[NYCarolinaParticipant]

It’s weird to think about it now, but if Magic never caught A.I.D.S, does he become the G.O.A.T? In 1991, Magic Johnson was 31 years old, 5 rings and had a couple MVP awards to his name. In 1991, Magic averaged 19.4 points, 12.5 assists and 7.0 rebounds. By 1991, Magic Johnson appeared in 9 NBA Finals We all know what happens there.

Let me ask you this, go with me here. If Magic doesn’t get AIDS, He goes into his twilight seasons with a chance to win a title in 1992, 1993 and 1994/1995. He still would have been in a game shape at 36 and might have been able to play point forward. While Barkley and Hakeem had monster playoffs in 93 and 94, Magic Johnson, Vlade Divac and Elden Campbell in that frontcourt would have been a interesting twist against both teams. Also, while they wouldn’t have had high draft picks, they could have restocked when you look at the late 1st round picks in 1992, 1993 and 1994.

Do you think Magic could have squeezed another title in the early 90’s?

If he never got AIDS, do you think he could have been better then Jordan?

 

This is not a dis on Jordan, this is more a what if with Magic…

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

He probably would have played another 4-5 seasons. Its plausible that he could have captured atleast 1 if not 2 more rings. I doubt he ever equals MJ tho.

[NYCarolinaParticipant]

But if he captured another ring in the 90’s, that means Jordan gets 3 or 4. Wouldn’t that hinder Jordan’s legacy as the G.O.A.T? Honestly, wouldn’t that move Jordan to 3rd all time behind Magic and Kareem?

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

It’s more than just championships with MJ. The man not only changed the game but he changed the world, and became a global icon. He made more money off the court than he did on court. And I wouldn’t have anyone else taking my last shot than MJ.

[torukParticipant]

 he would probably challenge jordan for some titles but it`s hard to assume he would win them. and if he kept playing and challenging jordan, mj maybe would not retire to play baseball.

[torukParticipant]

 not even robert horry?

[r377Participant]

no – magic just like most of the lakers were on the decline in the early 90’s. remember the pistons knocked them off and blazers did also so i don’t think they would have won anymore championships.

playing ball around the magic era he did change the game – all the kids were throwing no look passes and headfakes just like magic. young kids of today no so much…..

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

If were going to play this “if” senario, imagine what “if” MJ never attempted to play baseball? Who knows how many more rings he would have won. Retiring in his prime, I’m pretty sure he would have 8 rings, ATLEAST.

[mds0549Participant]

If If’s and but’s had candy and nuts we would all have a wonderful Chrismas. 

[cabbycabParticipant]

The assumption would be that the Magic’s Lakers could beat MJ’s Bulls in their subsequent match ups….an unlikely scenerio.  Bulls beat the Lakers quite easily in five games in Magic’s last finals appearance and as someone else mentioned, that team was just full of old players like Byron Scott, Worthy, Perkins ect.  Had they made it out of the west beating Blazers or the Suns I don’t think they could have competed with Jordan’s Bulls.  

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

You’re telling me Magic wasn’t a global icon and didn’t change the game?  The dude was a marketing guru and his smile was the perfect way to put him on cereal boxes and commercials around the world.  He changed the game, he was a 6’9" PF playing point guard.  He had all the flashy passes.  He had the cockiness.  I’m sorry, but to say that Jordan changed the game more than Magic is simply absurd.  They, at the very least, had the same impact on the game if not, Magic and his Celtics rivalry has the edge because Jordan never had a rival on his level in the 90s.  Whereas Magic had plenty.

[Im Your FatherParticipant]

No I don’t think so, but I certainly think that he would have made the 90s more interesting. On as side note, Magic technically "never got A.I.D.S.," because his white his white blood cell count has never dropped low enough.

[ilike.panochasParticipant]

To each his own dude. You can have Magic, and I’ll gladly build my franchise with MJ over any player that’s ever played. And I think MJ is more popular globally and more iconic thru out the world.

[omphalosParticipant]

Yeah I think Jordan’s Bulls defeating Magic at or near his peak kinda nullifies any chance Magic could have come back and beat them. Also the main reason I point to Jordan as better than Magic.

[Ahkasi ClayParticipant]

 nice to imagine, but NO! 

and kobe is not your answer either! 

