Ben Gordon vs Magic Johnson: Who Wins on NBA Stats?

The career statistics tell a clear story in this SG comparison. Magic Johnson holds the advantage in 6 of 8 key categories, with Assists Per Game representing the most decisive gap — a 344% difference that separates these two NBA players. This is not a close debate on the numbers.

Magic Johnson's Assists Per Game of 11.1 compared to Ben Gordon's 2.5 represents a 344% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Ben Gordon falls 21.9% below the career average of 3.2 in this category while Magic Johnson exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Magic Johnson's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Free Throw %, where Ben Gordon posts 85.7% against Magic Johnson's 84.0% — a gap of just 2%. Ben Gordon can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 6-2 tally suggests. In any debate, Free Throw % is the statistical ammunition for the Ben Gordon side.

In NBA history, backcourt players are judged on their ability to create offense for themselves and teammates alike. Points per game captures scoring but assists and efficiency metrics reveal the complete offensive picture.

Magic Johnson wins this head to head comparison decisively — 6 categories to 2. The 344% gap in Assists Per Game alone makes a compelling case, but the consistency across multiple categories confirms Magic Johnson's statistical superiority in this NBA career comparison.