After nearly 30 years as the undisputed greatest point guard in NBA history, Magic Johnson finally has competition for the top spot. Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has changed the game, racked up generational accolades, and reached a level on the scale of iconography that few have ever even dreamed of.
For as strong of a case as Curry has for being the greatest point guard ever, an absurd statistic has reaffirmed Johnson’s status as No. 1.
Johnson accomplished virtually everything under the basketball sun during his iconic Los Angeles Lakers career. He was a perennial statistical league leader, a legendary postseason performer, and a landscape-altering presence who ranks among the few who can compete with Curry’s influence on the NBA.
A study by HoopsHype has provided one more feather in Johnson's cap: He has the highest average of postseason wins per season amongst every All-Star in NBA history—by a massive margin of 0.85.
"The Lakers legend not only holds the record for the best winning percentage ever (minimum 250 games) at 73.95 percent, but, according to our research, he's also the All-Star with the most playoff wins per season in NBA history. And it's not particularly close, with Johnson averaging 9.85 playoff wins per year, well ahead of Klay Thompson and Jayson Tatum, who are tied at 9.00."
One of the greatest players and winners in NBA history, that statistic epitomizes why Johnson is still the greatest point guard of all time.
Magic Johnson has most playoff wins per season of any NBA All-Star
Despite retiring prematurely, Johnson finished his career with an almost unrivaled résumé. He was a five-time NBA champion, three-time Finals MVP, three-time regular-season MVP, 10-time All-NBA honoree with nine First-Team nods, and a six-time league leader.
Johnson was No. 1 in the Association in assists on four separate occasions and finished atop the steals leaderboard twice.
Furthermore, Johnson finished no lower than third in MVP voting in an absurd nine consecutive seasons between 1982-83 and 1990-91. He also led the Lakers to the NBA Finals in the final season before his retirement—without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Compounded by the influence that Johnson and rival Larry Bird had on the growth of the NBA and basketball as a global sport, his career borders on untouchable.
Curry has made the conversation more interesting than perhaps ever before. He's revolutionized the NBA's approach to three-point shooting while winning four championships, taking home a pair of MVP awards, and disrupting what was rapidly becoming a one-man show with LeBron James at the top of the hierarchy.
The statistic provided by HoopsHype was a necessary reminder, however, of just how brilliant Johnson was.
Johnson's Lakers lost in the first round just once during his initial 12-year run, making the NBA Finals nine times. For what it's worth: It'd been six years since the franchise had last reached the championship round, let alone the Conference Finals, when he was drafted.
There's an extraordinary list of all-time great point guards who have graced the hardwood, but Johnson stands alone as the greatest of all time.