in hindsight that they should have rebuilt around Magic & Divac(big men are hard to find) with a 'tweener' like Drexler ,Richmond, Ron Harper, etc.......

[GOBB]

I dont know if this was mentioned but...

1. Magic, that nickname alone is awesome. So much how dare anything call him Ervin? Thats blasphemy unless you gave birth to him. Then I'll kindly hand his mother the shoe to whack me upside the head.

2. The one highlight that sticks out in my head whenever Magic is mentioned? The Latrell Spreewell owning when Magic came back. From that point on Magic didnt need to do anything else to convince me he still had it. That was vintage Magic and I think i celebrated and imitated that move the entire week. Me and my best friend screamed like school girls. And so did his stepfather.

[Psileas]

It may seem cruel & disloyal to even think of trading Scott(which the lakers eventually did to the pacers I think) & especially a champion like Worthy ,but the more versatile/athletic Bulls & Trailblazers were proof that the Old Showtime Lakers were done as far back as 89.

I disagree however on the season. '90 or '91 maybe, since vital players like Kareem, Cooper, Rambis, also Pat Riley, all left, while Worthy and Scott quickly fell off their primes. But I still think that the Lakers could have beaten the Pistons in '89 if they were 100% healthy. After all, they swept their W.Conf. opposition 11-0 (and don't anyone tell me that they had weak opponents-they won 39, 47, 55 games respectively, while the opponents of the Pistons won 42, 49, and 47), which isn't an indicator of a team done. Those were the healthy Lakers. The Finals' Lakers played all their games without Byron Scott and only a little more than 1.5 game with Magic.

[OldSchoolBBall]

A truly great player, no worse than #5 all time. I've been watching some videos of him recently, and dude threw up junk all the time that somehow went in. I used to be like "you've gotta be kidding me," because it was so ugly (semi-hooks and ugly off-balance runners, wild layups etc.), but the more I watch him, the more I realize that he had tremendous concentration as a shot maker. There's no other explanation for so many ugly, awkward, well-defended shots to go in.

[32jazz]

I disagree however on the season. '90 or '91 maybe, since vital players like Kareem, Cooper, Rambis, also Pat Riley, all left, while Worthy and Scott quickly fell off their primes. But I still think that the Lakers could have beaten the Pistons in '89 if they were 100% healthy. After all, they swept their W.Conf. opposition 11-0 (and don't anyone tell me that they had weak opponents-they won 39, 47, 55 games respectively, while the opponents of the Pistons won 42, 49, and 47), which isn't an indicator of a team done. Those were the healthy Lakers. The Finals' Lakers played all their games without Byron Scott and only a little more than 1.5 game with Magic.

Point well taken. Saying the word "Done' for the '89 lakers is a bit of an over statement perhaps , but they were certainly on their lasts legs. I feel like the Lakers were fortunate:bowdown: to get out of the 88 Finals with the ring. I saw in the improved Pistons in '89, the same thing I saw in the 87 Lakers who were on a mission after a disapointing finish the prevous season. Maybe my fear of the Pistons rematch in '89 has persuaded me over time that they 'probably' wouldn't win heathly or not.

I concede that 89 was not as much of a foregone conclusion that the Lakers would lose (with a healthy team) as opposed to the 91 Lakers vs the Bulls.
(11-0 in the Western Conference playoffs is amazing. People don't realize how much the Lakers absolutely dominated the West in the 80's.
Magic played twelve(12) seasons & made nine(9) NBA :oldlol: Finals Domination of a conference unseen since the days of the Celtics/Russell).

Maybe not with 100% certainty in '89 ,but around '90 or '91 the Lakers didn't matchup as well with the Blazers nor the Bulls(although they did upset the Blazers in 91)

I do assume you agree that the Lakers would have been justified in moving Scott & Worthy(or both) for a 'tweener' like Richmond ,Drexler, Ron Harper,etc... or similiar type versatile player of the era after '90 or '91 seasons?
What could the 91 Lakers have done to retool that team after the '91 Finals loss?

[crisoner]

I dont know if this was mentioned but...

1. Magic, that nickname alone is awesome. So much how dare anything call him Ervin? Thats blasphemy unless you gave birth to him. Then I'll kindly hand his mother the shoe to whack me upside the head.



Sir Charles and Divas call him Erv.

But good call...Magic.....got to give daps on that. His nickname is so good everyone refers to him as simply Magic.

Thanks to the OP on this thread. Magic is the single person who got me in to basketball. My favorite player of all time.


Question....do you think Magic has anything to do with Orlando naming their team Magic? Or is that just the whole Disney thing?

[Psileas]

I do assume you agree that the Lakers would have been justified in moving Scott & Worthy(or both) for a 'tweener' like Richmond ,Drexler, Ron Harper,etc... or similiar type versatile player of the era after '90 or '91 seasons?
What could the 91 Lakers have done to retool that team after the '91 Finals loss?

Yes, I agree that they needed more than a little polishing. Signing Divac, during an era when Europeans weren't widely trusted, and with Kareem gone, was a very good move, but they should also have been alarmed at least with Scott's downfall in '90. It's sometimes a risk, because it's definitely plausible for a 28-29 year old player to make a comeback, but I think if they took it, they could easily fool a few teams for an exchange with a more promising talent. Scott, unfortunately for them, didn't make a comeback. Worthy was still good, but after '91, with Magic gone, he fell hard.

Oh, and hiring Dunleavy after 1990, an inexperienced and more conservative coach, wasn't a great move, either. I think it was Dunleavy in '91 the one who told Magic to play more slowly and according to the playbook, and Magic responded by taking the playbook and throwing it in the sea.

[The Magic Man]

What could the 91 Lakers have done to retool that team after the '91 Finals loss?

Honestly, nothing. Magic's abrupt retirement set the team back a decade. Upgrading the team is one thing but when your main core is on thier last legs as it is and your number one, greatest franchise player ever retires out of nowhere? They were lucky to not be a lottery team for the next 5 seasons. But again, it's a testament to the great Laker front office. Nicky V, Eddie Jones, Ceballos, Shaq, Kobe? Awesome. If they could've somehow swung a deal for Clyde or Richmond do you think they would've had the same impact without Magic?

[Bush4Ever]

One of the smartest players ever.

I have never seen a player create more high percentage shots (shooting and passing) than Magic did.

Truly one of a kind.

[andgar923]

He used to be my fav player growing up. He's still my 2nd fav player to watch play.

Easily a top 5 player of all time.

[32jazz]

Honestly, nothing. Magic's abrupt retirement set the team back a decade. Upgrading the team is one thing but when your main core is on thier last legs as it is and your number one, greatest franchise player ever retires out of nowhere? They were lucky to not be a lottery team for the next 5 seasons. But again, it's a testament to the great Laker front office. Nicky V, Eddie Jones, Ceballos, Shaq, Kobe? Awesome. If they could've somehow swung a deal for Clyde or Richmond do you think they would've had the same impact without Magic?

Sorry Magicman. I didn't make myself clear. I guess I was making the assumption that the Lakers needed to retool after the '90 season & especially '91( before HIV results) when it was obvious they weren't athletic /versatile enough to compete with the Bulls/Blazers as constructed( the brilliant but limited game of Worthy & a 6'3 jump shooting guard in Scott)

Magic needed more versatile players to run with I feel & even he was frustrated after the Bulls loss & was prophetically speaking of retirement:eek:

I was speaking of a rebuild assuming Magic isn't forced to retire(no HIV). I felt at the time that SHOWTIME was over ,but the Lakers were holding on too long just as the Pistons & Celtics.

I was meaning rebuild around Magic/Divac & dangling Worthy(who faded fast):cry: & Scott (whom they eventually traded)for a more versatile swing player like Richmond/Drexler to play alongside Magic. Otherwise the Lakers could never beat the Bulls as constructed. Did you think it was reasonable/plausible for the Lakers to make such a move?(hypothetical) I agree with you about how the Lakers admirably kept it together during those years before Shaq & they were actually a fun team to watch.

