NBA Legend Has the Most-Loved Sporting Statue in America

NBA legend Magic Johnson has the most loved sporting statue in America, receiving an impressive rating of 4.7 out of 5. Three NBA stars, Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan, made the top ten list. Additionally, California is the only state that’s home to more than one of America’s most loved sporting statues. Read on for further details surrounding Johnson’s sporting statue.

NBA Legend Has the Most-Loved Sporting Statue

According to The Sports Geek, the sporting statue of Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. is the most loved in America.  Magic Johnson, 65, led The Sports Geek’s top ten list, surpassing Muhammad Ali (1942-2016), Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), Tom Landry (1924-2000), Larry Bird, Dale Earnhardt Sr. (1951-2001), Peyton Manning, Joe Frazier (1944-2011), Babe Ruth (1895-1948), and Michael Jordan.

Magic Johnson is widely regarded as the greatest passer and point guard of all time. Johnson’s just as impressive off the court, with a spectacular net worth of $1.49 billion (as of 2025) and various business ventures, such as Magic Johnson Enterprises, aspireTV, and EquiTrust Life Insurance Company.

Johnson finished his NBA career averaging 19.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 11.2 assists per game, along with 52% from the field goal line, 30.3% from the 3-point line, and 84.8% from the free throw line. He played a total of 906 games between 1979 and 1991, 1996, and 1999 and 2000. He briefly retired due to his HIV announcement ahead of the 1991-92 NBA season.

NBA Legends’ Likeability

Magic Johnson’s likability has existed for years before The Sports Geek’s recent study. Johnson’s sporting statue was unveiled back in 2004 to a positive reception outside of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The statue has gone on to receive rave reviews from NBA fans since then.

The statue of the late Muhammad Ali, a global sporting icon after becoming a three-time heavyweight boxing champion, came second with a score of 4.6 out of 5, but edged out Jackie Robinson and Tom Landry’s statues, which received the same score from fewer positive reviews.

Another NBA legend, Larry Bird, completed the top half with a rating of 4.5 out of 5, sharing that total with the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Sr., Peyton Manning, and the late professional boxer Joe Frazier.

MLB’s original hero, the late Babe Ruth, was honored with a bronze statue in 1995, but isn’t a fan-favorite, achieving a rating of just 3.5 out of 5. However, the biggest shock is that Michael Jordan only received 3 out of 5, as Jordan, 62, transformed the Chicago Bulls into an NBA powerhouse.

Final Thoughts

New England Patriots legend Tom Brady’s sporting statue is set to be unveiled on Friday, August 8, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Brady, 48, played for the Patriots from 2000 to 2019 and won six Super Bowls. He then played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2020 to 2022 and won one Super Bowl, his seventh.

The Patriots selected him with the 199th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft out of Michigan. It’s unclear if Tom Brady’s statue will challenge Magic Johnson’s statue for the No. 1 spot, but it’s clear that American sports fans have lots of love for the statues of their favorite sports stars.