Anthony Edwards vs. Magic Johnson Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Magic Johnson and Anthony Edwards, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Anthony Edwards played 6 years in the NBA, 7 less than Magic Johnson, who played 13. Anthony Edwards had the first of his seasons in 2020-21, while Magic Johnson had his rookie season in 1979-80. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Rookie Season
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2020-21	1979-80
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	Finals MVP
	All-Rookie First Team	All-Rookie First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	NBA Champion

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Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	72	32.1	19.3	0.8	3.8	4.7	2.9	1.1	0.5	2.2	1.8	7.0	16.8	.417	2.4	7.2	.329	2.9	3.8	.776
difference:	+5	+4.2	+1.3	+1.4	+1.8	+3.0	+4.4	+1.3		-1.8	-1.0	+0.5	+4.5	+.113	+2.3	+6.8	+.103	+2.0	+2.2	+.034
Magic Johnson	77	36.3	18.0	2.2	5.6	7.7	7.3	2.4	0.5	4.0	2.8	6.5	12.3	.530	0.1	0.4	.226	4.9	6.0	.810
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Magic Johnson	16	41.1	18.3	3.3	7.3	10.5	9.4	3.1	0.4	4.1	2.9	6.4	12.4	.518	0.1	0.5	.250	5.3	6.6	.802

Season 2
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2021-22	1980-81
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	Steals Leader
Playoffs	Timberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd	Lakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd

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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	72	34.3	21.3	0.9	3.9	4.8	3.8	1.5	0.6	2.6	2.3	7.6	17.3	.441	3.0	8.4	.357	3.1	3.9	.786
difference:	+35	+2.8	+0.3	+1.8	+2.0	+3.8	+4.8	+1.9	+0.1	-1.3	-0.4	+0.8	+1.4	+.091	+2.9	+7.9	+.181	+1.5	+2.2	+.026
Magic Johnson	37	37.1	21.6	2.7	5.9	8.6	8.6	3.4	0.7	3.9	2.7	8.4	15.9	.532	0.1	0.5	.176	4.6	6.1	.760
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	6	37.8	25.2	0.7	3.5	4.2	3.0	1.2	1.2	2.5	3.7	8.3	18.3	.455	3.8	9.5	.404	4.7	5.7	.824
difference:	+3	+4.5	+8.2	+2.0	+7.5	+9.5	+4.0	+1.5	+0.2	-1.2	-1.0	+2.0	+2.0	+.067	+3.8	+9.5		+0.4	+1.0	+.174
Magic Johnson	3	42.3	17.0	2.7	11.0	13.7	7.0	2.7	1.0	3.7	4.7	6.3	16.3	.388	0.0	0.0	-	4.3	6.7	.650

Season 3
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2022-23	1981-82
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	Finals MVP
	-	All-NBA Second Team
	-	Steals Leader
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Timberwolves Lost West Conf 1st Rd	NBA Champion

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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	79	36.0	24.6	0.6	5.2	5.8	4.4	1.6	0.7	3.3	2.4	8.9	19.5	.459	2.7	7.3	.369	4.0	5.3	.756
difference:	+1	+2.3	+6.0	+2.6	+1.2	+3.8	+5.1	+1.1	+0.3	-0.4	-0.5	+1.8	+6.2	+.078	+2.6	+6.9	+.162	+0.2	+0.3	+.004
Magic Johnson	78	38.3	18.6	3.2	6.4	9.6	9.5	2.7	0.4	3.7	2.9	7.1	13.3	.537	0.1	0.4	.207	4.2	5.6	.760
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	5	39.8	31.6	0.6	4.4	5.0	5.2	1.8	2.0	1.6	2.6	11.0	22.8	.482	3.0	8.6	.349	6.6	7.8	.846
difference:	+9	+0.3	+14.2	+3.3	+3.0	+6.3	+4.1	+1.1	+1.8	-1.5	-1.0	+5.1	+11.6	+.047	+3.0	+8.3	+.349	+1.1	+1.2	+.018
Magic Johnson	14	40.1	17.4	3.9	7.4	11.3	9.3	2.9	0.2	3.1	3.6	5.9	11.2	.529	0.0	0.3	.000	5.5	6.6	.828

Season 4
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2023-24	1982-83
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	All-NBA Second Team	-
	-	Assists Leader
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Timberwolves Lost West Conf Finals	Lakers Lost NBA Finals