West did a solid job cosidering he always had lower round picks because of the Lakers success. (Divac/Elden Campbell/Van Exel in the 2nd rd)

The only glaring mistake he made was in '92(?) when he passed up Sprewell for Anthony Peeler.

[The Magic Man]

Sorry Magicman. I didn't make myself clear. I guess I was making the assumption that the Lakers needed to retool after the '90 season & especially '91( before HIV results) when it was obvious they weren't athletic /versatile enough to compete with the Bulls/Blazers as constructed( the brilliant but limited game of Worthy & a 6'3 jump shooting guard in Scott)

Magic needed more versatile players to run with I feel & even he was frustrated after the Bulls loss & was prophetically speaking of retirement:eek:

I was speaking of a rebuild assuming Magic isn't forced to retire(no HIV). I felt at the time that SHOWTIME was over ,but the Lakers were holding on too long just as the Pistons & Celtics.

I was meaning rebuild around Magic/Divac & dangling Worthy(who faded fast):cry: & Scott (whom they eventually traded)for a more versatile swing player like Richmond/Drexler to play alongside Magic. Otherwise the Lakers could never beat the Bulls as constructed. Did you think it was reasonable/plausible for the Lakers to make such a move?(hypothetical) I agree with you about how the Lakers admirably kept it together during those years before Shaq & they were actually a fun team to watch.

West did a solid job cosidering he always had lower round picks because of the Lakers success. (Divac/Elden Campbell/Van Exel in the 2nd rd)

The only glaring mistake he made was in '92(?) when he passed up Sprewell for Anthony Peeler.

Agreed. If Magic hadn't retired and we picked up a guy like Drexler? Wow. I think he would've suited LA better than Mitch, but Mitch would have brought us much more than the aging B Scott. Lol, sorry, Big Game was my man. I just can't invision trading that guy. (Lakers Trivia: How did the Lakers aquire James Worthy? Anyone know the suprising answer?) Anyway, you bring up a great point of one of West's only mistakes. Can you imagine Spree running with LA. Back when that dude was like Vince Carter (not as much hops, but basically running and dunking at will)?

[momo]

The only glaring mistake he made was in '92(?) when he passed up Sprewell for Anthony Peeler.

I really liked peeler but I never knew we could have had spree. I think the team was morphing from an aging fast break/pressure D squad to a more half court squad and I do not how it would have played out had Mag not retired... it is tough to say.

They did do a remarkable job getting back to respectability after 1 year in the lottery. I still o_O at that. 1 year in the lotto and one later after they get rid of shaq. Amazing.


~~~

Great thread. Magic made the game so fun and classy. I loved how he seemed to be able to compete at a high level with fierce rivals and still be smiling and friendly with them after.

[Psileas]

(Lakers Trivia: How did the Lakers aquire James Worthy? Anyone know the suprising answer?)

Yes, it was an older deal the Lakers had done with some mediocre team (I think the Cavs), by giving them a couple of role players for their 1st round draft pick. This team had a bad '82 season, winning the #1 pick of the '82 drafts, which went to the Lakers.

[Bigsmoke]

The Best PG Ever

[32jazz]

Agreed. If Magic hadn't retired and we picked up a guy like Drexler? Wow. I think he would've suited LA better than Mitch, but Mitch would have brought us much more than the aging B Scott. Lol, sorry, Big Game was my man. I just can't invision trading that guy. (Lakers Trivia: How did the Lakers aquire James Worthy? Anyone know the suprising answer?) Anyway, you bring up a great point of one of West's only mistakes. Can you imagine Spree running with LA. Back when that dude was like Vince Carter (not as much hops, but basically running and dunking at will)?

The Lakers traded Dan or Don ford to the Cavaliers & swapped 1st round picks I believe (Lakers 80 for Cavs '82) Well obviousy that Ford thing didn't work out so well:oldlol: & the Lakers got the #1 OVERALL pick from Cleveland. This after winning the 82 finals:eek:
A question for you magicMan: On hindsight Do you think the Lakers should have picked Dominique Wilkins(2nd or 3rd pick) with that pick instead of Worthy? Imagine Wilkins running the break with Magic:bowdown:

Yeah that's what I meant about Worthy. I knew that wouldn't be a fan friendly favorite move ,but I thought it was obvious Worthy was a brilliant athlete although he could not match the versatility of Pippen nor Jordan like a Drexler/Richmod/Harper type. Magic needed help in that 91 Finals & it was obvious the lakers as constructed could't beat the Bulls. I just thought what if the Lakers dangled Worthy/Perkins or Scott for someone more versatile to run with Magic /Divac/Green/Campbell/Threatt.

[32jazz]

I really liked peeler but I never knew we could have had spree. I think the team was morphing from an aging fast break/pressure D squad to a more half court squad and I do not how it would have played out had Mag not retired... it is tough to say.

They did do a remarkable job getting back to respectability after 1 year in the lottery. I still o_O at that. 1 year in the lotto and one later after they get rid of shaq. Amazing.


~~~

Great thread. Magic made the game so fun and classy. I loved how he seemed to be able to compete at a high level with fierce rivals and still be smiling and friendly with them after.

Sprewell didn't go until #24 in that draft & the Lakers picked up Peeler earlier in the round. For some reason most teams & the Lakers passed up on Spre (My uncle says it was because Sprewell was slightly injured & had poor workouts:confusedshrug: If anyone knows please inform us. Was it attitude /personal issues?)



I must admit considering the late picks the Lakers always got in the late 80's/early 90's West did a solid job of findng guys late in the draft with .

Vlade Divac/Elden Campbell with number twenty something picks:applause:

Lone mistake of Peeler over Spre in '92, but he did trade for Doug christie from the Sonics that year

Also got Van Exel in the 2nd round in 93':applause:

They picked up the fun/solid Sedale Threatt in a '91 trade & was on their way to retooling the team ,but for Magic's retirement:cry:

Those post Magic Pre Shaq teams were young & actually fun to watch although they were mediocre.

If not for Shaq simply walking into Jerry West office & saying 'sign me' the Lakers would have lanquished in mediocrity for nearly another decade after Magic , or until Kobe develooped.

If you really want to see Magic's greatness find the Fg% of all of his Lakers teammates(post the someone) from the previous season he played & the season Magic retired .All but AC Greens numbers dropped(mostly got garbage baskets) & Scott & Worthy were never the same:cry:

[D.J.]

Greatest point guard of all time. He very well may have had the greatest court vision of anyone that has played the game, was great in the clutch, and could play just about any position if he had to.

[The Magic Man]

A question for you magicMan: On hindsight Do you think the Lakers should have picked Dominique Wilkins(2nd or 3rd pick) with that pick instead of Worthy? Imagine Wilkins running the break with Magic:bowdown:


Hmmm, that's a tough one. Of course hindsight is 20/20 and Nique may have been more explosive and exciting to watch but I truely believe that pound for pound (God, I can't believe i used that stupid phrase) Worthy was just as good, if not better than Nique. Again, hindsight being what it is, maybe knowing about his injuries would be the only reason to make that move. I mean I can't take anything away from Nique. He probably has his picture in the dictionary under slasher and maybe that's all the Lakers would have needed from him anyway but I think James brought more to the team than his slashing abilities.

I guess folks could argue about Wilkins and Worthy all day but imagine this. Lakers have 3rd pick and Worthy and Wilkins are gone. We select Terry Cummings. Do the Lakers still win 3 titles? More? Less?

[32jazz]

I think I may have made this point before to let people understand just how great Magic Johnson really was. Even when MJ abruptly retired his effect upon teammates wasn't as noticable at least in the win column & FG% of his teammates. With Magic on the roster in '91 his teammates shot the following FG% :

'91 w/ Magic

Worthy /49.2% FG
Scott /47.7
Divac /56.5
Perkins /47.7
E Campbell /45.5
Smith /44.1
AC Green /47.6
Teagle /44.3
But compare how they fare in'92 w/o magic on the roster:

Worthy /44.7% FG:eek:
Scott /45.8
Divac /49.5
Perkins /45.0
E Campbell /44.8
Smith /39.9
AC Green /47.6
Teagle /45.2


Now I think the notion that one player makes another better is nonsense. You are what you are, but Magic proves how important he was to his other teammates & this is the closest you can come to 'making others better'. His teammates like Worthy & Divac are hurt the most:eek: while AC Green, whom got most of his points on put backs/garbage, was effected the least. Teagle is the only teammate(of 8) to improve his FG% without Magic on the team from the previous season. They also dropped 15 games in the win column despite replacing Magic with a very solid 'true' NBA guard like Sedale Threatt.









