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Leaving a Legacy: LeBron James vs. Magic Johnson

By Austin Connolly

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 17, 1980 : Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates during a ceremony after winning the 1980 NBA finals in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 17, 1980 : Magic Johnson #32 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates during a ceremony after winning the 1980 NBA finals in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

MVPs

  • LeBron James – 4
  • Magic Johnson -3

How could I forget? Just like the Finals, the regular season is yet another place where a great player can add to their legacy.

Although both players certainly have a case for winning this award more than they did, we can’t really argue the results. Even if we wanted to use the argument that LeBron James has played four more seasons than Magic Johnson, it wouldn’t hold much weight here.

Surprisingly, this comparison shakes out pretty evenly when you consider the fact that it’s been seven years since LeBron James has won an MVP. Even if he retired in his prime like Magic did, he would still have the edge here.

In conclusion,

As expected, this one is still really close. However, I think this is the first year of LeBron James’ career where you could definitively make the argument that he is better than Magic Johnson.

Although the stats are pretty equal and Magic Johnson has been more successful in the Finals, LeBron James has been a bit more valuable in both the regular season and postseason.

In short, I have to give the slight edge to LeBron James here. Passing Magic Johnson in Finals MVPs has ultimately helped LeBron improve his legacy and become the third-best player in NBA history behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan.

Next. 5 things to do to win the 2021 NBA title. dark

With a couple more elite seasons in his future, could he pass Kareem as well? Only time will tell.