Magic or Michael? You Can’t Lose With Either One : Matchup: Hypothetical choice between Johnson and Jordan is a tough call for seven of basketball’s authorities.

As Magic Johnson leads the Laker fast break, he looks to his right and fires a pass to his left, setting up forward James Worthy for a layup.

As Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls’ fast break, he fakes a defender halfway into Lake Michigan, takes off at the free-throw line and dunks.

Johnson and Jordan, the most extraordinary guards in basketball, meet in the NBA finals starting today at Chicago Stadium. Making his ninth appearance in the finals in 12 years, Johnson has led the Lakers to five NBA titles. Jordan, who has been in the league since 1984, is in the finals for the first time. “You’re talking floor general and sky walker when you talk about Magic and Michael,” said Pat Williams, president of the Orlando Magic. “You’re talking flair on the floor and flair in the air.

“You’ve got the ultimate backcourt. If you’re picking your all-time all-star team, that’s your backcourt. I think you’ve got to take Magic as your point guard over Oscar Robertson, and I think you’ve got to take Michael over Jerry West as your (shooting) guard.”

This first meeting of Air Jordan and Magic in the finals is seemingly perfect for prime-time TV.

“Magic vs. Michael is the perfect movie script,” Phoenix Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons said. “And that’s what this is all about.”

Said Frank Layden, Utah Jazz president: “You’re getting at least four TV appearances--and maybe seven--of the two greatest players that ever lived going head to head.”

It shapes up as the NBA’s best individual matchup since 1987, when Johnson’s Lakers defeated Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics in six games.

After meeting in the 1979 NCAA championship game, Bird and Johnson met three times in the NBA finals. After the Celtics had beaten the Lakers in the 1984 finals, Johnson’s Lakers beat Boston in 1985 and 1987.

But Johnson vs. Jordan could surpass Johnson vs. Bird.

“This is even better than Magic-Bird because of Michael,” Williams said. “Bird was the ultimate surgeon. He’d carve your heart out. Michael does that, but he does it in such a flamboyant way.”

Seven experts recently were asked to evaluate Johnson and Jordan.

The consensus among Atlanta Coach Bob Weiss, Seattle Coach K.C. Jones, General Manager Jerry Reynolds of the Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Coach Del Harris, Layden, Williams and Fitzsimmons was that you couldn’t go wrong with either one, but that they would take Magic if they had to build a team around one player and Jordan if they already had a team in place.

BOB WEISS

If Weiss were building an expansion team, would he take Johnson or Jordan?

“I’d take David Robinson,” Weiss said with a laugh. “I don’t know. It’s a tossup. I wouldn’t feel bad about having either one of them. Drafting now I’d take. . . . I don’t know who I’d take. They’re both valuable.

“They go about it in a different manner, but both are effective in their own way. The only difference is that Magic doesn’t dunk like Michael.

“It’s not too complicated why Magic and Michael are superstars.

“Although their playing styles are a little different, they’re both leaders on and off the floor. They’re both leaders who can demand that their teammates don’t go out and party your game away on the road.

“Both of them are coaches on the floor. And that’s rare and valuable, not only in a player but in a superstar like that. That makes them doubly effective.

“Both are focused on what needs to be done and do what needs to be done. They’re both more concerned with that than their individual stats. And they’re both just unstoppable.”

FRANK LAYDEN

“Michael Jordan is an exciting, explosive player,” Layden said. “He’s absolutely the greatest athlete who has ever stepped on a basketball court.

“Magic does it all. He can give you a little center if you need it. He can play big forward, small forward, guard, whatever he wants to do. He’s a thinking man’s player. He has a great feel for the game. Also he has several years’ experience on Michael. But Michael Jordan is the league right now.

“I thought that Dr. J was a once-in-a-lifetime player. But the good Lord has blessed us by sending us another. The thing I admire so much about Michael is his temperament.”

Would Layden draft Magic or Jordan?

“Maybe because of age I’d take Michael at this stage. (Jordan is 28, Magic 31). They both put people in your place. They’re superstars. And I only give it to one other guy, that’s Larry Bird. Then you go to the very good level, the (Charles) Barkleys, the (Karl) Malones and (John) Stocktons. But those (other) guys are in a class by themselves.

“But if I was going to build a team around one guy I’d probably take Magic. But I’m taking advantage of that question because I’m looking back at five championships already.

“The interesting thing is, we traded a pick away to the Lakers for Gail Goodrich and that pick became Magic Johnson. If we hadn’t done that, he might be playing in Utah and I’d still be coaching. I’d have never quit.”

