30 most unguardable moves in NBA history: 12. Magic Johnson, no-look pass
If there’s any professional athlete from before my time that I’d go back and watch live, it’s Magic Johnson. His illustrious passing repertoire and unusual blend of size and speed made him a dominant force on that basketball court that cannot easily be replicated. Before the time of players like LeBron, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic, point guards were expected to be the smallest player on the court. Magic took this mold and shattered it before the eyes of the country, asserting his will on the league for 12 magnificent seasons in purple and gold.
There are no ‘Showtime Lakers’ without Magic leading the way. Once Magic grabbed a rebound, oftentimes over his opponent’s shoulders, every one of his teammates knew it was time to get out in transition. By out-hustling their opponent, the Lakers would find lanes to the basket knowing absolutely sure that Magic would find them for an easy look at the rim.
Misdirection is the key to Magic’s… well… magic! Many pro basketball players learn to read a point guard’s eyes, so Magic reacted accordingly. He’d look in the direction of a teammate and fling his pass into the shooting pocket of another. Magic would also oftentimes fake a pass in one direction and pass it in another, forcing opponents to do a 180 and try to defend a player they never expected to be in the play.
Faking a pass in one direction and flinging it in another takes a level of hand-eye coordination that I couldn’t fathom. This came innately for Magic, just like his energetic charisma and strong leadership qualities. Though Magic’s hook shot or his array of layups were his best scoring skills, the key to Magic’s game was his uncanny ability to hand out dimes to his teammates and it’s the move that encapsulates his timeless impact on the basketball court.