Credit: Steve Lipofsky
Credit: Rick Dikeman
Earvin “Magic” Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas of the Detroit Pistons were undoubtedly two of the greatest point guards in National Basketball Association history, respectively. I admired “Magic” for his uncanny ability to read the game, make the right decisions at critical points of the game and maintain his composure under pressure. “Magic”, a five-time N.B.A. world champion, had a flair and charm which separated him from the rest of the N.B.A. players of his generation. Johnson’s and Thomas’s rivalry began during their N.C.A.A. college basketball careers at Michigan State University and Indiana University, respectively.
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Although Isaiah was a stellar distributor of the ball, he was a prototypical
scoring point-guard. I used to admire Isaiah
because of his dribbling prowess and toughness in the clutch. “Magic”, on the other hand, had more of a pass-
first mentality and possessed superior court vision than Isaiah.
Results
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#1. Which basketball player was selected as the starting center alongside Earvin “Magic” Johnson on the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team aka the "Dream Team"?
By contrast, Isaiah never had the Hall of Fame-caliber supporting cast (ala Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lakers small forward James Worthy, etc.) that Earvin did, with the exception of the latter seasons of his N.B.A. career (Pistons shooting guard Joe Dumars, Pistons small forward Adrian Dantley, Pistons small forward Mark Aguirre, etc.).
In my humble opinion, I would have to give Earvin “Magic” Johnson my vote over Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas mainly because “Magic” led the Lakers to more N.B.A titles (five) than “Zeke” did (two) and because “Magic” fared better overall in head-
to-head competition. Nonetheless, both N.B.A. Hall of Fame point guard’s undeniably influential legacies are immortalized in N.B.A. basketball history.
Below are some Los Angeles Lakers Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Detroit Pistons Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas statistics and highlights:
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Short Biography and Fast Facts
| Earvin "Magic" Johnson’s Short Biography and Fast Facts | |
|---|---|
| Born: | August 14, 1959 |
| Lansing, Michigan | |
| Height: | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Weight: | 215 lbs (98 kg) |
| High school: | Everett High School (Lansing, Michigan) |
| College: | Michigan State (1977–1979) |
| N.B.A. Draft: | Drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1979 N.B.A. Draft as the 1st overall pick in Round 1. |
| N.B.A. playing career: | 1979–1991, 1996 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Position: | Point guard |
| Number: | 32 |
Earvin “Magic” Johnson N.B.A. Regular Season Career Statistics
| Earvin "Magic" Johnson N.B.A. Regular Season Career Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEASON | TEAM | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
| 1995-96 | LAL | 36 | 32 | 9 | 29.9 | 14.6 | 4.3 | 9.2 | 46.6 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 37.9 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 85.6 | 1.3 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 3.2 | 1.5 |
| 1990-91 | LAL | 31 | 79 | 79 | 37.1 | 19.4 | 5.9 | 12.4 | 47.7 | 1 | 3.2 | 32 | 6.6 | 7.3 | 90.6 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 7 | 12.5 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 4 | 1.9 |
| 1989-90 | LAL | 30 | 79 | 79 | 37.2 | 22.3 | 6.9 | 14.4 | 48 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 38.4 | 7.2 | 8.1 | 89 | 1.6 | 5 | 6.6 | 11.5 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 2.1 |
| 1988-89 | LAL | 29 | 77 | 77 | 37.5 | 22.5 | 7.5 | 14.8 | 50.9 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 31.4 | 6.7 | 7.3 | 91.1 | 1.4 | 6.4 | 7.9 | 12.8 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 4.1 | 2.2 |
| 1987-88 | LAL | 28 | 72 | 70 | 36.6 | 19.6 | 6.8 | 13.8 | 49.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 19.6 | 5.8 | 6.8 | 85.3 | 1.2 | 5 | 6.2 | 11.9 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 3.7 | 2 |
| 1986-87 | LAL | 27 | 80 | 80 | 36.3 | 23.9 | 8.5 | 16.4 | 52.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 20.5 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 84.8 | 1.5 | 4.8 | 6.3 | 12.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 3.8 | 2.1 |
