Magic Johnson vs. Tyrese Maxey Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Tyrese Maxey and Magic Johnson, 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.

Magic Johnson played 13 years in the NBA, 7 more than Tyrese Maxey, who played 6. Magic Johnson had the first of his seasons in 1979-80, while Tyrese Maxey had his rookie season in 2020-21. 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
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1979-80	2020-21
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	Finals MVP	-
	All-Rookie First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	76ers Lost East Conf Semis

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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		%
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
difference:	+16	+21.0	+10.0	+2.0	+4.1	+6.0	+5.3	+2.0	+0.3	-3.3	-1.5	+3.3	+5.3	+.068	+0.4	+1.3	+.075	+3.9	+4.9	+.061
Tyrese Maxey	61	15.3	8.0	0.2	1.5	1.7	2.0	0.4	0.2	0.7	1.3	3.2	7.0	.462	0.5	1.7	.301	1.0	1.1	.871
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+4	+28.1	+12.0	+3.2	+5.5	+8.7	+8.1	+2.8	+0.1	-3.7	-1.6	+4.0	+6.9	+.079	+0.2	+0.5	+.083	+4.1	+4.8	+.166
Tyrese Maxey	12	13.0	6.3	0.1	1.8	1.8	1.3	0.3	0.5	0.4	1.3	2.4	5.5	.439	0.3	1.0	.333	1.2	1.8	.636

Season 2
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1980-81	2021-22
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	Steals Leader	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd	76ers Lost East Conf Semis

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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		%
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
difference:	+38	+1.8	+4.1	+2.4	+3.0	+5.4	+4.3	+2.7	+0.3	-2.7	-0.6	+2.0	+2.6	+.047	+1.7	+3.6	+.251	+1.8	+2.8	+.106
Tyrese Maxey	75	35.3	17.5	0.3	2.9	3.2	4.3	0.7	0.4	1.2	2.1	6.4	13.3	.485	1.8	4.1	.427	2.8	3.3	.866
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+9	+1.9	+3.8	+2.2	+8.0	+10.2	+3.1	+1.9	+0.8	-1.9	-2.7	+1.0	+1.1	+.096	+2.2	+5.8		+0.4	+2.5	+.290
Tyrese Maxey	12	40.4	20.8	0.5	3.0	3.5	3.9	0.8	0.2	1.8	2.0	7.3	15.2	.484	2.2	5.8	.377	3.9	4.2	.940

Season 3
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1981-82	2022-23
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	Finals MVP	-
	All-NBA Second Team	-
	Steals Leader	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	76ers Lost East Conf Semis

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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		%
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
difference:	+18	+4.7	+1.7	+2.8	+3.8	+6.7	+6.0	+1.9	+0.3	-2.4	-0.7	+0.2	+1.9	+.056	+2.6	+5.8	+.227	+1.2	+2.0	+.085
Tyrese Maxey	60	33.6	20.3	0.4	2.6	2.9	3.5	0.8	0.1	1.3	2.2	7.3	15.2	.481	2.7	6.2	.434	3.0	3.6	.845
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+3	+1.6	+3.1	+3.1	+3.4	+6.5	+7.0	+1.5	+0.3	-2.4	-1.2	+1.6	+6.3	+.102	+3.1	+7.4	+.400	+3.0	+3.8	+.075
Tyrese Maxey	11	38.5	20.5	0.8	4.0	4.8	2.3	1.4	0.5	0.7	2.4	7.5	17.5	.427	3.1	7.7	.400	2.5	2.8	.903

Season 4
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1982-83	2023-24
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	-	Most Improved Player
	Assists Leader	-
	All-Star Game	All-Star Game
Playoffs	Lakers Lost NBA Finals	76ers Lost East Conf 1st Rd

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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		%
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
difference:	+9	+0.7	+9.1	+2.2	+2.7	+4.9	+4.3	+1.2	+0.1	-2.1	-0.3	+2.6	+8.5	+.098	+3.0	+7.8	+.373	+0.9	+0.6	+.068
Tyrese Maxey	70	37.5	25.9	0.5	3.2	3.7	6.2	1.0	0.5	1.7	2.2	9.1	20.3	.450	3.0	8.1	.373	4.7	5.4	.868
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
difference:	+9	+1.6	+11.9	+3.2	+0.1	+3.3	+6.0	+1.5	+0.5	-2.1	-0.6	+4.3	+9.3	+.007	+3.7	+8.5	+.400	+0.3	+0.7	+.053
Tyrese Maxey	6	44.5	29.8	0.2	5.0	5.2	6.8	0.8	0.3	2.2	2.7	11.0	23.0	.478	3.7	9.2	.400	4.2	4.7	.893

Season 5
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1983-84	2024-25
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	Assists Leader	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	Lakers Lost NBA Finals	Did Not Play

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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		%
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
difference:	+15	+0.6	+8.7	+1.2	+2.8	+4.0	+7.0	+0.4	+0.3	-2.2	-0.3	+2.6	+9.4	+.128	+3.0	+8.8	+.130	+0.6	+0.3	+.069
Tyrese Maxey	52	37.7	26.3	0.3	3.1	3.3	6.1	1.8	0.4	2.4	2.2	9.2	21.0	.437	3.1	9.2	.337	4.9	5.6	.879
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
Tyrese Maxey	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Season 6
	Magic Johnson	Tyrese Maxey
Season	1984-85	2025-26
Team	Los Angeles Lakers	Philadelphia 76ers
Honors & Awards	All-NBA First Team	-
	All-Star Game	-
Playoffs	NBA Champion	Did Not Play

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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		%
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
difference:	+73	+6.9	+19.2	+0.9	+1.5	+2.4	+4.3	+0.5	+0.5	-2.0	-1.0	+5.0	+13.6	+.106	+4.4	+9.0	+.285	+4.9	+5.5	+.027
Tyrese Maxey	4	43.0	37.5	0.3	3.5	3.8	8.3	1.0	0.8	2.0	3.0	11.5	25.3	.455	4.5	9.5	.474	10.0	11.5	.870
Playoffs Stats
	G	Min	Pts	ORb	DRb	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	FGM / A		%	3PM / A		%	FTM / A		%
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
Tyrese Maxey	DNP	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Additional Years
* Magic Johnson played 7 seasons more than Tyrese Maxey 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 Tyrese Maxey, 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