Amid countless rambling debates over which NBA players deserve “superstar” classification, Magic Johnson provided the simplest definition.
Magic was in New York this week to join ESPN’s Get Up and First Take on Thursday morning, where he encouraged the Knicks to pursue a trade for Kevin Durant this offseason. According to Johnson, the price shouldn’t matter because it would leave the Knicks with “two superstars” in Durant and Jalen Brunson. The declaration prompted Stephen A. Smith to ask for Magic Johnson’s definition of a superstar.
Magic Johnson defines a superstar – “A person who can go on the road and sell the building out.” pic.twitter.com/KeXDsIsQby
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 12, 2025
“A person who can go on the road and sell the building out,” Johnson said. “Simple. ‘I’m going to see that person.’ You gotta be box office. You’re running home from the office saying, ‘I gotta see him on TV.’ Right? Larry Bird, people running home. Charles Barkley, people running home. Shaq, people running home. Kobe, people running home.
“And then, of course, the greatest that’s ever played, Michael Jordan, people running home to see him, or they’re trying their best to get into the arena to see the brother play. That’s a superstar. Who could go on the road and sell the building out?”
In recent months, ESPN has been enthralled with attempting to crown the next face of the NBA, and the debate often starts with needing to be a superstar. LeBron James and Steph Curry have been must-watch for decades. Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are among the NBA’s next wave of superstars. And although he has the Indiana Pacers just two wins away from their first NBA championship in franchise history, Tyrese Haliburton has been kept out of the “superstar” realm by Stephen A. Smith.
Earlier this week, Haliburton dismissed any media criticism of his game, which prompted Smith to assume the Pacers All-Star was referring to him. Smith appeared hypersensitive to what he considered a slight, and he responded by warning Haliburton not to call him out.
Under the guidance of Johnson’s definition, Haliburton is not a superstar. Knicks fans might be eager to buy tickets when the Pacers come to New York next season, because Haliburton is now enemy number one. But Haliburton hasn’t reached the status of being a player who can consistently go on the road and sell out the building.
Smith may have been right in saying Haliburton isn’t a “superstar,” yet. But attempting to thrust himself into the NBA Finals conversation by diminishing Haliburton was wrong.