Getty Images Former Lakers Legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson
One of the greatest players to ever play for the Los Angeles Lakers is Magic Johnson. He was the team’s first-round selection in the 1979 NBA Draft and spent 13 seasons with the team after retiring for good in 1996.
Johnson has made nine NBA Finals appearances and has won five NBA Championships. He is the NBA’s all-time leader with 11.2 assists per game and was named a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Johnson, who is a three-time NBA MVP himself took to Twitter to post his top-16 NBA MVP candidates in order. His list included:
- 1. LeBron James
- 2a. Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 2b. Luka Dončić
- 3. James Harden
- 4. Kawhi Leonard
- 5. Anthony Davis
- 6. Nikola Jokic
- 7. Joel Embiid
- 8. Jayson Tatum
- 9. Pascal Siakam
- 10. Donovan Mitchell
- 11. Ben Simmons
- 12. Kyrie Irving
- 13. Damian Lillard
- 14. Karl-Anthony Towns
- 15. Bradley Beal
- 16. Devin Booker.
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Magic Johnson’s Top 5 NBA MVP Candidates
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks over LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018
Johnson’s number one pick was Lakers superstar LeBron James. The Lakers currently boast a 14-2 record, the leagues best, with James as their leader. James is currently averaging 25.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 10.8 assists a game. He just recently made NBA history when the Lakers defeated Oklahoma City Thunder on November 19th. In that victory, James recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists making him the first player in league history to log a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams, according to ESPN. James has now recorded five triple-doubles this season alone.
“I had no idea,” James said per ESPN. “Coach [Frank] Vogel came in here and said congratulations. I was like, I thought he was joking about my seven turnovers because I’ve been taking care of the ball so much. He said first player in NBA history to have a triple-double versus 30 teams, every team, so I was like, ‘OK. That’s pretty cool.’”
Magic’s second two picks were Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić. Antetokounmpo is the reigning NBA Finals MVP and averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists 1.3 steals, 1.5 blocks a game last season while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 25.6 percent from the three. This season he is currently averaging 29.9 points, 13.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
Dončić, who’s a member of the Dallas Mavericks, is one of the NBA’s rising stars. He is only in his second year and has been dominant. Against the Golden State Warriors, Dončić tallied 35 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in just 25 minutes and 30 seconds. Inside Hook reported that this mark was the least playing time in NBA history that a player has needed to produce a 30-point triple-double, per the Elias Sports Bureau. Dončić is also averaging close to a triple-double (30.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 9.8 assists) this season.
Third on the Magic’s list was Houston Rockets’ star James Harden. This season, Harden is currently averaging 37.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and eight assists a game. Following Harden on the list was Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is the reigning NBA Finals MVP and is currently averaging 25.7 points, eight rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Last but not least in the top-five was another Lakers superstar in Anthony Davis, who is averaging 25.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game so far this season.
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Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Names LeBron James Among MVP Candidates