Magic Johnson vs. Shaquille O'Neal: Lakers Rankings Comparison
Explore Shaquille O'Neal and Magic Johnson career statistics with the Los Angeles Lakers and discover their all-time rankings in franchise history for both the regular season and the playoffs. See their standing side-by-side in key categories for both total numbers and per game averages, encompassing all games played with the team. Who ranks higher in franchise lore?
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other
While the rankings of their overall NBA careers provide a broader context, here we zoom in on how Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal truly stack up based solely on their time with the Los Angeles Lakers. This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide a unique look at where they stand among the franchise's all-time greats.
Considering Magic Johnson's 13 seasons (1980 to 1996) and Shaquille O'Neal's 8 seasons (1997 to 2004) played specifically for the team, delve into a precise breakdown of their standing across every key statistical category—from scoring, rebounding, and assists to steals, blocks, triple-doubles, and specific points thresholds—encompassing both regular season and their complete playoff runs with the franchise. Our detailed tables provide side-by-side rankings and comparative values, offering the definitive data needed to assess their historical impact on the franchise.
First, review a concise summary of how they rank in Lakers history in the main categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their franchise stats and their historical rankings within the team's record books.
Magic Johnson vs. Shaquille O'Neal: | ||||
| Season | Playoffs | |||
| Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | |
| Points | 5th | 7th | 4th | 6th |
| Rebounds | 4th | 6th | 5th | 3rd |
| Assists | 1st | 17th | 1st | 11th |
| Steals | 2nd | 25th | 1st | 15th |
| Blocks | 15th | 2nd | 15th | 2nd |
| Years | 13 | 8 | 13 | 8 |
Magic Johnson vs. Shaquille O'Neal: | ||||
| Season | Playoffs | |||
| Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | |
| Points | 10th | 2nd | 11th | 3rd |
| Rebounds | 33rd | 5th | 26th | 4th |
| Assists | 1st | 44th | 1st | 36th |
| Steals | 2nd | 108th | 2nd | 78th |
| Blocks | 81st | 2nd | 58th | 1st |
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Lakers Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 5th | 7th | 2 | 17,707 vs. 13,895 | 3,812 |
| Rebounds | 4th | 6th | 2 | 6,559 vs. 6,090 | 469 |
| Assists | 1st | 17th | 16 | 10,141 vs. 1,593 | 8,548 |
| Steals | 2nd | 25th | 23 | 1,724 vs. 317 | 1,407 |
| Blocks | 15th | 2nd | 13 | 374 vs. 1,278 | 904 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 4th | 3rd | 1 | 1,601 vs. 1,957 | 356 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 3rd | 4th | 1 | 4,958 vs. 4,133 | 825 |
| Field Goals Made | 6th | 7th | 1 | 6,211 vs. 5,462 | 749 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 6th | 9th | 3 | 11,951 vs. 9,498 | 2,453 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 19th | +150th | +131 | 325 vs. 0 | 325 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 16th | +150th | +134 | 1,074 vs. 9 | 1,065 |
| Free Throws Made | 4th | 7th | 3 | 4,960 vs. 2,971 | 1,989 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 4th | 6th | 2 | 5,850 vs. 5,572 | 278 |
Games and Years: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 6th | 20th | 14 | 906 vs. 514 | 392 |
| Seasons | 5th | 16th | 11 | 13 vs. 8 | 5 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 10th | 4th | 6 | 6 vs. 26 | 20 |
| 50+ point games | - | 6th | 0 vs. 2 | 2 | |
| 60+ point games | - | 4th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
| 70+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Lakers Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 4th | 6th | 2 | 3,701 vs. 3,383 | 318 |
| Rebounds | 5th | 3rd | 2 | 1,465 vs. 1,630 | 165 |
| Assists | 1st | 11th | 10 | 2,346 vs. 360 | 1,986 |
| Steals | 1st | 15th | 14 | 358 vs. 63 | 295 |
| Blocks | 15th | 2nd | 13 | 64 vs. 310 | 246 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 3rd | 1st | 2 | 349 vs. 561 | 212 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 1st | 3rd | 2 | 1,116 vs. 1,069 | 47 |
| Field Goals Made | 6th | 5th | 1 | 1,291 vs. 1,309 | 18 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 5th | 6th | 1 | 2,552 vs. 2,352 | 200 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 13th | +150th | +137 | 51 vs. 0 | 51 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 8th | +150th | +142 | 212 vs. 0 | 212 |
| Free Throws Made | 3rd | 6th | 3 | 1,068 vs. 765 | 303 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 4th | 3rd | 1 | 1,274 vs. 1,472 | 198 |
Games and Years: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 3rd | 11th | 8 | 190 vs. 122 | 68 |
| Playoffs | 2nd | 12th | 10 | 13 vs. 8 | 5 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 6th | 4th | 2 | 4 vs. 11 | 7 |
| 50+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Lakers Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 10th | 2nd | 8 | 19.54 vs. 27.03 | 7.49 |
| Rebounds per game | 33rd | 5th | 28 | 7.24 vs. 11.85 | 4.61 |
| Assists per game | 1st | 44th | 43 | 11.19 vs. 3.10 | 8.09 |
| Steals per game | 2nd | 108th | 106 | 1.90 vs. 0.62 | 1.29 |
| Blocks per game | 81st | 2nd | 79 | 0.41 vs. 2.49 | 2.07 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 41st | 2nd | 39 | 1.77 vs. 3.81 | 2.04 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 16th | 4th | 12 | 5.47 vs. 8.04 | 2.57 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 16th | 1st | 15 | 6.86 vs. 10.63 | 3.77 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 21st | 6th | 15 | 13.19 vs. 18.48 | 5.29 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 99th | +150th | +51 | 0.36 vs. 0.00 | 0.36 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | 96th | +150th | +54 | 1.19 vs. 0.02 | 1.17 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 7th | 5th | 2 | 5.47 vs. 5.78 | 0.31 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 9th | 1st | 8 | 6.46 vs. 10.84 | 4.38 |
Lakers Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Magic Johnson | Shaquille O'Neal | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 11th | 3rd | 8 | 19.48 vs. 27.73 | 8.25 |
| Rebounds per game | 26th | 4th | 22 | 7.71 vs. 13.36 | 5.65 |
| Assists per game | 1st | 36th | 35 | 12.35 vs. 2.95 | 9.40 |
| Steals per game | 2nd | 78th | 76 | 1.88 vs. 0.52 | 1.37 |
| Blocks per game | 58th | 1st | 57 | 0.34 vs. 2.54 | 2.20 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | 28th | 1st | 27 | 1.84 vs. 4.60 | 2.76 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 13th | 2nd | 11 | 5.87 vs. 8.76 | 2.89 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 15th | 1st | 14 | 6.79 vs. 10.73 | 3.93 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 20th | 6th | 14 | 13.43 vs. 19.28 | 5.85 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 67th | +150th | +83 | 0.27 vs. 0.00 | 0.27 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | 64th | +150th | +86 | 1.12 vs. 0.00 | 1.12 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 8th | 6th | 2 | 5.62 vs. 6.27 | 0.65 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 9th | 1st | 8 | 6.71 vs. 12.07 | 5.36 |
Note: the per game rankings on this page are among players with a minimum of 40 games played with the Lakers franchise for season stats, and 3 games for Playoff stats.