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

mess.eee

I agree, to each his own

[AKOOParticipant]

On the difference between HIV and AIDS that may come in more handy than posting your dream trades and opinions on undrafted, unproven players on this site

[NYK2010Participant]

No and he wouldn’t be GOAT.

Doubtful they beat the Bulls when they lost in 5 games and the team just got older.

James Worthy was slowing down a lot and the Lakers had Van Exel, Vlade and Campbell not exactly elite players.

[RUDEBOY_Participant]

Magic was an incredible talent and maybe the greatest TEAM PLAYER in history….I think IF you’d put Magic when he was a rookie on any team in the league that had won only 20 games the previous season and do the same for Jordan when he was a rookie..Magic’s team will make the playoffs,becuz Magic made his teammates better..

While Jordan just had that sheer to win..And felt nobody was better than him…Jordan had that great desire nobody i’ve ever seen on any sport had…And sometimes that rubbed teammates the wrong way..But Jordan was the Individual Talent the league has ever seen..Thats what Pippen should’ve said instead of saying Lebron is a better player than Jordan..Lebron still doesnt have a post game..Jordan had developed 1 and he had a great all around offensive package….

IF you look back Magic retired the same summer the Lakers signed Shaq & traded for the rookie Kobe..And at the time Magic was 36 ,he could’ve played until he was 40….Having him on that 1996-97 team with a young Shaq & Kobe they might’ve brought him 2 more rings that decade…

Ask any current or former player which player in the history of the game would they want to shot a last second shot..Maybe 85% would say Jordan…..

Ask any current or former player which player in the history of the game would they want as a teammate maybe 60?% would say Magic….

[blahParticipant]

Let’s get something straight, the Bulls beat LA in 1991 because Magic was playing with Terry Teagle and AC Green instead of Worthy and Scott who both were hurt. He made Elden and Tony Smith look like All-Stars. That’s what Magic could do. He could shine sht.

 Let’s break this down: Lakers owned Portland so they could’ve easily dispatched them with a healthy Magic in 1992 again leaving a repeat finals immediately. Remember, the Bulls struggled in the 1992 playoffs against the East and only got by the Knicks in the conf. semis by hacking Charles Smith repeatedly. Refs always favored jordan and the Bulls, but Magic had earned enough respect for the league to let their series pan out. I don’t know if Vlade, Perkins, and Worthy get injured with Magic there because everything changes but say that LA has an equal line-up against Chicago in 1992, there’s at least a chance Magic prevails. And BTW, Jordan put up 30.1 a game, the lowest in his career at that point and Pippen rose to 21-7-7-3, so if the Lakers did have injuries, guaranteed Magic would’ve led them to a good enough record to make a case for his 4th MVP. 

1993 is a bit tougher but funny scenario, Barkley may have become a Laker instead of a Sun had LA packaged Byron and Perkins for him, we’d definitely see LA-Chi III. But the way it was, LA would’ve had difficulty with Phoenix and Houston ahead of the Finals, they may not have even made it that year. I wonder if decline would be apparent at that point.

By 1994, LA is in transition and 1995 with the addition of Ceballos, Eddie Jones, or whatever magic Jerry West put together, the Lakers become contenders again and if they make the finals against the Orlando Magic, I can see LA winning.

Perhaps the questions should be rephrased, what would happen if Magic stayed during his first come-back. Magic signed a 3 year deal with a 14.6$ mil/final year. Magic was still jacking up insane numbers that preseason for his time. Once the coaches realized he wasn’t feeling exhausted, that he could play, Magic would still be a beast with a year off for his bad knees. Those 3 more years would certainly put Johnson on 3 more all-NBA 1st teams, raise his career defensive and win shares/ratings. Put him over 2,000 steals, over 12,000 assists, over 20,000 points, the only player to date to do that, and I definitely believe another ring in either 1993 or 1995, possibly both with the right talent around him. Meaning he’d have 3 more AS games and another finals MVP or 2. I don’t know if he wins another LMVP in the face of the center’s era, but neither did Jordan.

