NBA legend Magic Johnson makes bold comparison between current Knicks and his Lakers era

Magic Johnson, widely regarded as one of the greatest players in NBA history, reflected on his iconic Showtime Lakers while analyzing the current state of the New York Knicks. Teaming up with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to dominance in the 1980s and early ’90s. In 2025, he’s drawing parallels between that legendary era and New York’s battle with the Boston Celtics.

At first glance, comparing Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby to Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar might seem far-fetched. But the Lakers legend wasn’t making direct player-to-player comparisons. Instead, he pointed to a familiar narrative: when his Lakers faced a tough regular-season challenge from the San Antonio Spurs.

Following the Knicks‘ 91–90 win over the Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Johnson recalled a season when the Spurs swept the Lakers in all four regular-season meetings, similar to Boston’s dominance over New York this year. Despite that, the Lakers bounced back when it mattered most: in the playoffs.

“I remember back in the day my Showtime Lakers were in the same position as the New York Knicks when the San Antonio Spurs beat us in all four regular season games and we ended up playing them in the Playoffs,” Johnson wrote on X after the Knicks’ narrow Game 2 victory.

Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks celebrates a three point basket against the Boston Celtics during the third quarter in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on May 07, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts.

He continued: “We had a chip on our shoulder and we had something to prove—not only to ourselves, but to the Spurs, and we ended up beating them in the Playoffs! The Knicks are facing this against the Celtics.“

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Johnson explains how the Knicks pulled off comeback win over Celtics

The Knicks didn’t just get lucky in their Game 2 victory over the Celtics. They delivered a remarkable performance, rallying from a 20-point deficit to secure a dramatic one-point win. Magic Johnson praised the team’s resilience and credited three key players for stepping up when it mattered most.

“The biggest reason the Knicks won was because the three role players stepped up this game, Josh Hart had 23 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 21, and Mikal Bridges notched the game-ending block and added 14 points to seal the victory,“ Johnson wrote on his X account.

Magic on Jalen Brunson’s quiet night

While Jalen Brunson has been instrumental for New York throughout the season, Johnson pointed out that the guard didn’t play a decisive role in this particular win. That observation has sparked conversation among fans, especially as the Knicks continue to show grit and determination in the NBA Playoffs.

“This might be the first time I didn’t mention Jalen Brunson in a Knicks victory,” Johnson admitted. Despite Brunson’s limited impact, the Knicks now appear to be serious contenders against the defending NBA champions, but they know the road ahead won’t be easy.