The Tape
Was Magic Johnson better than Nikola Jokic?
Magic Johnson, 1979-1991, against Nikola Jokic, 2015-present. The numbers levelled to one league, then the call.
Method, stated plainly: scoring is adjusted to a league averaging 114 points per team per game. Rebounds and assists are printed as they were recorded, with the league scoring rate beside them, because a rebound in 1962 came out of a different number of missed shots and we will not pretend one multiplier fixes that. Career lines for active players run through 2024-25.
What the numbers say
This is the same argument in 2 bodies. Both are the tallest primary creator on their floor, both make the pass 1 beat before it exists, and both won because the offense was them rather than around them.
Johnson's 1986-87 adjusts to 24.8 points with 12.2 assists. Jokic's 2023-24 is 26.4 and 9.0, plus 12.4 rebounds, which is the gap: Jokic does his from the post and cleans the glass while he is there.
The numbers are free. The verdict is in the Vault.
13 Dossiers, every Dispatch ever sent, and the Tape. One payment, $39, yours for good. The archive keeps growing every morning after you have paid.
Every pairing in the file makes the call in writing, and pass holders read all of them.
5 Dispatches in the archive so far, and one more every morning. 14-day refund, no questions asked.
Read the file: Magic Johnson
The next argument
Get the Dispatch
One email a day: what happened last night, and the game, player or era from history it rhymes with. Four minutes at breakfast, free forever.
Free forever. One tap to leave.