I guess folks could argue about Wilkins and Worthy all day but imagine this. Lakers have 3rd pick and Worthy and Wilkins are gone. We select Terry Cummings. Do the Lakers still win 3 titles? More? Less?

Had a friend who was a big fan of the 80's Bucks fan(especially Pressey/Moncrief/Cummings)who were actually one of the forgotten good teams of that era.

Though Cummings was a better rebounder(statistically) than both Worthy & Wilkins I don't feel that he had that extra burst/explosiveness or killer instinct that both Worthy & Wilkins(ask Bird) proved to have in the playoffs. While I think Cummings would definitetly have been successful playing with Magic I doubt if Showtime would have been Showtime w/o Worthy. I say they definitely win no more ,but I would guess LESS than three.

While Wilkins on the other hand I truely feel would have made the Lakers MORE invincible & his durability would have assured the Lakers of even MORE playoff success & more than 3 rings.

[lilmarcgasol]

my highschool math teacher was Magic's old buddy from Detroit he moved out to LA too and said Magic helped him get in the entertainment business (my math teach also organizes soul and soca festivals) said Magic is always helping out his buddies from detroit, getting them jobs and connections and still chilling with them, Magic is simply the best Laker of all time

[crisoner]

What separates Magic from every other b-ball player is what he has done after retirement. I mean with all his business ventures given back to poor communities across the country.....Magic is the man! Dude is making billions right now...so in some ways you can say he might be a better business man then he was a basketball player.....well lets just say he is great at both.

I want Magic to run for Gov here in California!!!!

[The Magic Man]

I think I may have made this point before to let people understand just how great Magic Johnson really was. Even when MJ abruptly retired his effect upon teammates wasn't as noticable at least in the win column & FG% of his teammates. With Magic on the roster in '91 his teammates shot the following FG% :

'91 w/ Magic

Worthy /49.2% FG
Scott /47.7
Divac /56.5
Perkins /47.7
E Campbell /45.5
Smith /44.1
AC Green /47.6
Teagle /44.3
But compare how they fare in'92 w/o magic on the roster:

Worthy /44.7% FG:eek:
Scott /45.8
Divac /49.5
Perkins /45.0
E Campbell /44.8
Smith /39.9
AC Green /47.6
Teagle /45.2


Now I think the notion that one player makes another better is nonsense. You are what you are, but Magic proves how important he was to his other teammates & this is the closest you can come to 'making others better'. His teammates like Worthy & Divac are hurt the most:eek: while AC Green, whom got most of his points on put backs/garbage, was effected the least. Teagle is the only teammate(of 8) to improve his FG% without Magic on the team from the previous season. They also dropped 15 games in the win column despite replacing Magic with a very solid 'true' NBA guard like Sedale Threatt.








Had a friend who was a big fan of the 80's Bucks fan(especially Pressey/Moncrief/Cummings)who were actually one of the forgotten good teams of that era.

Though Cummings was a better rebounder(statistically) than both Worthy & Wilkins I don't feel that he had that extra burst/explosiveness or killer instinct that both Worthy & Wilkins(ask Bird) proved to have in the playoffs. While I think Cummings would definitetly have been successful playing with Magic I doubt if Showtime would have been Showtime w/o Worthy. I say they definitely win no more ,but I would guess LESS than three.

While Wilkins on the other hand I truely feel would have made the Lakers MORE invincible & his durability would have assured the Lakers of even MORE playoff success & more than 3 rings.

Great post as usual. I don't know if my repping you does anything but, you my friend are repped. Anyway, I do agree that a player can't magicaly make someone better but I do think you can make someone more efficent by helping them utilize thier skills. Playing with Magic and simply running during fastbreaks ment a defenite scoring boost for you. That's how he made people "better", I guess. It's like a shooter playing with Shaq. He draws the double-team, kicks it out to you and now your open for the three. Did he help your shot leave your hands and go in the basket? No, but he got you the wide open look.

I do know where you're coming from with Nique. His durability alone would've pushed the team to even more greatness. We may have had a better chance against the Bulls. Who knows, maybe Nique doesn't throw the bad pass that Worthy did against Boston. But would he had put up the monster series Worthy did against Detroit in 88? Plus, the titles we lost, other than that Boston one and the MJ masacre can't really be linked to James in any way (James did miss a freethrow in Game 2 of the 89 Finals that would've tied the game). Heck, if Magic and B Scott didn't go down, I have no doubt we would've beat Detroit. I don't know. Maybe it's my Big Game James bias. It's a pretty good toss up though.

[32jazz]

Playing with Magic and simply running during fastbreaks ment a defenite scoring boost for you. That's how he made people "better", I guess. It's like a shooter playing with Shaq. He draws the double-team, kicks it out to you and now your open for the three. Did he help your shot leave your hands and go in the basket? No, but he got you the wide open look.

I do know where you're coming from with Nique. His durability alone would've pushed the team to even more greatness. We may have had a better chance against the Bulls. Who knows, maybe Nique doesn't throw the bad pass that Worthy did against Boston. But would he had put up the monster series Worthy did against Detroit in 88? Plus, the titles we lost, other than that Boston one and the MJ masacre can't really be linked to James in any way (James did miss a freethrow in Game 2 of the 89 Finals that would've tied the game). Heck, if Magic and B Scott didn't go down, I have no doubt we would've beat Detroit. I don't know. Maybe it's my Big Game James bias. It's a pretty good toss up though.

I undertand where you are coming from ,but it's just that this 'making players better'(becoming cliched) thing is getting a bit out of had & it's often way exaggerrated. But certainly great Players especially great PG's(like Magic) & Centers impact are felt in the way I showed above & in that way make teams/players better . For all intent & purposes Scott & Worthy's careers faltered after not having Magic running the show.

Don't get me wrog I am as big a Worthy fan as anyone & I do not blame him for ANY of our losses for example; when Worthy threw that pass away to Henderson:banghead: he certainly wasnt to blame as Magic(was called Tragic Johnson) had an awful series also(didn't wanna metion that in the Magic appreciation thread though:oldlol: ) I just have alwas been fascinated by what IF with Dominique & how Worthy(a throw back small forward) couldn't match the versatile of 'tweeeners' like Pippen/MJ who both could have played 3 positions legitimately. I would have love to see Magic have a teammate who could match his amazing versatility.

[PoGoMon]

The comeback. First game back: 19 points 8 rebounds 10 assists after being away from the game 5 years! Watch the post game interview. If this guy doesn't have the most magnetic smile ever, I don't know who does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cvWn6fH7Cg

Versus The Bulls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g_qd-fryJE

The Lakers took a beating in this game but watch the post game stuff. Magic's sportsmanship is amazing. And when have you ever seen two star players from opposing teams do interviews together? Peep MJ's comments about L.A.'s heart. Lol, classic stuff.


Magic was confident withOUT being an obnoxious, pompous, arrogant individual(in the words of Raja bell for another LaLaker we won't mention here).

His smile was genuine and his appreciation of other talent was REAL and he still overcame all obstacles without being a total jerk.

AND, most important, he was fun to watch! :bowdown::applause:

[JJ81]

:rockon: :rockon: :rockon: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[JJ81]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_d6JjJ00I4/R-xNwhv2VJI/AAAAAAAAMO4/zE3eQsLq5PI/s400/magic+johnson.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2qao504.jpg

[The Magic Man]

http://i40.tinypic.com/2qao504.jpg

Noooooooooo!!! Don't take the bait JJ! We did an emaculant job of ignoring that troll. This has been one of the most succesfull appreciation threads, as far as troll-appreciation ratio, in a good while. I would hate to see such a wonderful thread be ruined with 3 pages of back and forth bull$hit. As the self appointed President of the Magic Johnson Appreciation Thread I declare all trolls to be ignored. A diss to Magic in this thread is equivellent to a Mike Tyson punch to your mother's face. Try me. I know people.

