Which is the better player:Larry Bird or Earvin 'Magic' Johnson

This is great question and i would want to hear your opinions about this post.I asked it couple of times on Y/A but i couldn't get really good answers since all of them bias Lakers fans.Now that we have a forum of great users i hope i can get good answers

Answer the poll question and explain

Magic. Lakers.

We have less titles but not by much.

We have higher ranked players.
We've been good in almost every decade, that shows with how many times we've made it to the playoffs.
We had better duo's.
Better players.
Some of the best coaches ever in Riley and Jackson.
The list goes on.

Magic is the best PG ever.
One of the best leaders and one of the best overall players.

Bird is great though so are the Celtics.

Larry,hands down. Magic was overrated. magics stats arent great,he was a turnover machine and he wasnt even a good lockerroom leader

Every player has something they struggle with.

Whether it's struggling at the 3 pt. line with Jordan, or TO's with Magic.

One stat doesn't make a player overrated.
Magic was amazing.
He was one of the best leaders ever, his passion for the game and for his team was undeniable.

He's not ovverated just for that..its just his stats are underwheling AND he turned the ball over 4 times per game..

I don't really know to say who is better.They were both extremly great players.Bird was great shooter,defender,passer,rebounder and leader.Magic was great passer,floor general,mid range shooter and defender too,

I can't really say who is the better one.I would still wait couple of opinions to decide.

Magic is the all time leader in APG but he also leads the league in To per game in the playoffs

agic wasnt a great midrange shooter...brick after brick after brick!

Well Magic handled the Ball alot, so TO's are to be expected.

Idk about his midrange shot, I'm inclined to disagree.

Either way, he found a way to get it done because his FG% was sweet.

Girl is right. Magic > Bird. Bird was sweeeeet, but Magic was better. So good at everything. Can't even believe there is Magic haters, man. Earvin Johnson was a fukkin MAN no matter what position he was playing, or what position he was being guarded by. For a man that size to have so much handles, its not even human, hahaha. Bird was amazing too, but damn, Magic was straight the straight up GOAT when he was on the basketball court.

hi there... Rush?

I am going to cosign with Jade with regards to this question.
The fact that th Lakers were able to win a championship three years in a row helps their case for me (not to mention, this also took place in this decade that is about to end!).

To add, Magic may have commited a lot of turnovers but that should not take away from his impact on the NBA and basketball as a whole as well as his team. I think the areas that he excelled in could compensate for his turnovers. Jade also made a good point about the fact that he handled the ball a lot; hence the increased TOs.

Anyhoo, I cannot really decide who I feel is better. For me, it is like choosing which is better?: peanut butter or jam? I don't know because they are both delicious seperately but when you put them together, you get a yummy sandwich. In the same way, when you look at Bird/Magic during their primes, they both had a great impact for their respective teams during their tenure in the league with their different skills/abilities. Ok, that prolly did not make much sense...frig, I am hungry...

For a team that pushed the ball so much magic turnovers are way too high. and I don't get the people who say magic is so great because its amazing to be that tall and handle the ball....uhh LEBRON? I watch magic and frankly..i dont see no magic!

V wrote:

For a team that pushed the ball so much magic turnovers are way too high. and I don't get the people who say magic is so great because its amazing to be that tall and handle the ball....uhh LEBRON? I watch magic and frankly..i dont see no magic!

Boy you off. Magic was the shit. LeBron, yeah he has handles, but handles and passing skills like Magic? Hell No. When in the hell did you watch magic? You're a fan of Lil' Wayne, and can't be more than 15. How are you going to straight up hate on the best PG to ever play the game?

The stuff I highlighted is the dumbest shit I ever seen. When you push the ball, you get more possessions and more higher risk plays. Of course you're going to have a lot of turnovers if you're always the one leading that break. Who's your favorite superstar? It don't really matter who it is, they all average more TOs than the role players. You know why? They handle the ball more, and Magic handled the ball more than most.

when did i watch magic play? uhh TV ! what does my music taste have to do with anything? And im 14 btw. He's not the best PG to ever play, thats big O. magic was a good passer but his assist are inflated because of the run n gun style and magic handles were nice but not oh so amazing like your pretending, dont act like all of his turnovers are bcause of mishandled passes...no,he'd often mishandle the rock.

eRush23 wrote:

V wrote:

For a team that pushed the ball so much magic turnovers are way too high. and I don't get the people who say magic is so great because its amazing to be that tall and handle the ball....uhh LEBRON? I watch magic and frankly..i dont see no magic!

