Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson

Stephen A. Smith Lists Top 5 NBA Point Guards Of All-Time In Front Of Magic Johnson originally appeared on Fadeaway World.
The role of the point guard is one of the most critical ones on the basketball court. While giving the masters of this craft their dues on "First Take", ESPN's Stephen A. Smith shared his list of the top 5 point guards of all-time, while facing NBA legend Magic Johnson.
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Smith started his list with Chris Paul at No. 5. He said:
"Led the league in assists on several occasions. He is one of the all-time great facilitators. Controls paces, controls tempo. A leader. Knows everybody's job, everybody's accountability."
Smith justified that this was a tough decision to make, since he had to decide between Paul and Gary Payton for the fifth spot. But the analyst eventually justified it using Paul's offensive impact as a reason.
At No. 4, Smith selected Jason Kidd and said:
"Did you see this, brother? Without a jump shot, and you still couldn't stop him. You talk about a fast break? Lord, have mercy. Watch this brother push the ball up the court. You see the passes that he made. Richard Jefferson was relevant because of Jason Kidd... Jay Kidd was something special to behold, and by the way, a champion, even as he got older."
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As enamored as Smith was by Kidd, he didn't place him in his top 3. Instead, he picked Isiah Thomas at third and justified:
"Michael Jordan got him as No. 2, I got him as No. 3, but damn it, the greatest little guard in the history of basketball... A two-time champion, a national champion. The brother is something special. He was Kyrie before Kyrie. And the Bad Boy Pistons, even with all those rough riders, those leaders, he was clearly the unquestionable leader."
Following up with Thomas at three, Smith selected Stephen Curry as No. 2 on his list. He added:
"The greatest shooter God has ever seen. But, Magic pointed it out on "Get Up" earlier this morning - the ball handling, the passing skills. This brother sets it up. And here's the thing, impact is what it comes down to."
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"This brother's movement without the ball, keeping everybody's head on a swivel, scaring the living hell out of you because he can shoot, but with the ball handling capabilities, and he's a four-time champion... When we think of him, we think of divine intervention, because his gifts are God-given. It works on it even more. Give him credit. He's that dude."
For all the positive comments, Curry still couldn't crack the top spot. Smith especially reserved that for the legend in front of him, selecting Magic Johnson as No. 1 on his list.
"When you're talking about point guards," he said, quoting Eddie Johnson in the process. "You're talking about facilitators. You're talking about guys that set others up. You're talking about guys that make the other people around them so much better than what they really are. Who did that better than the magic man?"
Smith ranted about the Showtime Lakers and the impact they had on the NBA landscape, running most NBA teams into the ground with their dazzling and dominant displays led by Johnson.
Johnson couldn't hold back his laughter while watching Smith's animated antics. But by the end of the analyst's segment, the Lakers legend shared his reaction to the list. He said:
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"It's a great list, no question about it. You don't have to change a thing. It's just two guys when I look at - My boy from Utah, John Stockton, he's right there. And Steve Nash... I'm not saying change. I'm just saying, add those two guys."
Magic Johnson was by far one of the most iconic players the league has ever seen, particularly in the point guard position. At 6'9", he broke the mould for the position, ushering in the era of positionless basketball.
With a career average of 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, Johnson was a master of his craft. With his talent and skill yielding success for him as a player, he amassed several achievements, including five NBA titles, three Finals MVP awards, three MVP awards, 12x All-Star selections, and 10x All-NBA selections, while also being named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
This list also features two active players in Paul and Curry. While both remain relevant even at this stage in their careers, it is evident why Curry is listed higher.
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Heading into next season, Paul is expected to test free agency, making a move out of San Antonio to hopefully join a contender in LA. Meanwhile, Curry remains a central figure with the Warriors, who aim to make adjustments to make another title charge next season.
Related: Stephen Curry Reveals He Suffers From "Impostor Syndrome"
This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.