[The Magic Man]

Magic question of the day...

http://i44.tinypic.com/bjbz20.jpg


http://i44.tinypic.com/2nh00si.jpg

Should Magic Johnson been named 1979-80 NBA Rookie of the Year or was Larry Bird the clear cut choice? Who had the more productive season?

Magic Johnson
18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game
NBA Finals MVP
All Star game starter
All Rookie Team selection

Larry Bird
21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists
Rookie of the Year
All NBA First team
Rookie Team selection
NBA All Star



Brought to you by The Magic Man...the self proclaimed Ambassador of the Magic Johnson Appreciation Thread

[momo]

Magic question of the day...

http://i44.tinypic.com/bjbz20.jpg


http://i44.tinypic.com/2nh00si.jpg

Should Magic Johnson been named 1979-80 NBA Rookie of the Year or was Larry Bird the clear cut choice? Who had the more productive season?

Magic Johnson
18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game
NBA Finals MVP
All Star game starter
All Rookie Team selection

Larry Bird
21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists
Rookie of the Year
All NBA First team
Rookie Team selection
NBA All Star



Brought to you by The Magic Man...the self proclaimed Ambassador of the Magic Johnson Appreciation Thread

I think Bird was the pick but at the time I would have never admitted it.

[32jazz]

Magic question of the day...

Should Magic Johnson been named 1979-80 NBA Rookie of the Year or was Larry Bird the clear cut choice? Who had the more productive season?

Magic Johnson
18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game
NBA Finals MVP
All Star game starter
All Rookie Team selection

Larry Bird
21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists
Rookie of the Year
All NBA First team
Rookie Team selection
NBA All Star



Brought to you by The Magic Man...the self proclaimed Ambassador of the Magic Johnson Appreciation Thread

Bird got it perhaps due mainly to the huge turnaround from the previous season(which I have mentioned someplace). The Celtics were 29-53 the season before Bird & 61-21 his rookie season.(Greatest in NBA history at the time I think)

An argument can be made for Magic also as he picked up the floundering/mediocre Lakers who were 47-35 the season before his arrival & 60-22 his rookie season.

People don't realize how disappointing the Lakers(Kareem years) were before Magic arrived & ,in a way, helped ressurect Kareem's career.

Magic got the last laugh however.:applause:

[The Magic Man]

Bird got it perhaps due mainly to the huge turnaround from the previous season(which I have mentioned someplace). The Celtics were 29-53 the season before Bird & 61-21 his rookie season.(Greatest in NBA history at the time I think)

An argument can be made for Magic also as he picked up the floundering/mediocre Lakers who were 47-35 the season before his arrival & 60-22 his rookie season.

People don't realize how disappointing the Lakers(Kareem years) were before Magic arrived & ,in a way, helped ressurect Kareem's career.

Magic got the last laugh however.:applause:

This was what I was expecting to hear from sensible folks. Some would see the stats and say Bird deserved it based on that alone. I too think that Boston's turnaround was what got him the award. He put up better stats by a smigen, but because the Cs were so bad before him I think that's what did it. And also, I love when people say Magic won titles because of the teams he was on, when in acuality, he saved them, just as you pointed out. If I'm not mistaken, kinda before my time, Kareem had no titles with the Lakers before Magic. Magic arrives and BAM!

How about a little Larry Bird trivia: Why was Bird's rookie season slightly controversial?

[32jazz]

This was what I was expecting to hear from sensible folks. Some would see the stats and say Bird deserved it based on that alone. I too think that Boston's turnaround was what got him the award. He put up better stats by a smigen, but because the Cs were so bad before him I think that's what did it. And also, I love when people say Magic won titles because of the teams he was on, when in acuality, he saved them, just as you pointed out. If I'm not mistaken, kinda before my time, Kareem had no titles with the Lakers before Magic. Magic arrives and BAM!

How about a little Larry Bird trivia: Why was Bird's rookie season slightly controversial?
Did the Bird Controversy have something to do with him being drafted a year even before his final college season? I am not too familiar with Bird's early career.

People don't realize how disappointing the Lakers & Kareem were the four(4) seasons before Magic Johnson arrived & tend to say that Magic always had talent around him. Yes ,but this talent could only muster a 185-143 record the four seasons before he arrived:

75/76 ( Kareems first season ) Lakers 40-42(no playoffs

76/77 Lakers 53-29 (swept by Blazers in WCF's

77/78 (Kareem missed 20 games with broken hand sucker punching Kent Benson in the face) Lakers 45-37(1st rd exit

78/79 Lakers -47-35(loss Conference semis 1-4 to Sonics


The four year Kareem era was very disappointing & Kareem was considered a surly/aloof star & did not have many friends(Kareems's surly attitude is thought to be why he could barely get a coaching job in the NBA & definetely not a head coaching job he desperately & openly wants). The Kent Benson sucker punch only second to the viciousness of the Kermit Washington on Tomjanivich punch of that same era.

Magic came (& Kareem should thank Magic for ressurrectng his career) & now Kareem is fondly remembered with the Magic Showtime Lakers. He was a bitter star before, but his image playing along side the charsmatic Magic was softened just a bit & his legacy a lot different.

[Lebron23]

The most unselfish player in NBA History. I only watched some Magic Johnson games on NBA Vintage Collection, and some of the games that were uploaded on youtube.

If he is still playing in the NBA today He would be my favorite basketball player.

[Lebron23]

Did the Bird Controversy have something to do with him being drafted a year even before his final college season? I am not too familiar with Bird's early career.

People don't realize how disappointing the Lakers & Kareem were the four(4) seasons before Magic Johnson arrived & tend to say that Magic always had talent around him. Yes ,but this talent could only muster a 185-143 record the four seasons before he arrived:

75/76 ( Kareems first season ) Lakers 40-42(no playoffs

76/77 Lakers 53-29 (swept by Blazers in WCF's

77/78 (Kareem missed 20 games with broken hand sucker punching Kent Benson in the face) Lakers 45-37(1st rd exit

78/79 Lakers -47-35(loss Conference semis 1-4 to Sonics


The four year Kareem era was very disappointing & Kareem was considered a surly/aloof star & did not have many friends(Kareems's surly attitude is thought to be why he could barely get a coaching job in the NBA & definetely not a head coaching job he desperately & openly wants). The Kent Benson sucker punch only second to the viciousness of the Kermit Washington on Tomjanivich punch of that same era.

Magic came (& Kareem should thank Magic for ressurrectng his career) & now Kareem is fondly remembered with the Magic Showtime Lakers. He was a bitter star before, but his image playing along side the charsmatic Magic was softened just a bit & his legacy a lot different.

Repped

Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul Jabbar needed each other. In my opinion they are still the best duo in NBA History. I actually ranked Magic over Kareem because the Lakers were still a contending team after Jabbar retired in 1989.

[Nevaeh]

Great thread for a great player. I remember moving to So Cal in 87 at the age of 14 and getting back into the NBA thanks to Magic. One thing I always loved about him was how he ran the offense from beginning to end, game after game almost like a grand music conductor.

Every game felt like an event, in that you never knew what player on the Lakers was gonna have a big night on any given night, but you knew Magic's hand prints would be all over the stats of whoever it was. I honestly believe that pure team ball died a little bit with his retirement for a while.

While Magic gave me the love of the game back, MJ helped me to appreciate it as an art form. Although I was hoping for one more ring in 91, I can now appreciate the one of a kind nature of Magic looking back.

[LALakerFan4Life]

GOAT Laker and GOAT PG.

[evilmonkey]

GOAT Laker and GOAT PG.

Sure, but he was not just a PG...

