Comments on: Magic Johnson in . . . The Nagging Question http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/ Voice of the Mathematically Eliminated Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:50:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: spudrph http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4411 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:26:57 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4411 32.  Great, great topic, along with some more brilliant writing, Josh.

Magic is, of course, a fine choice.

I’d like to slide in a vote for the physically healthy young Bill Walton, though.

]]> By: ramblin pete http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4410 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:50:52 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4410 31.  Chuck Nevitt

]]> By: ToyCannon http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4409 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:12:23 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4409 30.  My greatest basketball memories
1. Magic’s Game 6 to win the championship in his rookie year, replacing Kareem in the lineup. He had alot of help in that game as Wilkes was also unstoppable and if I recall Brad Holland played a key role. I was never as excited about watching a game as I was that one, and it did not disapoint.
2. The Lakers finally beating the Celtics in 1985 after losing 10 championship series in a row to them.
3. Game 7 against Portland when the Lakers came from way behind to stun the Trailblazer en route to the 1st of the Shaq/Kobe world championships. I was at that game. Most fun I’ve ever had. I literally floated out of Staples after being depressed for 3 qtr’s. To watch the turn around was stunning. To watch a veteran team like the Trailblazers not be able to stop the run was even more amazing.

]]> By: joejoejoe http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4408 Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:13:14 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4408 29.  9 Horace Grant won 4 NBA titles and went to the finals with 3 different teams. His 14 pts & 9 rebounds per game doesn’t look that impressive but he was an All-NBA defender who almost never turned the ball over and shot a high FG%. The guy did nothing but win. He was the third-best PF of his era behind Barkley and Malone. As for Scottie Pippen, he was 3rd in league MVP voting the year Jordan was out. Pippen wasn’t good, he was great.

That said, I would pick Magic. Magic was the most versatile player ever (42 pts, 15 boards, seven asts. and three steals at center in an NBA finals winning game 6 on the road as a rookie) and he did it with a smile. Jordan was probably better at his peak and had more of killer instinct (which he showed on both ends of the court) but Magic was better in the early years of his career and played happy his whole career after winning an NBA championship as a rookie against Dr. J’s Sixers. Jordan played with a chip on his shoulder from being called a ballhog and playing on bad teams at the start of his career.

]]> By: Josh Wilker http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4407 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:51:42 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4407 28.  25 : “I thought that he could play every position except center.”

Magic’s most legendary moment, arguably, is when as a rookie he filled in for injured center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the title-clinching Game 6 of the 1980 Finals, scoring 42 points with 15 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

27 : I totally agree about Wilt. His whole life was hyperbole somehow made real. Among the things you mention (and his well-publicized night ramblings) he also played point guard for the Harlem Globetrotters for a year.

]]> By: Suffering Bruin http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4406 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:35:56 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4406 27.  Love talking old-school hoops.

Chamberlain. The more you look at the evidence, both statistical and anecdotal, the more one can reasonably conclude that Wilton Norman Chamberlain was the greatest physical specimen ever produced by the human race. He is probably the strongest athelete who ever lived, he ran faster than Jim Brown, could touch the top of the backboard and if he ever learned to pole vault, he might’ve won an olympic medal in the decathlon. He was a wonder to behold. I choose Russell for my first team. That’s not criticism of Chamberlain.

]]> By: Suffering Bruin http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4405 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:31:00 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4405 26.  I’m probably a better judge of basketball than baseball though in my later years, I like baseball more. All-time team:

Magic
Jordan
Russell
Bird
Erving

Russell, for those that didn’t see him (including me) gets the nod from every coach I interviewed, every single one. All say the same thing–nobody was a better competitor, nobody was smarter, nobody was more adaptable.

I think people who leave Julius off the team never saw him in the ABA. Quick, really fast and could jump out of the gym.

One more note: Shaq in his all-time dominant year played an all-star game with him at center, Garnett and Duncan at the forwards. He said it was an “all-time best” frontline and I’m not sure he’s mistaken but I still take the heroes of my youth.

]]> By: Ennui Willie Keeler http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4404 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:17:53 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4404 25.  One cool thing about this hoops set from Topps is that it’s all action photos; except that Newlin card. Even that one was a candid, as opposed to a posed shot. Magic was pretty versatile, wasn’t he? My hoops knowledge is hazy, but I thought that he could play every position except center. Johnson and Bird raised my awareness of basketball. Before that, I spent my winter weekend afternoons watching Wide World of Sports.

]]> By: ToyCannon http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4403 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 21:47:03 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4403 24.  I echo 1 but I think I might lean toward picking Bill Russel even though I never got to see him play.

]]> By: Josh Wilker http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4402 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:05:24 +0000 http://cardboardgods.net/2007/12/12/magic-johnson-in-the-nagging-question/#comment-4402 23.  20 , 21 : Good points regarding size, versatility, modern players. A key part of my imagining my dream team is allowing for players who were dominant in their era to remain dominant. For example, a young George Mikan couldn’t really overpower anyone today, but for the sake of this argument I’m saying he’d be like Shaq in his prime, because that’s what he was in his day. So though I understand that a young 6’9″ Bill Russell would no longer be able to completely control games with his defense, I’m imagining that dominant defensive game of his as the compensation for the relatively undersized frontcourt of Bird and Doc. And Bird and Doc could rebound, too, Bird one of the best defensive rebounders of his day, Doc among league leaders during his ABA prime.

But that said, apologies to Garnett for not including him in the honorable mentions, or even in the Dream 12 (instead of McHale).

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