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Turning 32 this July and owning an injury history, there's a danger of overreach, but Houston had full Bird rights on Adams, and this center market could be frothy. Note that Houston front-loaded Adams' deal to start at $14.2 million and then decline in the out years, which had the added impact of making him trade-ineligible until December because it was a raise greater than 5 percent. 14. Larry Nance Jr., Hawks Nance gets hurt every year, playing only 24 games last season and never playing more than 67 in any of his 10 pro seasons, but he remains effective when he's on the court. Nance shot 44.7 percent from 3 last season; while he's unlikely to repeat that performance, his 35.3 percent career mark is indicative of some stretch capability. He's also a smart passer and a crafty screener. His 32-year-old legs still uncorked 16 dunks in 463 minutes. Nance's biggest downside comes defensively, where he's a 6-8 guy masquerading as a center. While experience, mobility and leaping make up for some of it, he doesn't protect the rim or rebound like a true center, and on a good team, he would probably split time between the two frontcourt slots. Atlanta will have full Bird rights on Nance but has other priorities in free agency, including signing another center to go ahead of him on the depth chart. While the Hawks value him in the locker room, Nance wants to play and thus might not be back. 15. Isaiah Jackson, Pacers (R) Jackson was supposed to be Indiana's backup center before tearing his Achilles two weeks into the season. The 6-10 string bean is theoretically a restricted free agent if the Pacers make a $6.4 million qualifying offer, but I can't see why they would bother. Jackson's market post-injury is likely to be limited, and there is an obvious accommodation here where the Pacers could sign him to a cheap 'one-plus-one' deal with a player option for 2026-27. With a strong year, he could re-enter the market, and the Pacers would have Bird rights to re-sign him, but in the meantime, his deal wouldn't screw up their tax/apron situation. Advertisement 16. Ben Simmons, Clippers I wasn't sure at what position to list Simmons, but center is probably the closest description to his role for most teams. He's capable of playing point guard and can be particularly threatening in transition with his ability to push the ball and pass, but his desperate avoidance of the free-throw line limits his impact as a finisher and shoehorns him into a position as a short-rolling big in the half court. Simmons still adds value for the right team at the back end of the rotation because he's switchable and can handle the ball. 17. Mason Plumlee, Suns Plumlee is 35, but his blocks and rebounding rates have largely held steady over the last several years; he is just dunking less, although dunk stats with him are always tricky because of his compulsion to turn so many of them into two-handed overhead layups. (Here's a stat we need from camera data: My hypothesis is that no player in NBA history has scored a higher percentage of his points with his back to the rim while he was shooting than Plumlee.) The Suns don't have Bird rights on Plumlee, but it doesn't matter because he's a minimum guy; if Phoenix is weary of him, he'll hang on somewhere else as a third center. 18. Quinten Post, Warriors (TO) Post is 7-feet tall, has some physical toughness and shot 40.8 percent from 3 as a rookie, so I'd say he's a keeper despite his athletic limitations. Golden State has a $1.96 million option on him for the coming season, but the likely move is to decline it and sign him to a lengthier, cap-friendly deal as a non-Bird free agent. Depending on their apron situation, the Warriors could even spice things up by starting Post's next deal for 20 percent above his minimum — an estimated $2.45 million — on a multi-year deal. 19. Thomas Bryant, Pacers Bryant is a good shooter for a big and plays extremely hard, but his effort doesn't make up for his limitations at the defensive end. The Pacers have done a good job spotting him into sections of games where physicality is required and mobility is optional, but his best fit is as a third center. As with Jackson above, it seems like a one-plus-one accommodation on a minimum deal with a player option could work here, especially because the Pacers don't have Bird rights on Bryant. 20. 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The first is declining it to sign him to a longer minimum deal as a non-Bird free agent; the second one, if the roster gets too crowded, would be to decline the option and sign him to a two-way deal with a pinkie promise to roster him after the trade deadline. Either way, Atlanta would have restricted free-agent rights, so he wouldn't be a flight risk. 22. Neemias Queta, Celtics (NG) Queta has a half-guaranteed deal for $2.3 million for this year that becomes fully guaranteed on opening night. With the Celtics looking to cut payroll and possibly losing at least one of Al Horford or Luke Kornet, there likely is more interest in keeping him around as a cheap third center. 