Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird

Magic Johnson (PG, 1996) vs Larry Bird (SF, 1992)

Career Stats

Stat	Magic Johnson	Larry Bird
Points (PPG)	19.5	24.3
Rebounds (RPG)	7.2	10
Assists (APG)	11.2	6.3
Steals (SPG)	1.9	1.7
Blocks (BPG)	0.4	0.8
Turnovers	3.9	3.1
FG%	52.0%	49.6%
3P%	30.3%	37.6%
FT%	84.8%	88.6%
Games Played	906	897

Advanced Metrics

Metric	Magic Johnson	Larry Bird
PER	24.1	23.5
Win Shares	155.7	145.9
Championships	5	3
MVP Awards	3	3

Skill Ratings

Skill	Magic Johnson	Larry Bird
Scoring	78	84
Playmaking	75	50
Rebounding	55	75
Defense	72	80
Shooting	74	82
Versatility	84	75

The Verdict

Larry Bird was the superior scorer, averaging 24.3 PPG vs 19.5 PPG. Magic Johnson had a clear edge in playmaking (11.2 vs 6.3 APG). Larry Bird was the stronger rebounder (10 vs 7.2 RPG). Magic Johnson earned 5 championships vs Larry Bird's 3.