Rod Strickland shares why Magic and MJ are the best players in NBA history: "Sometimes I feel like Magic is devalued"

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Among millions of basketball fans worldwide, there are just as many opinions on who the greatest player of all time is. In recent years, with more young fans joining the conversation, new names like LeBron James and Steph Curry have emerged. However, some older players who have been retired for over 30 years are often too easily forgotten.

While Michael Jordan is still synonymous with the term "basketball GOAT," legends like Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson are often forgotten in the past millennium.

However, retired NBA guard Rod Strickland explains that Magic is unfairly and frequently overlooked when it comes to the prestigious but subjective title of the greatest of all time.

“Well, you already know, like, so there's a couple… MJ is, you know, I can spit that out quickly, but sometimes I feel like Magic is devalued…” Rod stated in his recent interview on the Mark Jackson show. “I’m a Magic guy too.”

Magic as the precursor of today’s NBA

Today, we witness an increasing trend of erasing and surpassing traditional positions on the basketball court, along with associated roles. Tall players, who were once expected to stand around the painted area and try to bully their opponents around, are increasingly stepping out beyond the three-point line, shooting, facilitating for teammates, and even bringing the ball up the floor.

For Hot Rod, the precursor to this development in the modern NBA was none other than the legendary point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers. The 6-foot-9, 215-pound all-around playmaker had no flaw in his game, and he, in a way, altered the traditional understanding of small, quick point guards, which also spread out to today’s day and age, where positionless basketball rules the playing field.

“I look at Magic and I say we watch all these big guys now like, that's Magic. Magic started that. All the big guys you see now handling the ball and passing that’s Magic,” Strickland added.

For Hot Rod, MJ is still the man

Since he had his fair share of battles against the Bulls legend, Strickland doubled down on his previous takes, stating that MJ is indeed the best player of all time. Not just for what he did on the hardwood but also for his presence and impact off it. The aura when he entered the room could be felt, along with a sense of fear he instilled in opponents, a topic still discussed today, and Hot Rod is definitely not alone in thinking so.

As long as the NBA exists, debates will continue on who is the greatest, most dominant, and even the most underrated player of all time. While cliché, it is up to us as followers and fans of the game not to disapprove of athletes but to appreciate greatness because we never know when someone better will come along.