23. Moussa Diabate, Hornets (NG) Diabate has a non-guaranteed deal that pays $250,000 on opening night, but he probably doesn't need to sweat his roster spot after his energetic play on the glass was one of Charlotte's few bright spots in 2024-25. 24. Drew Eubanks, Clippers (NG) Eubanks has a non-guaranteed deal for $4.75 million that the Clippers would likely waive unless it is needed in a trade, but they have all year to decide. With his guarantee not hitting until January, the Clippers could even roster him heading into the season to keep as a trade chip. More likely, he gets let go late in the summer if he's not in their plans. If and when he is waived, he should have a market for teams looking for a physical third center. 25. Mo Bamba, last with Pelicans Despite palpable league-wide disinterest when he was a free agent at the end of last season, I think Bamba is a better alternative than the other centers left on this list. He's a 7-foot lottery pick with high rates of rebounds and blocked shots, and on a good day, his 3-point threat (35.6 percent) stretches the floor. That description makes him seem like a Rolls-Royce of a free agent, but unfortunately, this one has a golf cart's motor inside. 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Jericho Sims, Bucks A limited rim runner who is a danger to himself and others if handling the ball in any non-dunk situation, Sims can run and jump but does little else, making him of little value for more than emergency center minutes. 29. Bismack Biyombo, Spurs Biyombo is only 6-8, can't shoot and has hands of stone, yet he keeps getting called off his couch to fill in when teams have a shortage at center. That's a testament to his non-stop motor and positive locker room vibes, and he'll probably be summoned on a 10-day again this year once injuries start hitting. 30. DeAndre Jordan, Nuggets Jordan turns 37 in July and is sort of supposed to be there as the wise, veteran locker room guy, but Denver's other backup center options have been so atrociously bad (ciao, Dario!) that Jordan keeps landing back in the lineup. Jordan has lost a step, but he's big and knows how to play; keep him near the basket in drop coverage, and he'll limit the worst carnage at the rim and get every rebound (30.3 percent defensive rebound rate). Offensively, he can still get up for dunks (58 in 691 minutes) but doesn't move like he used to and has a very limited role on that end, which is why his best role is third center/veteran sage. 31. Tony Bradley, Pacers (TO) Bradley has been pressed into service at times during these playoffs after seeing only 146 minutes of NBA action in the previous three regular seasons. His numbers in the G League were good enough to suggest he's a viable break-glass center option, but Indiana's jam at this spot (See Turner, Jackson and Bryant above) makes it unlikely that would happen with the Pacers. I'd expect the Pacers to decline his $2.94 million team option for next season regardless of their plans for him. Bringing him back on a one-year minimum would save them nearly a million dollars on their cap sheet while costing Bradley nothing. Advertisement 32. Taj Gibson, Hornets Gibson is only 6-9, 40 years old and can't space the floor. But he keeps grinding and competing and thus is still somewhat useful as an end-of-roster big. His intangibles made enough impact in a rebuilding situation in Charlotte that the Hornets might want him back for round two. 33. Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers The 34-year-old Thompson still has enough energy to be a defender and rebounder as an extra big at the end of the bench, but his offensive impact is shockingly minimal (41.0 percent true shooting while only taking paint shots is, uh, not great; he also shot 7 of 30 from the line). The Cavs might eventually bring him back as the veteran end-of-bench guy, but they have other, more important decisions to work through first. 34. Duop Reath, Trail Blazers (NG) Reath has a non-guaranteed deal for $2.2 million for the coming season; given that the Blazers currently employ 63 other centers, his future likely hinges on what other deals happen in Portland this summer. Reath has little athletic pop, doesn't rebound and is a minus defender overall. But he can stretch the floor, sort of shoot (34.8 percent career from 3) and can put it on the floor a bit. Although 29 years old, he's also two-way eligible, which raises the possibility of Portland waiving him and then bringing him back on a two-way. He also might see his deal guaranteed if the Blazers need his contract to even out salaries in a trade, as his trigger date on the guarantee isn't until August. 