Stockton was just a PG, I.Thomas was just a PG... and so on... Magic was more than just a PG... he was the best Point-Forward ever, a guy who dominated from other positions aswell, he was more accurately a PG-SG-SF-PF and heck even Center at times... :D

[Psileas]

The arguably GOAT offensive player (GOAT PG is kind of obvious) and the most exciting team ever are at last getting some serious Youtube love at http://www.youtube.com/user/lakeptic#p/u

If someone could make some mixes out of these games, it would be appreciated (and not just by me).

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson 1987 NBA Finals (http://www.youtube.com/user/tjhunt76?feature=mhum#g/c/B832C9485BF29922)

[Da_Realist]

Magic's Flu Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9N5Nd-Xf64)

[jlauber]

Magic Johnson 1987 NBA Finals (http://www.youtube.com/user/tjhunt76?feature=mhum#g/c/B832C9485BF29922)

I will rep you as soon as I am allowed to...

[Lakers13]

Magic :bowdown:

Greatest Laker ever

[jlip]

Magic's Flu Game (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9N5Nd-Xf64)

THANKS!

[crisoner]

This man is the reason I started watching basketball plain and simple.

[the_wise_one]

http://i44.tinypic.com/zwf62w.jpg

Magic Question of the Day...

If not for injuries to both James Worthy and Byron Scott, would the Lakers have beaten the Chicago Bulls in the 1991 NBA Finals or was it just MJ's time?



No they won't.

[Da_Realist]

Magic vs Boston 12-11-87 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z53JzK3PjD4)

[Psileas]

12 assists by halftime (although he had 3 after the commentator firstly claimed he had 10), 18/8/17 overall, ridiculous winning basket, in Boston.

Like some wise man of these boards would say, that was almost as good as Nash...

[sh0wtime]

Best thread ever. :bowdown:

[DuMa]

best laker ever. that comeback in 96 was underrated as hell. it was amazing what he could do after not playing for so many years.

[Force]

Best Laker ever

Best Point guard ever

Best LEADER ever

he made all his teammates better from day 1...it didn't take him 12 years to become a leader, like Phil Jackson said about Kobe.

Magic is the man

[MastahX]

second best pg ever to play! :applause:

[Kobe 4 The Win]

My favorite player ever and the reason I fell in love with Basketball. I would have liked to see how the 1989 finals would have ended up if Magic and Byron Scott would have been able to play all the games. Magic is one of those rare guys who really makes his teamates better. I think a lot of people today don't understand how great he was.

[Lebron23]

second best pg ever to play! :applause:


Lol

[sh0wtime]

second best pg ever to play! :applause:

Not sure if you are serious, but in terms of talent-skill that probably could be true when you think of the name Oscar Robertson.

[Jacks3]

2nd best Laker ever. :bowdown:

[brownmamba00]

2nd best Laker ever. :bowdown:

The first one being Kareem?

[Jacks3]

No, West if you're going by everything (coaching, managing, playing).

But Magic is definitely the greatest Laker player.

[Lakerlove420]

Much love to favorite player of all time
MAGIC JOHNSON

I'm looking at my Magic shrine in my office right now..
just thinking back........







great thread

[jlip]

Magic introduced me to the NBA back in '87. My favorite thing about him is that he could be playing what appeared to be a "Robin" role, but still be the most important player on the court. While he was a walking triple double, his stats don't do him justice. His greatness was seen in how he made everybody else's stats look better and more efficient.

[Sakkreth]

My favourite laker ever.

[Da_Realist]

Magic vs Sixers 1982 Finals Game 6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8I6OUinFlc)

Magic Johnson dominates the game taking only 3 shots.

[sh0wtime]

Magic vs Sixers 1982 Finals Game 6 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8I6OUinFlc)

Magic Johnson dominates the game taking only 3 shots.

Thanks! Would rep you if i could.

[Da_Realist]

Thanks! Would rep you if i could.

Thanks :cheers:

[sh0wtime]

Notice Magic didnt even play PG back then, Norm Nixon was starting PG, Magic still couldnt help but dish millions of assists.

[Da_Realist]

Notice Magic didnt even play PG back then, Norm Nixon was starting PG, Magic still couldnt help but dish millions of assists.

Magic led everyone in rebounding during the series at almost 11 boards per game (10.8). The next highest rebounding average was 8.2 by Dr. J. Caldwell Jones averaged 7.8. Kareem 7.7. He averaged almost 3 more rebounds per game than the next highest.

He won the Finals MVP after taking only 60 shots the whole series. That's 10 shot attempts per game.

Magic has had better series. Everyone knows about 1987. I would argue that his performance in the 1988 Finals is very underrated but the way he played that year in the face of that Pistons defense should get better noticed (and most definitely should have gotten him the Finals MVP award -- Magic had a lot to do with Worthy winning it). He's had greater games and series. I chose to highlight this game because it captures just how unique Magic was. I don't know what other player I could have made a video like this for. He made 2 shots the whole game yet was the best player on the floor. This includes Kareem, Dr J, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon and Maurice Cheeks. Magic had his hands in everything and to top it off, he averaged 3 steals.

It's games/series like this that goes unnoticed in this numbers-crazy era we are in now. 13 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists looks nice, but not dominant.

[evilmonkey]

Do u guys think Magic could play PG in todays era to? I mean he was like 6-9-250, wouldnt he get killed by other PGs defensivelly? He wasnt even able to guard PGs back then as he would switch to guard Forwards aswell.

I mean not even Lebron at that size who is even quicker, faster and better defender than Magic was is able to guard those pesky little quick PGs today efficiently. How could Magic..........? Or would they just start him at SF or simply just start him at PG and do the usual defensive switch?

Magic would destroy his ankles for life trying to guard somebody like Derrick Rose just for 1 game.

I never thought of Magic as a PG, he is a Point-Forward. PG offensively, Forward defensively.

[Da_Realist]

Do u guys think Magic could play PG in todays era to? I mean he was like 6-9-250, wouldnt he get killed by other PGs defensivelly? He wasnt even able to guard PGs back then as he would switch to guard Forwards aswell.

I mean not even Lebron at that size who is even quicker, faster and better defender than Magic was is able to guard those pesky little quick PGs today efficiently. How could Magic..........? Or would they just start him at SF or simply just start him at PG and do the usual defensive switch?

Magic would destroy his ankles for life trying to guard somebody like Derrick Rose just for 1 game.

I never thought of Magic as a PG, he is a Point-Forward. PG offensively, Forward defensively.

He was always a good team defender, but he wasn't quick enough to guard lightning quick point guards. He'd actually have a much easier time today now that the zone is legalized. BTW, Magic would cause huge matchup problems for the other team as well. 6'9" is 6'9". Steve Nash would have a tougher time trying to match-up with Magic than the other way around.

[sh0wtime]

Do u guys think Magic could play PG in todays era to? I mean he was like 6-9-250, wouldnt he get killed by other PGs defensivelly? He wasnt even able to guard PGs back then as he would switch to guard Forwards aswell.

I mean not even Lebron at that size who is even quicker, faster and better defender than Magic was is able to guard those pesky little quick PGs today efficiently. How could Magic..........? Or would they just start him at SF or simply just start him at PG and do the usual defensive switch?

Magic would destroy his ankles for life trying to guard somebody like Derrick Rose just for 1 game.

I never thought of Magic as a PG, he is a Point-Forward. PG offensively, Forward defensively.

Doesnt matter, as long as he runs the offense.
You shouldnt worry about Magic guarding somebody like Derrick Rose, you should worry about how Rose would guard somebody like Magic. A 6

[Bigsmoke]

wow this guys much have been pretty good:eek:

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Chicago 2-20-87 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYlz3RGurT4)

Magic is trying to prove something here today. As I said before, Jordan is also a candidate for MVP being the leading scorer in the NBA at this point. Therefore Magic is trying to show him that he can really take him to school. -- Red Auerbach

[Fatal9]

Magic would destroy his ankles for life trying to guard somebody like Derrick Rose just for 1 game.
I'd pay to see that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2mcFXUOwag :oldlol:

[HorryIsMyMVP]

He was always a good team defender, but he wasn't quick enough to guard lightning quick point guards. He'd actually have a much easier time today now that the zone is legalized. BTW, Magic would cause huge matchup problems for the other team as well. 6'9" is 6'9". Steve Nash would have a tougher time trying to match-up with Magic than the other way around.
I'm sure it helped Magic that he played with one of the greatest big men of all time and James Worthy. Big men are half of what it takes to play defense in the NBA. If you gave Nash players like Kareem , then all the sudden Nash is a better defender. However Nash has played with Dirk, Amare and Hedo so obviously his defense sucks because his big men are awful defenders. It's kind of a stretch to really compare the two as they did all sorts of different things. The only real simularity between Nash and Magic is that they can both run an offense and dominate the game without shooting. In my opinion their offensive games were entirely different and Nash's would hold up in the 80's play style. I'm not sure if Magic's offense would hold up in today's NBA.

