Magic Johnson Names the 'Greatest Player That Ever Lived' Without Hesitation

When it comes to the debate on who's the greatest basketball player of all time, the names that often come up are Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. NBA legend Magic Johnson, however, thinks a different player is more deserving of the title.

On Thursday, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar celebrated his 79th birthday. Abdul-Jabbar is widely recognized as one of the greats of the game, boasting six NBA championships and six regular-season MVP awards.

Over his 20-year NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387. He held the record for the most points in league history before James surpassed him in 2023.

Johnson, for his part, made sure to honor the 19-time All-Star on his special day. Aside from greeting him, Magic gave the ultimate praise to Abdul-Jabbar by calling him the "greatest player that ever lived."

Johnson argued that Abdul-Jabbar has won and dominated at every level that he played, so it's only natural for him to be called the best in the history of the game.

It's worth noting that Abdul-Jabbar won three straight New York City Catholic high school championships with Power Memorial High School. He was also a three-time NCAA champion with UCLA before his successful NBA career.

"Happy birthday to the Captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! If you go by what a player accomplished throughout his career including High School, College and the NBA - Kareem is the greatest player that ever lived!" declared Johnson, who played with Abdul-Jabbar on the Lakers for 11 seasons.

Happy birthday to the Captain Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! If you go by what a player accomplished throughout his career including High School, College and the NBA - Kareem is the greatest player that ever lived! pic.twitter.com/Ak2MOOhgSN

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 16, 2026

Considering Abdul-Jabbar's individual and team success, it's hard to deny Johnson's claim.

For what it's worth, several fans agreed with Johnson, with one supporter even saying he's "Absolutely the GOAT."

"And that's a fact. Don't tell the media and jordan fans tho," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "His career is incomparable. No excuses, played in the most challenging social era, no excuses…just dominance."

A fan stated, "TRUE!!! A ABSOLUTE WINNER at Every Single LEVEL!!!"

"The greatest Winner basketball has ever seen!" a poster exclaimed.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 11:13 AM.