| 1985-86 | LAL | 26 | 72 | 70 | 35.8 | 18.8 | 6.7 | 12.8 | 52.6 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 23.3 | 5.3 | 6 | 87.1 | 1.2 | 4.7 | 5.9 | 12.6 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| 1984-85 | LAL | 25 | 77 | 77 | 36.1 | 18.3 | 6.5 | 11.7 | 56.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 18.9 | 5.1 | 6 | 84.3 | 1.2 | 5 | 6.2 | 12.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1983-84 | LAL | 24 | 67 | 66 | 38.3 | 17.6 | 6.6 | 11.6 | 56.5 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 20.7 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 81 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 7.3 | 13.1 | 2.2 | 0.7 | 4.6 | 2.5 |
| 1982-83 | LAL | 23 | 79 | 79 | 36.8 | 16.8 | 6.5 | 11.8 | 54.8 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 80 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 8.6 | 10.5 | 2.2 | 0.6 | 3.8 | 2.5 |
| 1981-82 | LAL | 22 | 78 | 77 | 38.3 | 18.6 | 7.1 | 13.3 | 53.7 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 20.7 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 76 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 2.9 |
| 1980-81 | LAL | 21 | 37 | 35 | 37.1 | 21.6 | 8.4 | 15.9 | 53.2 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 17.6 | 4.6 | 6.1 | 76 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 3.4 | 0.7 | 3.9 | 2.7 |
| 1979-80 | LAL | 20 | 77 | 72 | 36.3 | 18 | 6.5 | 12.3 | 53 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 22.6 | 4.9 | 6 | 81 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 4 | 2.8 |
| Overall: | 906 | 870 | 36.7 | 19.5 | 6.9 | 13.2 | 52 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 30.3 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 84.8 | 1.8 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 11.2 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 3.9 | 2.3 | ||
Earvin “Magic” Johnson N.B.A. Playoffs Career Statistics
| Earvin "Magic" Johnson’s N.B.A. Playoffs Career Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career All Star Stats | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| SEASON | TEAM | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
| 1991-92 | WST | 32 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 75 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1990-91 | WST | 31 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 43.8 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1989-90 | WST | 30 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 60 | 4 | 6 | 66.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987-88 | WST | 28 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 26.7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 100 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| 1986-87 | WST | 27 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1985-86 | WST | 26 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 1984-85 | WST | 25 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 87.5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 1983-84 | WST | 24 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 46.2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1982-83 | WST | 23 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 43.8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 75 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| 1981-82 | WST | 22 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 55.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 85.7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1979-80 | WST | 20 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Overall: | 11 | 10 | 30.1 | 16 | 5.8 | 11.9 | 48.9 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 47.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 90.5 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 5.2 | 11.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 2.3 | ||
Earvin “Magic” Johnson N.B.A. Career Highlights, Records and Awards
| Earvin "Magic" Johnson N.B.A. All-Star Career Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N.B.A. All-Star Career Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| SEASON | TEAM | AGE | GP | GS | MIN | PTS | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | OREB | DREB | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF |
