Two champion players being instrumental in kicking off a dynasty? Yes, that’s the place Magic Johnson and Stephen Curry find themselves. Which also leads to the question of which point guard is actually better? The one who could do it all, and had a penchant for no-look passes? Or the one who can snipe a shot from any distance? Over the years, many former and current stars have chimed in with their favorite picks, despite there being a generation gap between the two superstars. But there is another difference, which not many might have noticed.

Their styles being different also results from them playing not only in different generations but different teams. For Magic Johnson, the way the Lakers played was an added benefit, according to his long-time colleague Gary Vitti. For three decades, Vitti was the head athletic trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers. Speaking on Byron Scott’s Fast Break, he thoughtfully explained the team dynamics for the Purple and Gold, that helped Magic excel.

“And then there was an outlet pass the Magic, and he’s probably coming down the middle of the floor. You got Byron on one wing. You got James Worthy or Jamaal Wilkes at the time was still playing. He was starting that year, beginning of the year. These guys are practically running out of bounds. Okay. When they right to go to the sideline. They’d hit the the hash mark and then they’d start to come towards the basket. And now Magic has basically three choices. He can go all the way to the cup himself. He can go to the left to Byron. He can go to the right to to Worthy. He’s probably going to look left and throw pass it right or look right, pass it left. Okay, and but he had three options,” Vitti concluded.

Former Magic teammate Byron Scott agreed with his detailed analysis. Then came the kicker about Stephen Curry and his disadvantage in the modern NBA. “The ball comes off the rim for starters, and you can correct me on this. There’s not a lot of offensive rebounding effort in the game today…” Vitti added, suggesting that this results in reduced options for Curry.

“The wings are going to the sideline, but when they get to the hash mark, instead of angling towards the basket to create a passing angle for Steph Curry or whoever’s handling that ball, they’re going straight to the corners. Okay. It’s a completely different deal.” So, the Warriors superstar does not have the kind of offensive options that Magic Johnson did, and yet his influence has never been under question.

Of course, alongside Michael Jordan-LeBron James, this is a quintessential NBA debate, and going either way is completely acceptable. That too, when one considers that both Curry and Magic appear to have the utmost respect for each other, despite being pitted against each other so often.

Stephen Curry and Magic Johnson express admiration despite the debate

In 2023, the best point guard debate kicked off once again after Stephen Curry‘s one-word answer. The question was if he is the best ever to play in that position, and the answer was a resounding “Yes.” Later, he added an explanation, “Obviously, I have to answer it that way, but … Magic’s resume is ridiculous. So the fact that we’re even having that conversation, that’s a place I never thought I’d be in.”

Both guards set a trend that many went on to follow. And just like Curry, Magic only had positive things to say about the Warriors’ talisman.

Just a few months ago, appearing on ESPN, the Lakers legend called Steph “one of the greatest of all time.” “Then he changed the game forever, right? Because nobody we’ve seen ever with the ability of Steph Curry to shoot that basketball. The greatest shooter we’ve ever seen in history. But he also brought in fans that we didn’t have in the NBA before. He brought in kids. Kids love Steph Curry.”

But that was not the concluding remark from Magic Johnson. He sealed and left no doubts about the 4x NBA champion’s legacy on the game.

“He’s an icon, and it’s only a few icons. He’s beloved. There’s only a few athletes that’s ever been beloved… He’s definitely on my dream team as the greatest that’s ever played this game. Him and LeBron’s legacy will live forever.” These praise proof, that the debate about one player being better becomes futile. Even when the names involved are like Stephen Curry, Magic Johnson, LeBron James, or even Michael Jordan.