The loud thud echoing from ESPN studios in New York on Wednesday was Stephen A. Smith dropping, perhaps, the biggest name in sports: Michael Jordan.
‘I have to read you a text that I received this morning at 5:54am,’ Smith told co-host, Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo.
The subject was the best point guard in NBA history – something the pair debated earlier in the week, with Russo preferring LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Smith going with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.
But before the two could continue the argument on Wednesday afternoon, Smith claimed he was awoken by a text message from Jordan, who was firmly in Magic’s camp.
‘Good morning sir,’ Smith began, without revealing the text message’s sender. ‘Although greatest of anything is always a debate, I beg to differ on ”greatest point guard of all time.”
It may not be a total surprise that Jordan (right) would pick his long-time friend, Johnson (left)
Stephen A. Smith (left) argued that Stephen Curry (right) has the biggest impact of any PG
‘Magic Johnson is easily the best point guard of all time,’ the message continued. ‘Steph Curry is very close, but not in front of Magic. You must define point guard to really have a serious debate.’
The issue, from Jordan’s perspective, is the role of a point guard.
Traditionally, point guards have been counted to distribute. But with the arrival of Isiah Thomas in Detroit in 1981, the position began to evolve. By 1998, the NBA’s leading scorer was Philadelphia 76ers point guard Allen Iverson, and in more recent years, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Curry have followed suit.
In the case of Curry – the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history – the term ‘point guard’ might not even apply.
Johnson, on the other hand, retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists. And while he did average 19.5 points a game for his career, he only led the Lakers in scoring average just three times in his 13-year career.
Further demonstrating Johnson’s all-around game are his 138 career triple doubles – more than any player outside of Westbrook and Oscar Robertson.
‘Steph Curry is by far the best shooter of all time,’ Jordan’s text message continued. ‘His movement has created many shots for his teammates, he’s a career 43-percent 3-point shooter, but Magic invented the triple double.’
Curry and Smith embrace after the former won NBA Finals MVP after beating Boston in 2022
Jordan then walked back his previous statement: ‘Not true… but [Johnson made the triple double] more noticeable in terms of its impact on the game.’
‘It’s a point guard stat to be honest,’ Jordan continued. ‘Magic was the best. We can go on, but I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know you get the point.
‘By the way, Magic has five NBA championships.’
Smith then dramatically revealed the sender of the text message: ‘That quote, at 5:54, was from Mr. Michael Jeffrey Jordan.’
Russo was incredulous, exclaiming: ‘Wow, how about that?’
Smith went on to explain that Jordan asked him to read the text message on air.
‘He said he’s tired about this argument about Magic Johnson not being the best point guard in the history of the game,’ Smith continued. ‘He is the best point guard in the history of basketball. That’s from Michael Jordan.’
Jordan is, of course, decades-long friends with Johnson, his former rival and fellow member of the Dream Team. And he previously revealed his belief that Johnson is the best point guard ever in the ESPN documentary, The Last Dance. In fact, he also mentioned Thomas as the second greatest at the position, behind only Magic.
Jordan previously said Johnson, his Team USA teammate, is better than Isiah Thomas (far right)
But Smith isn’t entirely convinced.
Giving himself some wiggle room, Smith explained that Curry’s is the greatest impact of any point guard, while Johnson earns the superlative if the position is defined by traditional standards.
‘What I’m thinking about is the modern-day game and the word ”impact,”’ Smith said.
‘And I’m thinking about Steph Curry’s extraordinary marksmanship and his movement without the basketball, and how it forces a defense to have their head on a swivel, and as a result, it facilitates others like Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole when he was there, to do what [James] Worthy, Byron Scott and others were able to do, statistically, for the Los Angeles Lakers, while Magic Johnson was a point guard.
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‘If you’re leaning on the true definition of a point guard, there is only one, and it is Earvin Magic Johnson. But I’m thinking impact – the impact you have on an offense. Yes, Steph Curry is really running around looking for the ball, but the offense revolves around him. He’s listed as a point guard, the offense revolves around him, it’s just half the time, the ball ends up in his hands. He shoots about nine 3-pointers a game.
‘The way the game is now, and the kind of impact Steph Curry has, what I’m saying is, I can make an argument that in terms of offense, Steph Curry has had just as significant of an impact as Magic.’
Of course, Johnson also retired as the NBA’s all-time leader in steals, and standing 6-foot-9, was a dramatically better defender than the 6-foot-3 Curry.
Regardless, the four-time NBA champion Curry will ultimately be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, which will keep this debate going for some time.