| 1991-92 | WST | 32 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 75 | 3 | 3 | 100 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1990-91 | WST | 31 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 43.8 | 2 | 5 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1989-90 | WST | 30 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 60 | 4 | 6 | 66.7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1987-88 | WST | 28 | 1 | 1 | 39 | 17 | 4 | 15 | 26.7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 100 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 19 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 2 |
| 1986-87 | WST | 27 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 9 | 4 | 10 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 50 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1985-86 | WST | 26 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 100 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 4 |
| 1984-85 | WST | 25 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 87.5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 1983-84 | WST | 24 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 15 | 6 | 13 | 46.2 | 1 | 3 | 33.3 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| 1982-83 | WST | 23 | 1 | 1 | 33 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 43.8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 75 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| 1981-82 | WST | 22 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 55.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 85.7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 1979-80 | WST | 20 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 12 | 5 | 8 | 62.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 100 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Overall: | 11 | 10 | 30.1 | 16 | 5.8 | 11.9 | 48.9 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 47.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 90.5 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 5.2 | 11.5 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 4.4 | 2.3 | ||
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas Short Biography and Fast Facts
| Isaiah "Zeke" Thomas Short Biography and Fast Facts | |
|---|---|
| Born: | April 30, 1961 |
| Chicago, Illinois | |
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight: | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| High school: | St. Joseph High School (Westchester, Illinois) |
| College: | Indiana (1979–1981) |
| N.B.A. Draft: | Drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 1981 N.B.A. Draft as the 2nd overall pick in Round 1 |
| Nationality: | American |
| N.B.A. playing career: | 1981–1994 |
| Position: | Point guard |
| Number: | 11 |
| N.B.A. coaching career: | 2000–2012 |
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas N.B.A. Regular Season Career Statistics
| Isaiah "Zeke" Thomas N.B.A. Regular Season Career Statistics | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 1981–82 | Detroit | 72 | 72 | 33.8 | 0.424 | 0.288 | 0.704 | 2.9 | 7.8 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 17 |
| 1982–83 | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 38.2 | 0.472 | 0.288 | 0.71 | 4 | 7.8 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 22.9 |
| 1983–84 | Detroit | 82 | 82 | 36.7 | 0.462 | 0.338 | 0.733 | 4 | 11.1 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 21.3 |
| 1984–85 | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 38.1 | 0.458 | 0.257 | 0.809 | 4.5 | 13.9* | 2.3 | 0.3 | 21.2 |
| 1985–86 | Detroit | 77 | 77 | 36.2 | 0.488 | 0.31 | 0.79 | 3.6 | 10.8 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 20.9 |
| 1986–87 | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 37.2 | 0.463 | 0.194 | 0.768 | 3.9 | 10 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 20.6 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 36.1 | 0.463 | 0.309 | 0.774 | 3.4 | 8.4 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 19.5 |
| 1988–89† | Detroit | 80 | 76 | 36.6 | 0.464 | 0.273 | 0.818 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 18.2 |
| 1989–90† | Detroit | 81 | 81 | 37 | 0.438 | 0.309 | 0.775 | 3.8 | 9.4 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 18.4 |
| 1990–91 | Detroit | 48 | 46 | 34.5 | 0.435 | 0.292 | 0.782 | 3.3 | 9.3 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 16.2 |
| 1991–92 | Detroit | 78 | 78 | 37.4 | 0.446 | 0.291 | 0.772 | 3.2 | 7.2 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 18.5 |
| 1992–93 | Detroit | 79 | 79 | 37 | 0.418 | 0.308 | 0.737 | 2.9 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 17.6 |
| 1993–94 | Detroit | 58 | 56 | 30.2 | 0.417 | 0.31 | 0.702 | 2.7 | 6.9 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 14.8 |