[Lebron23]

I'm sure it helped Magic that he played with one of the greatest big men of all time and James Worthy. Big men are half of what it takes to play defense in the NBA. If you gave Nash players like Kareem , then all the sudden Nash is a better defender. However Nash has played with Dirk, Amare and Hedo so obviously his defense sucks because his big men are awful defenders. It's kind of a stretch to really compare the two as they did all sorts of different things. The only real simularity between Nash and Magic is that they can both run an offense and dominate the game without shooting. In my opinion their offensive games were entirely different and Nash's would hold up in the 80's play style. I'm not sure if Magic's offense would hold up in today's NBA.

What are you talking about. Nash is one of the best PG's in NBA History, but you cannot compare him to Magic Johnson who won 5 NBA titles in the Showtime Era.

He led his team in the NBA Finals after Kareem Abdul Jabbar retired in the 1989 NBA Season. Steve Nash failed to lead his team in the NBA Finals.

[Lebron23]

Magic Johnson is also a much better playoffs peformer than Steve Nash. The guy averaged 20 ppg, 12.3 apg 7.7 rpg, and 2.0 spg in 190 playoffs games.

[KoRn]

I'm sure it helped Magic that he played with one of the greatest big men of all time and James Worthy. Big men are half of what it takes to play defense in the NBA. If you gave Nash players like Kareem , then all the sudden Nash is a better defender. However Nash has played with Dirk, Amare and Hedo so obviously his defense sucks because his big men are awful defenders. It's kind of a stretch to really compare the two as they did all sorts of different things. The only real simularity between Nash and Magic is that they can both run an offense and dominate the game without shooting. In my opinion their offensive games were entirely different and Nash's would hold up in the 80's play style. I'm not sure if Magic's offense would hold up in today's NBA.

get the hell out of here. put magic on the suns a few years ago and they would have went over the hump. magic and run and guns suns would kick ass. only difference is when the game slows down and you have to play half court, magic could post up.

in 1990-1991 season, kareem was not on the team and magic took that team to the nba finals. has nash ever done that? come on now. magic and nash are not on the same tier.

[HorryIsMyMVP]

That was pretty much my point. That you shouldn't compare them because they are two totally different players. But play off basketball is a team thing. No one player in the history of basketball has ever led his team to anything. The closest was Allen Iverson who managed to win one game. Magic always had a great cast around him. Nash's cast? Meh. But as a play off performer I've always thought Nash has done wonderful. He puts up great stats and hits amazing clutch circus shots when games are on the line.

[Da_Realist]

I'm sure it helped Magic that he played with one of the greatest big men of all time and James Worthy. Big men are half of what it takes to play defense in the NBA. If you gave Nash players like Kareem , then all the sudden Nash is a better defender. However Nash has played with Dirk, Amare and Hedo so obviously his defense sucks because his big men are awful defenders. It's kind of a stretch to really compare the two as they did all sorts of different things. The only real simularity between Nash and Magic is that they can both run an offense and dominate the game without shooting. In my opinion their offensive games were entirely different and Nash's would hold up in the 80's play style. I'm not sure if Magic's offense would hold up in today's NBA.

:wtf: Did you watch Jordan check Magic in the video I posted? Jordan, who even then was one of the best defenders in the league and one year away from his DPOY award could not check Magic. Magic toyed with Jordan the whole game. Did whatever he wanted. Tell me, who in this league today could do a better job? Kobe? :oldlol: Paul Pierce? :oldlol: Shane Batier? Tayshaun Prince? James Posey? :oldlol: :oldlol: Lebron may be able to use his size, but he's never been known as a good one on one defender and Magic was quick in 87. Nobody in this league today could stop Magic from doing what he wanted offensively.

[Bigsmoke]

That was pretty much my point. That you shouldn't compare them because they are two totally different players. But play off basketball is a team thing. No one player in the history of basketball has ever led his team to anything. The closest was Allen Iverson who managed to win one game. Magic always had a great cast around him. Nash's cast? Meh. But as a play off performer I've always thought Nash has done wonderful. He puts up great stats and hits amazing clutch circus shots when games are on the line.

Its not like Magic was playing in 1950's. Dude was in the Finals against Jordans Bulls in 1991. You're telling me he wouldnt be effective in todays game?

can u stop comparing Nash to guys Like MJ and Magic please.

whats next? Bird?

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Chicago 2-20-87 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYlz3RGurT4)

Magic is trying to prove something here today. As I said before, Jordan is also a candidate for MVP being the leading scorer in the NBA at this point. Therefore Magic is trying to show him that he can really take him to school. -- Red Auerbach

Just updated

[Psileas]

Thanks again. Someone else had also posted highlights from this game, but he had left out many plays from Magic, as far as I remember.

(I didn't pay attention to the comments of Auerbach. Where does he claim this, about Magic trying to prove something?).

[Da_Realist]

Thanks again. Someone else had also posted highlights from this game, but he had left out many plays from Magic, as far as I remember.

(I didn't pay attention to the comments of Auerbach. Where does he claim this, about Magic trying to prove something?).

I saw that video, too. Erakova, I believe. It was cool, but Magic really...REALLY dominated this game. His video made it seem like it wasn't as one-sided as it was.

From 4:10 - 4:37 of the video, Auerbach mentions that Magic is trying to prove something to Jordan. I think he's right. Notice near the end (right around the 13 minute mark of the video) Magic, after hitting a hook shot that effectively ended the game, ran to the bench and gave his teammate one of those "special" hand gestures. You could tell this game meant a little more to Magic than an average game. It wasn't a rivalry. Chicago was just an average team at this point and LA had won 10 of 11 (or 11 of 12) games in Chicago Stadium. It was clear that Magic was competing against Jordan.

People remember the smiles, hi-fives and all the other stuff, but Magic was a fierce competitor.

[Da_Realist]

Thanks again. Someone else had also posted highlights from this game, but he had left out many plays from Magic, as far as I remember.

(I didn't pay attention to the comments of Auerbach. Where does he claim this, about Magic trying to prove something?).

By the way...Auerbach is a must listen. He makes the video!

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Suns 1989 WCF Game 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKeld4_yZfY)

Magic closes out the Suns

[sh0wtime]

Magic Johnson vs Suns 1989 WCF Game 4 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKeld4_yZfY)

Magic closes out the Suns

Thanks! + rep

Is it you uploading those videos? You must have millions of games! :eek:

Is it games you downloaded or? I have a huge amount of games myself (from the showtime era) and would like to upload also, but most are recorded in VHS tapes (my dad pretty much recorded almost every Laker game in my childhood hehe), wish i knew how to somehow convert them into divx/avi/dvds/cds into my computer or something, lots of rare games im sure many would appreciate.

[Da_Realist]

Thanks! + rep

Is it you uploading those videos? You must have millions of games! :eek:

Is it games you downloaded or? I have a huge amount of games myself (from the showtime era) and would like to upload also, but most are recorded in VHS tapes (my dad pretty much recorded almost every Laker game in my childhood hehe), wish i knew how to somehow convert them into divx/avi/dvds/cds into my computer or something, lots of rare games im sure many would appreciate.

Thanks! I've been in french class so I hadn't had a chance to see how youtube rendered the video yet. The quality of the dvd is horrible. Youtube usually does a good job with it, so I hope it turned out well because I love this game.