35. Dario Šarić, Nuggets (PO) Šarić has a $5.4 million player option that would be irrational to decline; he quickly proved unplayable in Denver, and one presumes the Nuggets will spend their summer trying to unload his unwanted contract somewhere else. At some point, this contract will land in a place where a team feels comfortable waiving him. 36. Jock Landale, Rockets (NG) Landale has an $8 million non-guaranteed contract for this season with a June 29 guarantee date, but nobody will be surprised if player and team agree to extend that deadline while the Rockets hunt for a trade. Landale would get an $8 million golden parachute if Houston needs to use his money as a salary match in a blockbuster deal; otherwise, he's likely to be waived at some point this summer and will either head overseas or try to claw his way back into the league 10 days at a time. 37. Alex Len, Lakers Len played 10 games for the Lakers at the end of last season when they couldn't find anyone better, but now that it's summer, I'm pretty sure they can find somebody better. At 32, Len's next stop might be in Europe. Advertisement 38. Richaun Holmes, Wizards (NG) A more extreme version of Landale, Holmes signed an extension with the Wizards a year ago that is listed at $13.3 million on the cap sheet but only has a $250,000 guarantee and no trigger date. Forget 'center' — his new position is 'trade exception.' Washington can use his salary to match contracts in a trade that brings back up to $20.8 million, and if the Wizards can't find one, they can waive Holmes and get on with their lives. Holmes is 31 and hasn't been a useful player in at least three years, so if his contract isn't guaranteed as part of a trade from the Wizards, this is probably the end of the line. 39. Tristan Vukčević, Wizards (R-2w) Vukčević has three passports (Swedish, Greek and Serbian) and two years of experience, playing 35 games for Washington after he was selected in the second round in 2023. He had his moments as an offensive player, shooting 37.3 percent on 3s and 58.6 percent on 2s while averaging an impressive 30.6 points per 100 possessions. He doesn't rebound much for a big, and his defensive mobility is a major question, but he's a 7-footer who blocks his share of shots and flashes some physicality, and he cut his foul rate considerably in 2024-25. The 22-year-old is coming off a two-way deal and is eligible for another, so the Wizards' likely endgame would be to offer him one with the understanding that he'd be promoted after the trade deadline. 40. Ariel Hukporti, Knicks (NGTO) The 58th player picked in the 2024 draft, Hukporti signed a roster contract with the Knicks last season because his rookie-minimum cap number saved New York about $1 million against the second apron. However, the deal included an option for this season for $1.96 million that is also non-guaranteed. I would look for New York to decline it and bring him back on a two-way, given that Hukporti only played 217 NBA minutes last year and they were replete with turnovers and fouls. The 23-year-old German can ply his trade in the G League while he develops, and his deal could always be convertible to a standard NBA contract if the Knicks once again need his minimum-salary slot for cap shenanigans. Advertisement 41. Isaac Jones, Kings (TO) The Kings signed Jones late last season to a deal that includes a $1.96 million team option for the coming season. With the Kings under new management and the roster generally in flux, one suspects Sacramento will decline the option and try to bring Jones back on a two-way. The undrafted, 6-8 Jones had enough juice to uncork 27 dunks in 308 minutes but otherwise didn't show enough refinement as an offensive player or enough impact as a defender to warrant rostering. 42. N'Faly Dante, Rockets (R–2w) The 6-11 Malian played in just four games for the Rockets in his first season out of Oregon but got in nearly a full schedule in the G League and was one of its best players in the league. He's a pretty traditional big by NBA standards and has to improve his decisions as a roller, but Dante's combo of size, finishing and rim protection could make him a rotation-level backup. One presumes he'll be back as a two-way restricted free agent and has a great shot to grab a roster spot as the year goes on. 43. Branden Carlson, Thunder (R-2w) Thanks to all the Thunder's blowout wins, the 7-foot stretch big got into 37 games in his rookie season, nearly all in garbage time. However, he played a role in an important early-season win over Cleveland, and he checked two boxes as both a volume 3-point shooter and an effective shot blocker (8.6 percent block rate). Finding his way onto the varsity roster in OKC will be a challenge, but Carlson had a very strong rookie season and figures to be back on another two-way at worst. 44. Jesse Edwards, Timberwolves (R-2w) A bouncy 7-foot rim runner, the Dutch-born Edwards has to cut down on his offensive mistakes and handle physicality a bit better before he can be a roster-caliber player. However, his rookie year was strong enough to make him one of the best two-way bigs available. 45. Colin Castleton, Raptors (NG) Castleton has a roster contract, for the moment, as Toronto signed him on the last day of the season to a non-guaranteed deal worth $2.19 million. There is no chance that contract will survive past October; Castleton will either be aggregated for use in an offseason trade or cut before the season. However, the 25-year-old has a good shot of reappearing as a two-way in the wake of a strong 2024-25 G League season. (Top photo of Myles Turner: Andy Lyons / Getty Images)