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4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	79	35.1	25.9	0.7	4.8	5.4	5.1	1.3	0.5	3.1	1.8	9.1	19.7	.461	2.4	6.7	.357	5.4	6.4	.836
difference:		+1.7	+9.1	+2.0	+1.1	+3.2	+5.4	+0.9	+0.1	-0.7	-0.7	+2.6	+7.9	+.087	+2.4	+6.4	+.357	+1.6	+1.6	+.036
Magic Johnson	79	36.8	16.8	2.7	5.9	8.6	10.5	2.2	0.6	3.8	2.5	6.5	11.8	.548	0.0	0.3	.000	3.8	4.8	.800
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	16	40.6	27.6	1.1	5.9	7.0	6.5	1.5	0.6	3.3	2.3	9.8	20.3	.481	2.9	7.2	.400	5.2	6.4	.814
difference:	+1	+2.3	+9.7	+2.3	+0.8	+1.5	+6.3	+0.8	+0.2	-1.0	-1.0	+3.1	+6.6	+.004	+2.9	+6.5	+.400	+0.7	+1.0	+.026
Magic Johnson	15	42.9	17.9	3.4	5.1	8.5	12.8	2.3	0.8	4.3	3.3	6.7	13.7	.485	0.0	0.7	.000	4.5	5.4	.840

Season 5
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2024-25	1983-84
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	All-NBA Second Team	-
	-	Assists Leader
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Timberwolves Lost West Conf Finals	Lakers Lost NBA Finals

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5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	79	36.3	27.6	0.8	4.9	5.7	4.5	1.2	0.6	3.2	1.9	9.1	20.4	.447	4.1	10.3	.395	5.3	6.3	.837
difference:	+12	+2.0	+10.0	+0.7	+1.0	+1.6	+8.6	+1.0	+0.1	-1.4	-0.6	+2.5	+8.8	+.118	+4.0	+9.9	+.188	+1.0	+1.0	+.027
Magic Johnson	67	38.3	17.6	1.5	5.9	7.3	13.1	2.2	0.7	4.6	2.5	6.6	11.6	.565	0.1	0.4	.207	4.3	5.3	.810
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	15	39.0	25.3	1.2	6.6	7.8	5.5	1.1	0.7	2.6	2.1	9.0	19.9	.453	3.1	8.7	.354	4.3	5.9	.719
difference:	+6	+0.9	+7.1		+1.2	+1.2	+8.0	+0.9	+0.3	-1.2	-1.3	+1.8	+6.9	+.098	+3.1	+8.4	+.354	+0.5	+1.1	+.081
Magic Johnson	21	39.9	18.2	1.2	5.4	6.6	13.5	2.0	1.0	3.8	3.4	7.2	13.0	.551	0.0	0.3	.000	3.8	4.8	.800

Season 6
	Anthony Edwards	Magic Johnson
Season	2025-26	1984-85
Team	Minnesota Timberwolves	Los Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards	-	All-NBA First Team
	-	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Did Not Play	NBA Champion

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6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	23	34.9	28.7	0.8	4.3	5.0	3.8	1.3	0.9	2.8	2.0	9.7	19.9	.490	3.3	8.2	.404	6.0	7.3	.815
difference:	+54	+1.2	+10.4	+0.4	+0.7	+1.2	+8.8	+0.2	+0.6	-1.2		+3.2	+8.2	+.071	+3.2	+7.7	+.215	+0.9	+1.3	+.028
Magic Johnson	77	36.1	18.3	1.2	5.0	6.2	12.6	1.5	0.3	4.0	2.0	6.5	11.7	.561	0.1	0.5	.189	5.1	6.0	.843
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
Anthony Edwards	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Magic Johnson	19	36.2	17.5	1.0	6.1	7.1	15.2	1.7	0.2	4.0	2.5	6.1	11.9	.513	0.1	0.4	.143	5.3	6.2	.847

Additional Years
* Magic Johnson played 7 seasons more than Anthony Edwards in the NBA. In that period—his seasons 7 to 13, from 1986 to 1996—Magic Johnson played in 7 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships. In those 7 extra years over Anthony Edwards, Magic Johnson got these achievements:
Honors & Awards	1 Finals MVP 3 Season MVP 6 All-NBA First Team 2 Assists Leader 6 All-Star Game 1 All-Star Game MVP