Yes, I uploaded them. I've been recording/collecting games for years. About your vhs tapes... I usually convert them to dvd using a vcr/dvd combo player. Then I use software to move the video segments from the dvd to my hard drive. From there, I post them to youtube. I'm not sure how others do it. It's hard work, but those games are golden. You should share them.

[wakencdukest]

Do u guys think Magic could play PG in todays era to? I mean he was like 6-9-250, wouldnt he get killed by other PGs defensivelly? He wasnt even able to guard PGs back then as he would switch to guard Forwards aswell.

I mean not even Lebron at that size who is even quicker, faster and better defender than Magic was is able to guard those pesky little quick PGs today efficiently. How could Magic..........? Or would they just start him at SF or simply just start him at PG and do the usual defensive switch?

Magic would destroy his ankles for life trying to guard somebody like Derrick Rose just for 1 game.

I never thought of Magic as a PG, he is a Point-Forward. PG offensively, Forward defensively.

Obviously magic didn't guard point guards all the time because some of them were too quick for him. In those situations byron scott had to slide over and guard the point. But, it goes the other way as well, No point guard in the league was able to guard him .

All this about him not being able to play in today's game is dead wrong. Who the hell would be able to guard him? What, are you gonna put a power forward on him, or your best defender? You do that and he's gonna find the open man every time. He would be more than capable of playing and DOMINATING in today's game.

[Derka]

Impossible to not praise his competitiveness, his passion, his skill or his ability to will his team to victory. There will never be another Magic Johnson.

[Da_Realist]

Obviously magic didn't guard point guards all the time because some of them were too quick for him. In those situations byron scott had to slide over and guard the point. But, it goes the other way as well, No point guard in the league was able to guard him .

All this about him not being able to play in today's game is dead wrong. Who the hell would be able to guard him? What, are you gonna put a power forward on him, or your best defender? You do that and he's gonna find the open man every time. He would be more than capable of playing and DOMINATING in today's game.

Exactly

[sh0wtime]

Thanks! I've been in french class so I hadn't had a chance to see how youtube rendered the video yet. The quality of the dvd is horrible. Youtube usually does a good job with it, so I hope it turned out well because I love this game.

Yes, I uploaded them. I've been recording/collecting games for years. About your vhs tapes... I usually convert them to dvd using a vcr/dvd combo player. Then I use software to move the video segments from the dvd to my hard drive. From there, I post them to youtube. I'm not sure how others do it. It's hard work, but those games are golden. You should share them.

Thanks for the tips!

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Houston 12-21-86 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKRmk4f5Tfg)

Magic controlled the game from start to finish and leads the Lakers to a win on the road without The Captain

[Psileas]

Thanks for the addition, will watch the highlights later. This was a game where Magic ended up with one of the most insane statlines of the last 30 years - 38/8/16/3, 11/18 FG's, 16/16 FT's. He was told by Riley to score more now that Kareem was missing, and he responded with 4 30-point games in a row (would be 5 if he didn't play only 31' in the 5th one). One game after this, came his career-high of 46 against the Kings.

[32jazz]

I saw that video, too. Erakova, I believe. It was cool, but Magic really...REALLY dominated this game.

From 4:10 - 4:37 of the video, Auerbach mentions that Magic is trying to prove something to Jordan. I think he's right. Notice near the end (right around the 13 minute mark of the video) Magic, after hitting a hook shot that effectively ended the game, ran to the bench and gave his teammate one of those "special" hand gestures. You could tell this game meant a little more to Magic than an average game. It was clear that Magic was competing against Jordan.

People remember the smiles, hi-fives and all the other stuff, but Magic was a fierce competitor.

Magic was always smiling & having fun like a little kid out there ,but he(Magic) would cut your beating heart out with a dull spoon to win a game.

That's why I am annoyed to no end at THOSe who criticize Dwight Howard & Lebron James for simply having fun while they are playing the game they love. Magic proved you can have fun & be a fierce competitor at the same time.


The only reason that I can suspect that Magic was 'trying to prove a point' was because MJ was beginning to get a lot of hype & hadn't won a damn thing.:confusedshrug: By 1987-88, at the absolute height of Showtime, I believe MJ/Bulls had already become the Leagues biggest road draw as well(although fans CLAIM they prefer great team play:facepalm ). MAgic respects winning & he as well as other players (the alleged freeze out All Star game)probably felt a bit sleighted at his popularity ,but no team success.


Magic respects winning more than anything else and is already(not yet) willing to concede that Kobe is the greatest Laker of all time(surpassing him) if he wins his sixth ring(Saw him say this on TNT or ESPn earlier this year). Magic measures greatness by winning.

Magic was the Ultimate team player who could have averaged 30ppg(or close to it) ,but he would not have had as much team success. Unacceptable for Magic though.

[LA KB24]

greatest pg and second greatest player behind MJ.
Agreed with bold.

Disagreed with second greatest behind MJ, that's Kareem.

[crisoner]

MAGIC!!!!

http://starmemorabilia.com.au/images/upload/image/Magic%20Johnson%208x10-2.jpg

YEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

G.O.A.T.!!!!!!

[MakeHistory78]

My 2nd favorite player.The greatest Point Guard ever.The greatest passer ever.A unique player.And of caurse the greatest player in Lakers History.

[Nevaeh]

For those who haven't read it, you should really check out Magic's book titled "My Life". In it he chronicles his years growing up in Michigan leading into his joining the Lakers, who his biggest influences were etc. And it also have bits where his wife Cookie gives her perspective on things also.

There's also a great chapter on Kareem that explains a bit why he had the personality that he did, as well as a chapter setting the record straight on the Paul Westhead firing, something Magic still gets a bad rap about.

[Da_Realist]

Magic vs Boston 02-17-85 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Tn47XNBTus)

Magic with a ridiculous game against the Celtics. He had something to prove this game and he did it emphatically.

[Da_Realist]

Magic buzzer beater vs Boston 02-15-87 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW5WPPf492s)

[jlauber]

Thanks for the addition, will watch the highlights later. This was a game where Magic ended up with one of the most insane statlines of the last 30 years - 38/8/16/3, 11/18 FG's, 16/16 FT's. He was told by Riley to score more now that Kareem was missing, and he responded with 4 30-point games in a row (would be 5 if he didn't play only 31' in the 5th one). One game after this, came his career-high of 46 against the Kings.

I have long maintained that Magic could have averaged 30 ppg over the course of a full season, had he been so inclined. My god, he scored 42 points in a clinching game six win in the Finals...in his ROOKIE season! By the mid-80's his outside shooting was much better, and no one could stop his drives to the hoop. He had a SEASONS in which he shot .561 and .565 for cryingoutloud. He had a Finals, against Bird's Celtics, in which he shot .560. Had he not sacrificed his own offense for the betterment of his teammates, all of whom shot much higher in their careers WITH Magic, than without, he might have led the NBA in scoring.

[Kobe 4 The Win]

I have long maintained that Magic could have averaged 30 ppg over the course of a full season, had he been so inclined. My god, he scored 42 points in a clinching game six win in the Finals...in his ROOKIE season! By the mid-80's his outside shooting was much better, and no one could stop his drives to the hoop. He had a SEASONS in which he shot .561 and .565 for cryingoutloud. He had a Finals, against Bird's Celtics, in which he shot .560. Had he not sacrificed his own offense for the betterment of his teammates, all of whom shot much higher in their careers WITH Magic, than without, he might have led the NBA in scoring.

I agree. Magic was more than capable of scoring 30 ppg. Had he not been selected by LA, he would have been more of a stat monster like Lebron James. Thankfully, he was willing to sacrafice his game in order to make his teammates better and win championships.

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Boston 02-15-87 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L31BLVhSPcI)

Magic Johnson with another monster game against Boston

[32jazz]

I have long maintained that Magic could have averaged 30 ppg over the course of a full season, had he been so inclined. My god, he scored 42 points in a clinching game six win in the Finals...in his ROOKIE season! By the mid-80's his outside shooting was much better, and no one could stop his drives to the hoop. He had a SEASONS in which he shot .561 and .565 for cryingoutloud. He had a Finals, against Bird's Celtics, in which he shot .560. Had he not sacrificed his own offense for the betterment of his teammates, all of whom shot much higher in their careers WITH Magic, than without, he might have led the NBA in scoring.


