When it comes to naming the greatest point guard in NBA history, one name invariably comes out on top for most basketball fans around the world: Magic Johnson. The Los Angeles Lakers icon brought a unique blend of size and passing to the position during his heyday in the 1980s, and was an integral part of a franchise that had some legendary battles with the likes of Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, and Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons.
Magic was the ultimate facilitator, and standing at an impressive 6 foot 9, had a special advantage compared to some of the other lead guards during the era. From his ability to whizz passes over opposition players' heads, or bouncing one through the eye of a needle to find Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic brought legitimate excitement when anyone was watching the Showtime Lakers.
But who does Johnson himself consider to be the greatest point guards of all-time? After all, there have been some other great names who have gone on to enjoy Hall of Fame careers. Well, while on ESPN's First Take show alongside Stephen A. Smith, Magic finally gave his list of the seven best PGs in NBA history.
7 Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Steve Nash
Even despite winning two Most Valuable Player awards over his NBA career, Steve Nash is somewhat disrespected in the basketball community - you only have to look at Shaquille O'Neal's repeated attempts to undermine the Canadian's MVPs to see that. The on-court brains and leader of the Phoenix Suns in two separate spells, Nash was named to the NBA All-Star Team on eight occasions, and made the All-NBA First Team three times.
A pure facilitator, Nash led the league in assists five times, including for three years in a row between 2005 and 2007. While his career statistics aren't the most eye-catching - he finished with averages of less than 15 points per game and under nine assists per game too - Nash's influence was unmatched. Indeed, Magic Johnson was very effusive in his praise after news was confirmed Nash would be joining the Lakers in 2012.
The excitement will be back at Staples Center. This guy is so much fun to watch. He’s a ‘mini-me’ of me. We’re going to get into the 100s for sure with Steve Nash. It’s almost going back to Showtime.
6 John Stockton
John Stockton
The all-time leader in assists and steals, John Stockton finishes just outside the top five in Magic Johnson's ranking of the greatest point guards in history. The franchise leader of the Utah Jazz during their period of challenging for the NBA title in the 1990s, Stockton's two-man game alongside Karl Malone made them one of the most devastating duos in basketball history.
Stockton's excellence in the pick-and-roll made him virtually impossible to guard, while defensively, he was quick and stout in reading the passing lanes and intercepting the ball. A 10-time All-Star, Stockton would lead the league in assists for a quite incredible nine years in a row from 1988 to 1996, while he finished his career averaging more than 10 assists per game. And, after Stockton passed his total assist numbers, Johnson paid tribute to his former rival.
I don't respect a lot of players, but I respect John Stockton. Every year, you've gotten better and better. Your goal is to win, to make others look better, and to set up your teammates.
5 Chris Paul
Chris Paul
The first of two current players to make the list, Chris Paul is at the tail-end of his career, but continues to be a legendary presence and voice in the NBA even to this day. Now back with the Los Angeles Clippers, CP3 returns home to the place that really put him in the spotlight after several years making a name for himself with the New Orleans Hornets.
Paul's longevity as a point guard is virtually unmatched, making the NBA All-Star Team on 12 occasions, while he is arguably one of the best defenders at his position in history too - he has been named to the All-Defensive First Team seven times and All-Defensive Second Team twice. Paul has also led the league in assists five times, and in steals six times, and is a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer.
I was at the game in LA when he saw the Lakers coming back and said, 'Oh let me put a stop to this, and I'm going to take over, and he scored the next four possessions, and the game was over. I love the way Chris Paul thinks the game. He has that Laker mentality, and I'm still mad at the NBA for not letting that trade go through. He should've been a Laker a long time ago.
4 Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd
An NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 in one of his final seasons as a player, Jason Kidd was one of the finest point guards of the 2000s. Named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, Kidd was named the co-Rookie of the Year along with Grant Hill in 1995, and went on to enjoy a very successful career with various franchises.
A 6 foot 4 point guard, Kidd arguably enjoyed his best years while with the Phoenix Suns, being named to the All-NBA First Team five times over his career. His 1998/1999 season saw him also make the All-Defensive First Team as well as leading the league in assists.
3 Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
The man who can say he beat Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics, and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Isiah Thomas deserves his spot in the top 3 of the greatest point guards of all-time. The on-court leader of the 'Bad Boys' during the 1980s, Thomas was the ultimate facilitator, but could also get a bucket himself too.
He embodied the Detroit team's fighting spirit and intensity, and while it certainly ruffled a few feathers, he put his body on the line night-in and night-out to ensure they won. In the end, he would be rewarded for his efforts, winning back-to-back titles, as well as winning Finals MVP in the second of those triumphs.
Isiah led his team to back-to-back championships and that's hard to do. I'm not going to take anything away from John Stockton because I played against him six times a year, and he was incredible.
But he wasn't the go-to guy at the end of the games, in the fourth quarter where Isiah was that guy. We saw Isiah score 50 points, 45 points. We didn't see John Stockton do that, and that's what we're talking about.
2 Steph Curry
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry
The undisputed greatest shooter in NBA history, and one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, Stephen Curry has single-handedly changed the way basketball is played forever. His three-point shooting and long-range efforts have made him the envy of the league, with teams having to draw up very specific plans to try and deny him the ball in the first place.
Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA titles, and was named back-to-back MVP in 2015 and 2016. Despite his scoring efforts and supreme ability, he, perhaps surprisingly, has only led the league in scoring twice. Nevertheless, Curry is an 11-time All-Star who will fancy his chances of adding to that tally before his career is over, while he will also be keen to add to his championship rings and close in on what Magic Johnson has done.
He's one of the greatest of all time. Then, he changed the game forever... Nobody we've seen ever with the ability of Steph Curry to shoot that basketball. The greatest shooter we've ever seen in history... He also brought in fans that we didn't have in the NBA before. He brought in kids.
1 Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson
Even Magic Johnson couldn't snub himself from the number one spot for the greatest point guards of all-time. The Los Angeles Lakers legend is the undisputed GOAT when it comes to the PG position, whether it's based on the eye test or simply by looking at his stats and achievements. The 1st overall pick of the 1979 NBA Draft, Magic would win the title five times alongside the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, and was named the Finals MVP on three of those occasions.
Aside from winning as a team, Magic also earned three MVP awards across his career, the most of any point guard, while his 12 NBA All-Star appearances are the most for any player in that position too. Then, when you factor in the fact he finished his career averaging 11.2 assists per game - the most in NBA history - and you can see why Magic would still put himself first. When asked about whether Curry could be regarded as the best point guard in NBA history ahead of him, Magic had this to say:
OK, so, if he got more than five championships, more than three Finals MVPs, and more than three league MVPs… If he were No. 1 in Finals assists, No. 2 in playoff double-doubles, No. 1 in playoff triple-doubles, No. 4 in playoff steals—if he had more in all those categories, then he’s the greatest. But the last time I checked, he doesn’t. Everybody has to decide for themselves who they think the best is.