K.C. JONES

“Michael and Magic are both alike in that they control the ball for a large percentage of the 24-second clock,” Jones said. “Magic gets more assists, but they’re both very effective in controlling the ball.

“For example, in the last game Chicago played, Jordan saw people I didn’t know he could see out there. He’d get up in the air and double pump and then he’d pass it off.

“I guess the only difference I see is that Magic is better at the three-point range than Jordan. But now we’re getting down to small details. Jordan still hits the three-pointer, but he’s big in the two-point range. He’ll give you a fake and all of a sudden he’s off the block. Magic’s not like that.

“They’re both very effective in their own way. They both have their heads into every phase of the game, defensively and offensively. And that’s unusual for a superstar to be that much into defense. That really amazes me.

“They play the total game, rebound, play defense, pass, shoot and have a great attitude.

“If I had to pick between them, I’d flip a coin. But I’d lean toward Magic. He’s 6-9 and he can post you up and he’ll get 12 assists, 20 points and 10 rebounds.

“Either way I can’t go wrong, but I give the edge to Magic.”

JERRY REYNOLDS

The way Reynolds sees it, finding a good point guard is like finding cheap auto insurance in California. That’s why he would take Johnson over Jordan.

“Michael is probably the most gifted athlete ever to play basketball,” he said. “But Magic is the greatest point guard to ever play the game. Magic is probably a better fundamental player, where Michael is a great athlete and now the fundamental parts of his game are getting better.

“I don’t know how you compare them. If you ask who’s the greatest point guard ever to play the game, you put Magic Johnson’s name there. If you ask who’s the greatest (shooting) guard ever to play the game, you put Michael Jordan’s name there.

“If all things were equal, I’d take Magic because he’s a point guard and point guards control the game. It’s the most important position on the floor. Michael does play the point occasionally, but if you were drafting him out of college there’s no way you could know that because he didn’t play point guard at North Carolina.”

PAT WILLIAMS

“If you were building your club you’d take Magic because he’s a point guard and he can run your club for 12 years,” Williams said.

“But if you already had a point guard like John Stockton or Mark Price, then you’d take Michael because he’s going to fill the arena every night.”

DEL HARRIS

“Magic is a creator and Michael is a finisher,” Harris said. “Magic is good at creating scoring opportunities and Michael finishes them. The difference is that Michael operates from all over the court and Magic likes to post up.

“Right now, I’d take Michael because he’s in the prime of his career and Magic is on the downside of a very great career.

“But all things being equal, I’d take Magic because he has won at every level, whether it was high school, college or the pros.”

COTTON FITZSIMMONS

“Michael has made a dramatic turnaround,” Fitzsimmons said. “I’ve always said that Michael is the most sensational player ever, but the MVP has always been in L.A.

“In watching Michael in the playoffs this year, he’s now starting to fill the role that Magic has been filling. Michael lets his teammates get started before he gets started now. He makes sure their confidence level is up before he takes over the game.

“I think he’s learned a great lesson, and because of that they’re in the finals for the first time. Now you’ve got to consider him as an MVP, which he got this year, but you have to understand that I’m prejudiced toward Magic.

“I’ve had to deal with Magic for so long, like I used to have to deal with Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), that I’m prejudiced. I have Magic on another plateau. Being a coach, your mouth waters to have a guy like Magic.

“I always felt that (Pat) Riley did an outstanding job and (Mike) Dunleavy is doing an outstanding job, but it’s hard to gauge it because Magic is on the court.

“He’s more than just another coach on the floor. There are a lot of players that are like another coach on the floor, but Magic just truly understands the game. He understands who should get the ball, when they should get the ball and at what time they should get the ball.

“There’s no such thing as a 6-9 point guard, but that’s what he is. And he can be a 6-9 center or small forward or power forward or shooting guard.

“Michael is spectacular and sensational. He’s gained my respect for the way he’s played. If you play at North Carolina, you’re going to be a team man, but Michael thought he had to do it all before.

“I don’t think you could go wrong taking either one. I remember talking to Rod Thorn (former Chicago general manager who drafted Jordan) before the 1984 draft and I’d heard that Houston was going to take Hakeem Olajuwon first and that Portland was going to take Sam Bowie second.

“I said, ‘As soon as the commissioner calls Bowie’s name, you immediately run to the table and take Michael because you can’t go wrong with Michael.’ ”

But then, it seems you couldn’t go wrong with Johnson, either.