Here is a ReSlap of a classic from 2014, because the Magic Johnson vs Michael Jordan debate never really dies. Originally a guest poster settled it once and for all: Magic was clearly better. After all, his nickname came from playing for the Hogwarts Hawks, and the NBA only let him play on the condition that he didn’t use the “3-point charm” or the “Slamdunkus spell.”
Here we are 12 years later, the GOAT conversation still rages (now with more players thrown into the mix), but this particular theory is still the most unique and fun explanation we’ve ever seen.
Read the original (mostly) untouched 2014 post below (the head-to-head record, the Hogwarts origin story, and the Dream Team magic rumors). Then you can have your say in the vote: Who was actually better?
Written by Brian Drews (original post here)
We have another entry for our guest post contest. This one comes from Brian Drews. If you want to enter our guest post contest (now closed), you can find all the details HERE.
The argument has raged since the two first went head to head on December 2nd 1984, and in the 18 total meetings of the two basketball behemoths, Jordan has come out on top 11 times, winning 7 regular season and 4 playoff games. Actually Jordan didn’t win them, since there is no I in Team, the team he played for did. So to rephrase my original statement, during the Johnson vs Jordan era, the Chicago Bulls beat the LA Lakers 11 out of 18 times.
Who cares what the statisticians say, everybody who was watching basketball during that time period knows that Johnson was a much better player than Jordan. That’s why he was called ‘Magic’ Johnson, but where did the name ‘Magic’ come from?
A source tells us that the nickname came from when he played high-school basketball for the Hogwarts Hawks. “All the white kids wanted to play Quidditch”, our source told us. “but Earvin was set on being a baller. By the time he was 15 he stood over 6 1/2 feet tall, and he towered over Professor Flitwick.”
The NBA allowed Johnson to play on the understanding that he did not use any of his wizarding skills on the court, including but not limited to the ‘3 point charm’ and the ‘Slamdunkus spell’. There are rumors that during the 1992 Olympics, Johnson, who was not under NBA restrictions, used a variety of magic incantations to provide an unbeaten run and a gold medal for the Dream Team.
The Magic vs Jordan argument remains one of basketball’s classic what-ifs and head-to-head comparisons.
No official confirmation has ever been released about Hogwarts affiliation or spell usage on the court.
Both players are still widely regarded as all-time greats, with Jordan usually ranking higher in most modern lists.
The original “Slamdunkus spell” theory remains pure Slap the Penguin gold.
Aged like a draft of felix felicis? Or like double double dribble trouble?
Reviving basketball personalities weekly. Follow @slapthepenguin on X for more roasts and daily nonsense. Comment: What’s your take on the Magic vs Jordan debate?
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