Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships and 5 MVPs with a 33.4 PPG career average, while Magic Johnson won 5 championships and 3 MVPs with 19.5 PPG and exceptional playmaking. Jordan is widely considered the greatest player ever due to his scoring dominance, defensive prowess, and clutch performance, while Magic revolutionized the point guard position with his all-around game.
Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Legendary Chicago Bulls shooting guard; widely considered the NBA's greatest player ever.
Legendary Los Angeles Lakers point guard; revolutionized the position with size, vision, and versatility.
NBA Championships. Regular Season PPG. MVP Awards. Career Assists. Defensive First Teams. Field Goal %. All-Star Game Appearances
Michael Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time due to his unmatched scoring, 6 championships, elite defense, and clutch performance in the Finals. Magic Johnson revolutionized the point guard position with superior playmaking and floor vision, winning 5 championships with a complete all-around game. Choose Jordan if you value dominant scoring, defense, and individual excellence; choose Magic if you value basketball intelligence, playmaking, and transforming teammates.
Michael Jordan: 32,292 | Magic Johnson: 17,707 points
Michael Jordan: 5 | Magic Johnson: 3 MVPs
Michael Jordan: 5,633 assists | Magic Johnson: 10,141 assists
Michael Jordan: 6,672 | Magic Johnson: 6,559 rebounds
Michael Jordan: 33.5 PPG | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 83.4% | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 32.7% | Magic Johnson: 40.6%
Michael Jordan: 6.2 RPG | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 2.3 SPG | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 6-0 (Perfect) | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 1,071 games | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 15 seasons (1984-2003) | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 2.9 | Magic Johnson: 11.2
Michael Jordan: 5 MVP awards | Magic Johnson: 3 MVP awards
Michael Jordan: 10 scoring titles | Magic Johnson: 1 scoring title
Michael Jordan: 13 All-Stars | Magic Johnson: 12 selections
Michael Jordan: $3 billion+ | Magic Johnson: $1 billion+
Michael Jordan: 37.1 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 8.0 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 6 championships | Magic Johnson: 5 championships
Michael Jordan: 6-0 (100%) | Magic Johnson: 5-3 (62.5%)
Michael Jordan: 33.4 PPG | Magic Johnson: 19.5 PPG
Michael Jordan: 5 MVPs | Magic Johnson: 3 MVPs
Michael Jordan: 50.5% | Magic Johnson: 52.0%
Michael Jordan: 15 seasons | Magic Johnson: 12 seasons
Michael Jordan: 30.1 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 6-0 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 37.1 (1986-87) | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 1,072 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 32,292 points | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 5 MVP awards | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 5 DPOY awards | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 5.3 APG | Magic Johnson: 11.2 APG
Michael Jordan: 6.2 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 32,292 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 9 selections | Magic Johnson: 0 selections
Michael Jordan: 1.89 | Magic Johnson: 1.86
Michael Jordan: 50.3% | Magic Johnson: 52.0%
Michael Jordan: 13 selections | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 6.2 RPG | Magic Johnson: 6.9 RPG
Michael Jordan: 6 | Magic Johnson: 5 championships
Michael Jordan: 33.4 PPG | Magic Johnson: 19.5
Michael Jordan: 65.4% | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 33.4 | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 100% | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 11.5 (6.2 RPG + 5.3 APG) | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 15 seasons | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: 27.9% | Magic Johnson: N/A
Michael Jordan: N/A | Magic Johnson: 185.8
Michael Jordan: N/A | Magic Johnson: 61.5% (8 of 13 Finals)
How to choose between Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson
Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson. Contains 83 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Michael Jordan vs Magic Johnson.
Who is considered the greatest basketball player of all time?
Michael Jordan is widely recognized as the greatest player ever by most analysts, fans, and players. He won 6 championships in 6 Finals appearances, scored 33.4 PPG, and had unprecedented defensive excellence with 9 All-Defensive First Team selections. While Magic Johnson revolutionized the sport with playmaking, Jordan's combination of scoring, defense, and clutch performance in the Finals is unmatched.
Who was a better playmaker, Jordan or Magic?
Magic Johnson was significantly better at playmaking, averaging 11.2 APG compared to Jordan's 5.3 APG. Magic recorded 10,141 career assists (2nd all-time) and revolutionized the point guard position with his court vision. However, Jordan's playmaking was more than adequate—he regularly created for teammates while still dominating scoring.
How many championships did each player win?
Michael Jordan won 6 NBA championships (all with the Chicago Bulls: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998) with a perfect 6-0 Finals record. Magic Johnson won 5 championships (all with the Los Angeles Lakers: 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988) with a 5-3 Finals record.
Magic Johnson retired in November 1991 at age 32 when he announced he was HIV-positive. He had one brief comeback in 1996 but retired again after 32 games. Had his career not been interrupted, he likely would have accumulated more championships and individual accolades, though his illness prevented further comparison.
Michael Jordan was significantly better on defense. He made 9 All-Defensive First Team selections and is considered one of the greatest perimeter defenders ever. Magic Johnson was not known for elite defense and made no All-Defensive teams. This represents one of the most significant differences between their complete games.
How to Choose Between Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson
NBA Championships: Michael Jordan has 6 titles, while Magic Johnson has 5 titles.
Regular Season PPG: Michael Jordan has 33.4 PPG, while Magic Johnson has 19.5 PPG.
MVP Awards: Michael Jordan has 5 MVPs, while Magic Johnson has 3 MVPs.
Career Assists: Michael Jordan has 5,633 assists, while Magic Johnson has 10,141 assists.
Defensive First Teams: Michael Jordan has 9 All-Defensive 1st Team, while Magic Johnson has 0 All-Defensive teams.
Field Goal %: Michael Jordan has 50.5%, while Magic Johnson has 52.0%.
All-Star Game Appearances: Michael Jordan has 13 appearances, while Magic Johnson has 12 appearances.