Charles Barkley vs Magic Johnson
Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 12 seasons. On the floor, Charles Barkley was the higher-volume scorer (22.1 points per game to 19.6); Magic Johnson created more for others (11.2 assists per game to 3.9); Charles Barkley controlled the glass (11.7 rebounds per game to 7.2). Magic Johnson holds the edge on accolades — 3 MVPs, 5 championships, 3 Finals MVPs and the #7 all-time ranking to Charles Barkley's #31.
Career averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| 22.1 | Points / game | 19.6 |
| 11.7 | Rebounds / game | 7.2 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 11.2 |
| 1.5 | Steals / game | 1.9 |
| 0.8 | Blocks / game | 0.4 |
| 54.0% | Field goal % | 52.0% |
| 24.5% | 3-point % | 22.9% |
| 73.3% | Free throw % | 84.3% |
| 61.2% | True shooting % | 61.0% |
| 1,073 | Games played | 906 |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats aren't available for Charles Barkley.
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Magic Johnson's era.
Playoff averages
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| 23.0 | Points / game | 19.5 |
| 12.9 | Rebounds / game | 7.7 |
| 3.9 | Assists / game | 12.3 |
| 1.6 | Steals / game | 1.9 |
| 0.9 | Blocks / game | 0.3 |
| 51.4% | Field goal % | 50.6% |
| 27.0% | 3-point % | 18.5% |
| 71.5% | Free throw % | 83.6% |
| 123 | Playoff games | 190 |
Accolades
| Charles Barkley | Stat | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVP awards | 3 |
| 0 | Finals MVP | 3 |
| 0 | Championships | 5 |
| 9 | All-Star selections | 11 |
| 5 | All-NBA 1st Team | 9 |
| #31 | All-time GOAT rank | #7 |
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