"Rings are all that matter" - When Magic clapped back at LeBron for excluding him from his Top 3 best players of all time

LeBron James was once asked about his Top three best players of all time. It took him a while to answer the difficult question, as LBJ was stuck at Michael Jordan for several seconds until he finally completed the list with Julius Irving and Larry Bird .

Magic felt some sort of way

Given James' stature, his answer polarized some fans and old heads. This included Los Angeles Lakers icon Magic Johnson , who clapped back at "The King" for excluding him from the list.

Johnson doesn't usually react to such things. Magic is very comfortable with his position in the game and often opts to lift other people up instead of himself.

However, the fact that he clapped back at James tells us that Earvin was hurt. Nevertheless, the ex-Lakers star calmed down and did not let his emotions take the best of him. Magic praised LeBron, noting they have similar playstyles, which delighted Johnson.

Related: Allen Iverson wanted to send a message to Michael Jordan in their first NBA matchup: "You going to remember No. 3 too"

The pitch

As time progressed, Magic and LeBron 's relationship matured. In fact, when Johnson was the president of basketball operations, he played a very critical role in luring James to the Purple and Gold.

Magic didn't just rely on his stature to secure LeBron. The five-time NBA champion was nervous moments before he presented his pitch to the Akron native. Rumors during that time pointed to the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks as LBJ's top choices. Earvin knew there were no guarantees, and he wanted his pitch to go as smoothly as possible .

"I made sure I was out there an hour before the meeting sitting outside his house, nervous," Johnson admitted . "I told him I had to be honest with him that, you know, we may not make the Playoffs, but I said, 'If you let me work my magic, I will put us in a position where we can contend for a championship,'"

"So at 9:00 p.m., I inched to the gate, but I don't ring the buzzer until 9:01," he added.

Fortunately, things went according to plan. James inked a four-year deal with the Lakers in 2018. Two years later, LeBron guided the franchise to a championship. Yes, Magic resigned in 2019, but we cannot discount his role in luring in one of the greatest players of all time.

Related: "The LeBron Jameses of the world come around every 20 years" - Magic Johnson explains why LeBron James is a rare player