TNT.Most NBA fans would probably admit that either Michael Jordan or LeBron James is the “greatest” player in the history of the league.
But who are the most “important” players in league history?
Charles Barkley believes there are two obvious picks – and neither are Jordan or LeBron.
The former NBA star turned Turner Sports analyst believes that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are the two most “important” players in the history of the league. Bird and Magic helped revitalize the NBA during their primes in the 1980s.
Barkley explained his reasoning during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel.
“Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are the two most important people in NBA history. If it weren’t for those guys, the NBA wouldn’t be what it is today. Obviously, Michael Jordan took it to another level, but I’m old enough to remember, before Magic and Larry got into the NBA, the league was too black, too many drugs it wasn’t making any money. So when these guys talk about who made the league, it was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and I wanted to do something special for Magic because what he and Larry did we can’t put to words. You can’t say thank you enough,” Barkley said.
Most NBA experts would probably agree with Barkley.
Neither Bird nor Magic are as great as Jordan or LeBron, but their stardom in the 1980s was extremely important for the health of the league.