I agree with you & Kobe that Magic could have avg. 30ppg if he chose to, but that simply wasn't his mindset. Magic simply wanted the simplest shot available in his eyes.

Most skilled offensive players can average 30ppg in this League ,but I would question the overall team well being long term.


If Magic scored 30ppg & took over 20-25 shots per game I don't know how that would have effected the Lakers long term as far as being a championship team.

But there is absolutely NO doubt that Magic could do this.

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson Buzzer Beater vs Suns (1989) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoihkVjqHuw)

Full Game
Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers 03-26-89 (http://www.youtube.com/user/tjhunt1976?feature=mhum#g/c/C451CBD59462C957)
Magic Johnson 34 points (11-22 fgs), 10 rebounds, 18 assists

[Round Mound]

http://i43.tinypic.com/vd0ho6.jpg

Magic question of the day...

If Magic did not retire in 1991, would he be the career assist leader?

Stockton - 18 years, 15,806 assists
Jackson - 14 years, 10,334 assists
Kidd - 15 years, 10,148 assists
Magic - 11 1/2 years, 10,141 assists

Stockton would be 1987-1997 just unreal assister

[pauk]

For me growing up a Sixers fan, I respectfully declare this guy as my personal GOAT. A guy who plays every part and position exceptionally well and possesses a skillset that no player will ever duplicate.

lebron? helloooo?

[Colby Brian]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X_d6JjJ00I4/R-xNwhv2VJI/AAAAAAAAMO4/zE3eQsLq5PI/s400/magic+johnson.jpg

lol hes big, no homo

[Lakers Legend#32]

It's too limiting to say Magic is the greatest Laker or greatest point guard of all-time. Magic was the greatest player ever. Period.

[jlauber]

It's too limiting to say Magic is the greatest Laker or greatest point guard of all-time. Magic was the greatest player ever. Period.

He certainly has a valid argument. Aside from Russell, he has been the greatest "winner" in NBA history. His worst record was 54-28. He took teams to nine finals in 12 seasons, and had he not been injured in '81, and playing well below par, they would have gone to 10. And, had he not missed the last 2 1/2 games of the '89 Finals, they might very well have won another ring. AND, had they not BLOWN two of the first four games of the '84 Finals (and yes, Magic was one of the reasons), they would have SWEPT Boston...and would have added yet another ring. AND, if Worthy had not missed the '83 Finals...who knows?

In any case, just a remarkble career.

[Javat_90]

lebron? helloooo?

lol

He wished, and you wished.

[AlphaWolf24]

lol

He wished, and you wished.


this....Magic IMO is the GOAT

whether a pickup game or organized...I would always take Magic..


....he knows that smell....The smell, you know that gasoline smell... Smells like ... victory

[t-rex]

the man is immortal , he cant even die with hiv


Die???

[Javat_90]

this....Magic IMO is the GOAT

whether a pickup game or organized...I would always take Magic..


....he knows that smell....The smell, you know that gasoline smell... Smells like ... victory
:bowdown:

[Eat Like A Bosh]

Just read the book "When the Game was Ours"
Magic was an incredible man.
I remember when he first got HIV, everyone near him wouldn't even come close to him. In the game nobody dared to be near him.
Until then, he had to start a AIDS foundation to educate people about it, showing that AIDS can't be transmitted directly in everyday interaction.

Also there is a big difference between AIDS and HIV.

[Lakers Legend#32]

No offense to Kobe, but Magic Johnson will always be the greatest Laker ever.

[rodman91]

lebron? helloooo?

Magic > Lebron.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd314/NiGHTS8888/2cwkgwg.gif

[KevinNYC]

To digitize old NBA games on VHS tape, you need a device like this (http://www.amazon.com/Canopus-770-10150-105-ADVC110-A-Converter/dp/B000GJVE8M/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1303742199&sr=1-2) from Canopus and a firewire card.

You hook up your VCR to this device using the same cables (red, white Yellow) you used to hook your VCR up to your TV. Then you connect the device to your PC via firewire cable. Once you do the transfer, you have digital video to edit or post to Youtube.

[OldSchoolBBall]

Magic could not have averaged 30 ppg on anything like good efficiency (49-50% FG). He would top out around 26-28 ppg even if he were trying. Yeah, he averaged 56% FG when he was averaging 18 ppg, but that dropped to 52% when he averaged his career high 23.9 ppg. And maintaining efficiency only gets harder the higher up the ppg ladder you climb. The other two seasons he averaged ~22 ppg, he shot 51% and 48% from the field.

To suggest that he could have been a 30 ppg scorer on good efficiency is as ridiculous as suggesting that Jordan could have averaged 40+ ppg on good efficiency just because he averaged 35 ppg on 54% FG. Probably more ridiculous, actually, because MJ would only be jumping 5 ppg while Magic would be jumping 6 ppg, and MJ's efficiency was already higher than Magic's at this volume (54% FG vs. 52% FG).

Magic is no worse than one of the 5 best players of all time (top 5 by career resume, top 6 by ability/impact minimum). Let's not make him out to be something he isn't, though.

[Da_Realist]

Magic Johnson vs Hawks 03-11-90 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bM2cI81gsk)

[Da_Realist]

Magic gamewinner vs Sonics (April 1990) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f03qEeqV154#t=1h33m17s)

[pauk]

*BUMP*

Instead of starting a new thread i want to post this here...

Did you know Magic averaged up to 10.5 apg as a non-pg???

1982-83 season when Norm Nixon was the starting PG, Magic was starting SG/SF... and still managed to drop 10.5 APG... Infact, his first 4 years in the NBA he didnt touch the PG position, he dropped first 7.3 APG, then 8.6 APG, then 9.5 APG....... all as a SG/SF... Then after the HIV retirement, when he came back to the NBA completely out of shape at the age of 36-37 he started Power-Forward and in 29 minutes STILL averaged 7 APG..................

Did everybody know this?

Yes he was handling the ball at times as a point-forward a la Lebron, but Lebron (or anybody else) didnt manage to do this didnt he?

Soon as Norm Nixon left the next season Magic took over officially at PG and catapulted his average to 13.1 APG....

We have probably seen the best passing specimen to ever be in the NBA... i mean, literally... i am talking about the future, there wont be any better passer than this... especially not at that size... you can completely forget it... All we can do now is watch highlights and be butthurt... :)

[DirtySanchez]

*BUMP*

Instead of starting a new thread i want to post this here...

Did you know Magic averaged up to 10.5 apg as a non-pg???

1982-83 season when Norm Nixon was the starting PG, Magic was starting SG/SF... and still managed to drop 10.5 APG... Infact, his first 4 years in the NBA he didnt touch the PG position, he dropped first 7.3 APG, then 8.6 APG, then 9.5 APG....... all as a SG/SF... Then after the HIV retirement, when he came back to the NBA completely out of shape at the age of 36-37 he started Power-Forward and in 29 minutes STILL averaged 7 APG..................

Did everybody know this?

Yes he was handling the ball at times as a point-forward a la Lebron, but Lebron (or anybody else) didnt manage to do this didnt he?

Soon as Norm Nixon left the next season Magic took over officially at PG and catapulted his average to 13.1 APG....

We have probably seen the best passing specimen to ever be in the NBA... i mean, literally... i am talking about the future, there wont be any better passer than this... especially not at that size... you can completely forget it... All we can do now is watch highlights and be butthurt... :)

Good call on Nixon. I remember when he went to the Clippers a whole lot of Laker fans was pisst. The thought was magic would get used by quicker smaller pg's on dee.....which did happen at times *cough KJ*.

But Magic at his size and court vision.....
Man....miss seeing that cat playing. Fav player if all time.
And yes at tunes LeBron is reminiscent of Magic.
Every real Laker fan loves LeBron's game because of that.