November 16, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NBA players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Irvin “Magic” Johnson on stage during the ceremony unveiling the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar statue in front of the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
2. MAGIC JOHNSON
Basketball Hall of Fame
5x NBA Champion
3x NBA Finals MVP
3x NBA MVP
12x NBA All-Star
You still can’t find a kinder individual or a brighter smile in all of sports. And it almost feels like a travesty not to have him number one on this list.
He lead the showtime Lakers to five NBA titles, becoming a three-time league MVP and three-time Finals MVP along the way.
Johnson is the Lakers’ all time leader in assists (10,141) and boast the highest assists per game average in NBA history (11.2).
In Lakers’ postseason history, Johnson ranks 1st in assists (2,346), 1st in steals (358), 4th in points (3,701), 3rd in games played (190) and 5th in rebounds (1,465) all time.
Unfortunately, Johnson’s career was cut short by HIV. But you still catch Magic as an NBA analyst or at a Dodgers’ game, where he became a part-owner in 2012.