Stephen Curry
2009–10 to 2025–26 · 17 seasons · active
NBA player comparison
Who was better: Stephen Curry or Magic Johnson?
Regular-season verdict
Magic Johnson ranks higher in career impact so far
Magic Johnson
1979–80 to 1995–96 · 13 seasons
Impact comparison
#13Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#11Leads
+11.9LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+9.6
+9.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+8.7
1.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better1.7
2LeadsSeasons ranked No. 11
+6,430 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,378 pts
Career Impact Rank places Magic Johnson #11 and Stephen Curry #13. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three. Stephen Curry had the higher single-season impact estimate and more total career value.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedStephen Curry2.187 · No. 13Magic Johnson1.913 · No. 11
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Stephen Curry
2.187 composite · No. 13 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 12014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.333 | 50% | 0.667 |
| Best 5No. 12014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22020–21No. 52012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.200 | 30% | 0.660 |
| Best 10No. 12014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22020–21No. 52012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62024–25No. 72018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72022–23No. 72025–26 | 4.300 | 20% | 0.860 |
0.667 + 0.660 + 0.860= 2.187
Magic Johnson
1.913 composite · No. 11 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 11980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.667 | 50% | 0.833 |
| Best 5No. 11980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.800 | 30% | 0.540 |
| Best 10No. 11980–81Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 21989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 31986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 51979–80Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 51984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.700 | 20% | 0.540 |
0.833 + 0.540 + 0.540= 1.913
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #13 | #11 |
| Best 3 average finish | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Best 5 average finish | 2.2 | 1.8 |
| Best 10 average finish | 4.3 | 2.7 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #14 | #16 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +11.9 | +9.6 |
| Best 3 average impact | +10.2 | +9.2 |
| Best 5 average impact | +9.4 | +8.7 |
| Best 10 average impact | +8.2 | +7.7 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +6,430 pts | +6,378 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 6 | 11 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 13 | 12 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,069 | 906 |
| Minutes | 36,304 | 33,245 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks a higher impact result above; these skill rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 62.6% | 61.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 64.2% | 61.2% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 47.1% | 52.0% |
| Three-point percentage | 42.2% | 30.3% |
| Free-throw percentage | 91.2% | 84.8% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 31.7% | 41.8% |
| Assists per game | 6.3 | 11.2 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.0% | 19.5% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 7.9% | 11.2% |
| Rebounds per game | 4.7 | 7.2 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.2% | 2.5% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 0.7% | 0.6% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Stephen Curry | Magic Johnson |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 24.8 | 19.5 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
Magic Johnson ranks higher in career impact so far.
Stephen CurryMetricMagic Johnson
#13Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#11Leads
+11.9LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+9.6
+9.4LeadsBest 5 average impact+8.7
+6,430 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+6,378 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Stephen CurryMetricMagic Johnson
787LeadsListed-team regular-season wins765
58.3%Listed-team winning percentage71.8%Leads
750-win team seasons13Leads
360-win team seasons6Leads
10Playoff team seasons13Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
Magic Johnson leads every available measure below.
Stephen CurryMetricMagic Johnson
10Playoff appearances13Leads
155Playoff games190Leads
113Team playoff wins128Leads
6Finals appearances9Leads
4Championships5Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Stephen CurryMetricMagic Johnson
12All-Star12
2MVP3Leads
11LeadsAll-NBA10
0All-Defense0
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Stephen CurryMagic JohnsonPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Stephen CurryNBA seasonMagic Johnson
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
No season
Season 15
No season
Season 16
No season
Season 17
No season
Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.