Boy you off. Magic was the shit. LeBron, yeah he has handles, but handles and passing skills like Magic? Hell No. When in the hell did you watch magic? You're a fan of Lil' Wayne, and can't be more than 15. How are you going to straight up hate on the best PG to ever play the game?

The stuff I highlighted is the dumbest shit I ever seen. When you push the ball, you get more possessions and more higher risk plays. Of course you're going to have a lot of turnovers if you're always the one leading that break. Who's your favorite superstar? It don't really matter who it is, they all average more TOs than the role players. You know why? They handle the ball more, and Magic handled the ball more than most.

Its easier to asisst on the break than trying to run a set.
'
they all average more TOs than the role players" Nobodys talkin about role players..were comparing bird to magic.

u do know that Bird averaged 3 TOs a game right? and not close to as many assists? He wasn't even the main ball handler and still 3 a game? c'mon, Magic's turnovers are 1 more despite more possessions, more time on ball, and 5 more assists. GTFO w/ this turnover shit.

this:Don't get me wrong - Magic was one helluva basketball player. He was the second best guard the Lakers ever had (after Jerry West). He was the first (and best) big man to play guard. But seriously folks, Magic played on the best team that ever took the court. They weren't as good as the Celtics starting 5, but the Lakers second string was a who's who of Hall Of fame type players. Jerry Buss pulled a George Steinbrenner and LOADED that team! Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes, Michael Cooper, Mitch Kupchak, Bob McAdoo, Maurice Lucas (the term 'power forward' was coined for him!), Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon etc. Those guys should have never lost a game! The thing that annoys me the most is in regard to Magic's passing skills. They were very good, not great. That over-emphasized no-look when he had Worthy wide open on the wing was very annoying! Also, until the last couple of years of his career, Magic couldn't make a jump shot to save his mother's life! Not the best thing for a guard.

V wrote:

this:Don't get me wrong - Magic was one helluva basketball player. He was the second best guard the Lakers ever had (after Jerry West). He was the first (and best) big man to play guard. But seriously folks, Magic played on the best team that ever took the court. They weren't as good as the Celtics starting 5, but the Lakers second string was a who's who of Hall Of fame type players. Jerry Buss pulled a George Steinbrenner and LOADED that team! Keith (Jamaal) Wilkes, Michael Cooper, Mitch Kupchak, Bob McAdoo, Maurice Lucas (the term 'power forward' was coined for him!), Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon etc. Those guys should have never lost a game! The thing that annoys me the most is in regard to Magic's passing skills. They were very good, not great. That over-emphasized no-look when he had Worthy wide open on the wing was very annoying! Also, until the last couple of years of his career, Magic couldn't make a jump shot to save his mother's life! Not the best thing for a guard.

Larry Bird was also surrounded by all-stars too..
So..I don't really know what you're getting at...

and larry posted better numbers

I'm not talking about who is better, Visa...

I'm talking about how you can say that Magic is overrated....

the fact that most people say he's better than larry is why he's overrated

umm...no..
That doesn't make him overrated....

Overrated:
People making Derek Fisher to be a superstar
(just a random example haha)

And this is not overrated:
People thinking player "A" is better than player "B"

It would've been overrated if you said Ben Gordon is better Dwyane Wade.....because thats ridiculous statement since it is CLEAR that Wade is better...
But the debate between Magic and Bird isn't that clear....its like comparing Lebron and Kobe (but a much higher scale)......the answer is not clear...and thus choosing one over the other doesn't make them overrated...

1. Bird did not post better numbers. Magic was the league's assist leader every year as well as a career 20 point scorer. Bird had him by 4 points and 2 boards, but Magic had bird by 5 assists, and you're forgetting that Magic lacks the final 2-3 seasons of his prime, because of his HIV. Magic out shot Larry Bird from the field, despite not being a great 3 point shooter for most of his career (he had finally developed one right before contracting HIV).

2. like Lozan said, both players had amazing talent around them. that's a moot point.

Yup...my name's Lozan....