As it stands I already say Magic was a better player than Jordan. Magic won 3 titles, and 3 MVPs to Jordan’s 1 and 2 MVPs during the 7 seasons they played in the same league. Magic had better teams but played in a tougher conference and only lost finals due to Laker injuries in 1983, 1989 and 1991. There’s a myth that Jordan didn’t have great teammates. Jordan did have decent teammates even before Pippen, Grant, and others. He had Woolridge a 20ppg guy, Oakley (that’s like saying Ewing had no one), Paxon, George Gervin (a hall of famer), and others that he didn’t make any better. Jordan was also gifted awards that he didn’t deserve like the 1998 LMVP (Malone should’ve won it), the 1996 FMVP (Rodman), and the 1996 ASMVP (Shaq). He also received defensive teams he didn’t deserve that should’ve gone to Harper during the second 3-peat, while Magic was never honored as the D-team member despite being in the top 10 in defensive win shares and rating early on in his career along with 2 steals titles. When you really put everything into this context of what actually happened and what could’ve been, Magic ends up as the GOAT. People really have to analyze NBA history more than they do if they’re going to make willy-nilly statements about who is better than who.

 

 

 

 

[blahParticipant]

Let’s get something straight, the Bulls beat LA in 1991 because Magic was playing with Terry Teagle and AC Green instead of Worthy and Scott who both were hurt. He made Elden and Tony Smith look like All-Stars. That’s what Magic could do. He could shine sht.

 Let’s break this down: Lakers owned Portland so they could’ve easily dispatched them with a healthy Magic in 1992 again leaving a repeat finals immediately. Remember, the Bulls struggled in the 1992 playoffs against the East and only got by the Knicks in the conf. semis by hacking Charles Smith repeatedly. Refs always favored jordan and the Bulls, but Magic had earned enough respect for the league to let their series pan out. I don’t know if Vlade, Perkins, and Worthy get injured with Magic there because everything changes but say that LA has an equal line-up against Chicago in 1992, there’s at least a chance Magic prevails. And BTW, Jordan put up 30.1 a game, the lowest in his career at that point and Pippen rose to 21-7-7-3, so if the Lakers did have injuries, guaranteed Magic would’ve led them to a good enough record to make a case for his 4th MVP. 

1993 is a bit tougher but funny scenario, Barkley may have become a Laker instead of a Sun had LA packaged Byron and Perkins for him, we’d definitely see LA-Chi III. But the way it was, LA would’ve had difficulty with Phoenix and Houston ahead of the Finals, they may not have even made it that year. I wonder if decline would be apparent at that point.

By 1994, LA is in transition and 1995 with the addition of Ceballos, Eddie Jones, or whatever magic Jerry West put together, the Lakers become contenders again and if they make the finals against the Orlando Magic, I can see LA winning.

Perhaps the questions should be rephrased, what would happen if Magic stayed during his first come-back. Magic signed a 3 year deal with a 14.6$ mil/final year. Magic was still jacking up insane numbers that preseason for his time. Once the coaches realized he wasn’t feeling exhausted, that he could play, Magic would still be a beast with a year off for his bad knees. Those 3 more years would certainly put Johnson on 3 more all-NBA 1st teams, raise his career defensive and win shares/ratings. Put him over 2,000 steals, over 12,000 assists, over 20,000 points, the only player to date to do that, and I definitely believe another ring in either 1993 or 1995, possibly both with the right talent around him. Meaning he’d have 3 more AS games and another finals MVP or 2. I don’t know if he wins another LMVP in the face of the center’s era, but neither did Jordan.

As it stands I already say Magic was a better player than Jordan. Magic won 3 titles, and 3 MVPs to Jordan’s 1 and 2 MVPs during the 7 seasons they played in the same league. Magic had better teams but played in a tougher conference and only lost finals due to Laker injuries in 1983, 1989 and 1991. There’s a myth that Jordan didn’t have great teammates. Jordan did have decent teammates even before Pippen, Grant, and others. He had Woolridge a 20ppg guy, Oakley (that’s like saying Ewing had no one), Paxon, George Gervin (a hall of famer), and others that he didn’t make any better. Jordan was also gifted awards that he didn’t deserve like the 1998 LMVP (Malone should’ve won it), the 1996 FMVP (Rodman), and the 1996 ASMVP (Shaq). He also received defensive teams he didn’t deserve that should’ve gone to Harper during the second 3-peat, while Magic was never honored as the D-team member despite being in the top 10 in defensive win shares and rating early on in his career along with 2 steals titles. When you really put everything into this context of what actually happened and what could’ve been, Magic ends up as the GOAT. People really have to analyze NBA history more than they do if they’re going to make willy-nilly statements about who is better than who.

 

 

 

 

[Author]

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