| Career | 979 | 971 | 36.3 | 0.452 | 0.29 | 0.759 | 3.6 | 9.3 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 19.2 | |
| All-Star | 12 | 10 | 28.9 | 0.571 | 0.4 | 0.771 | 2.5 | 8.8 | 2.8 | 0 | 16.8 | |
| † Denotes seasons in which Thomas won an N.B.A. championship | ||||||||||||
| * Led the league | ||||||||||||
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas N.B.A. Playoffs Career Statistics
| Isaiah "Zeke" Thomas N.B.A. Playoffs Career Statistics | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 1984 | Detroit | 5 | 5 | 39.6 | 0.47 | 0.333 | 0.771 | 3.8 | 11 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 21.4 |
| 1985 | Detroit | 9 | 9 | 39.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.758 | 5.2 | 11.2 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 24.3 |
| 1986 | Detroit | 4 | 4 | 40.8 | 0.451 | 0 | 0.667 | 5.5 | 12 | 2.3 | 0.8 | 26.5 |
| 1987 | Detroit | 15 | 15 | 37.5 | 0.451 | 0.303 | 0.755 | 4.5 | 8.7 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 24.1 |
| 1988 | Detroit | 23 | 23 | 39.6 | 0.437 | 0.295 | 0.828 | 4.7 | 8.7 | 2.9 | 0.3 | 21.9 |
| 1989† | Detroit | 17 | 17 | 37.2 | 0.412 | 0.267 | 0.74 | 4.3 | 8.3 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 18.2 |
| 1990† | Detroit | 20 | 20 | 37.9 | 0.463 | 0.471 | 0.794 | 5.5 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 20.5 |
| 1991 | Detroit | 13 | 11 | 33.5 | 0.403 | 0.273 | 0.725 | 4.2 | 8.5 | 1 | 0.2 | 13.5 |
| 1992 | Detroit | 5 | 5 | 40 | 0.338 | 0.364 | 0.786 | 5.2 | 7.4 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| Career | 111 | 109 | 38 | 0.441 | 0.346 | 0.769 | 4.7 | 8.9 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 20.4 | |
| † Denotes seasons in which Thomas won an N.B.A. championship | ||||||||||||
| * Led the league | ||||||||||||
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas N.B.A. Career Highlights, Records and Awards
| Isaiah "Zeke" Thomas N.B.A. Career Highlights, Records and Awards | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As player: | ||||
| 2× N.B.A. champion (1989, 1990) | ||||
| N.B.A. Finals M.V.P. (1990) | ||||
| 12× N.B.A. All-Star (1982–1993) | ||||
| 2× N.B.A. All-Star Game M.V.P. (1984, 1986) | ||||
| 3× All-N.B.A. First Team (1984–1986) | ||||
| 2× All-N.B.A. Second Team (1983, 1987) | ||||
| N.B.A. All-Rookie First Team (1982) | ||||
| J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1987) | ||||
| N.B.A. assists leader (1985) | ||||
| No. 11 retired by Detroit Pistons | ||||
| N.B.A.'s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team | ||||
| N.C.A.A. champion (1981) | ||||
| N.C.A.A. Final Four Most Outstanding Player (1981) | ||||
| Consensus first-team All-American (1981) | ||||
| U.S.A. Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (1980) | ||||
| McDonald's High School All American (1979) | ||||
| As coach: | ||||
| N.B.A. All-Star Game head coach (2003) | ||||
| Basketball Hall of Fame as player | ||||
| College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted in 2006 | ||||
| Medals | ||||
| Men's basketball representing United States | ||||
| Pan American Games | ||||
| Gold medal | 1979 San Juan | Team competition | ||
N.B.A. Legends – Earvin “Magic” Johnson Highlights
N.B.A. Legends – Earvin “Magic” Johnson Top Ten Los Angeles Lakers Showtime Plays
Earvin “Magic” Johnson – N.B.A. Finals Highlights (1980-88)
N.B.A. Legends – Earvin “Magic” Johnson Top 10 Clutch Plays
Earvin “Magic” Johnson Michigan State N.C.A.A. College Basketball Highlights
Earvin “Magic” Johnson – Los Angeles Lakers Jersey Retirement Ceremony
N.B.A. Legends – Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas scores 25 points in one quarter on an injured ankle
Detroit Pistons Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas tip dunk over Milwaukee Bucks Fred Roberts
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas Highlights
1988 N.B.A. Finals Game Six – Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas scores 43 Points – Detroit Pistons vs L.A. Lakers (Great Western Forum – Inglewood, California – June 18, 1988)
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas – 1981 Indiana Hoosiers N.C.A.A. College Basketball Highlights
Isaiah “Zeke” Thomas Jersey Retirement Ceremony
Sources: Wikipedia–https://www.en.wikipedia.org, N.B.A.–https://www.nba.com, Los Angeles Lakers–https://www.nba.com/lakers, Detroit Pistons–https://www.nba.com/pistons, N.B.C. Sports–https://www.nbcsports.com, E.S.P.N.–https://www.espn.com, YouTube–https://www.youtube.com
