James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American former professionalbasketball player.[1] Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with theLos Angeles Lakers in theNational Basketball Association (NBA). Worthy was a seven-timeNBA All-Star, a two-timeAll-NBA Team member who won threeNBA championships and was voted theNBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1988. He was named to both the NBA's50th and75th anniversary teams.
A standoutcollege basketball player for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels, thesmall forward was a consensus first-teamAll-American and shared national player of the year honors en route to leading his team to the1982 NCAA championship. Named theNCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player, he was selected by the Lakers with thefirst overall pick of the1982 NBA draft.
Worthy was born inGastonia, North Carolina. His 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game during his senior season atAshbrook High School led the team to the state championship game. Named both aParade Magazine andMcDonald's All-American, he was selected to play in the 1979McDonald's All-American Game, which featured future fellowHall of Famers includingIsiah Thomas,Dominique Wilkins, andRalph Sampson.
After graduating from high school, Worthy attended theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An immediate standout as a freshman, his debut was cut short near mid-season by a broken ankle. As a sophomore, he was a key member of UNC's1981 NCAA runner-up team starring alongsideAl Wood andSam Perkins.
As a junior power forward Worthy was the leading scorer (15.6 points per game) of aTar Heels NCAA championship team that featured one of the greatest collections of talent in collegiate basketball history,[2] including future NBA stars sophomoreSam Perkins and freshmanMichael Jordan. A consensus first-teamAll-American,[3] Worthy was named co-winner of theHelms Foundation Player of the Year withRalph Sampson ofVirginia.[4][5] He dominated the 1982 championship game against theGeorgetown Hoyas, sealing the Tar Heels' 63–62 victory by intercepting an inadvertent pass thrown by Hoya point guard Fred Brown with just seconds remaining. His 13–17 shooting, 28 point, 4 rebound finale capped a standout performance throughout the NCAA tournament, earning him itsMost Outstanding Player award. A tip dunk in front ofPatrick Ewing captioned "James Worthy slams the door on Georgetown" made the cover ofSports Illustrated.[6]
In the wake of this success, Worthy elected to forgo his senior year and enter the NBA draft. He completed his degree later, via summer school. He is one of eight players to have their numbers retired by the Tar Heels.[3] In 2002, Worthy was named to theACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team honoring the fifty greatest players inAtlantic Coast Conference history.[7]
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TheLos Angeles Lakers had received theCleveland Cavaliers' 1982 first-round draft pick in a 1979 exchange forDon Ford.[8] TheCavaliers finished with the NBA's worst record in the1981–82 season, leaving a coin toss to decide whether they or the worst record runner-upSan Diego Clippers would get thefirst overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Lakers won the flip, the first and only time a reigning NBA championpicked first overall. They chose Worthy overDominique Wilkins andTerry Cummings.[9]
The lankysmall forward immediately made an impact as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting a Laker rookie record .579 field goal percentage.[9] With his speed, dynamic ability to score with either hand, and dazzling play above the rim, Worthy thrived in the Lakers' high-octane "Showtime" offense. When not finishingfast breaks with his trademark Statue of Liberty dunks or swooping finger rolls, Worthy was also one of the best post players at his position, with a quick spin move off the low blocks and a deadly turnaround midrange jumpshot. Hisrookie year ended just when he was hitting his stride, breaking his leg on April 10, 1983, while landing improperly after trying to tap in a missed shot against thePhoenix Suns.[10] He was still named to the 1983 All-Rookie First Team but missed the rest of the season and playoffs, with the Lakers being swept 4–0 by thePhiladelphia 76ers in theFinals.[9]
Back and healthy for the opening of the1983–84 season, Worthy began the season as a starter at power forward in place ofKurt Rambis, who was on theinjured reserve list.[11][12] By December, Lakers head coachPat Riley said that "it's becoming more and more obvious Worthy is not a legitimate power forward" due to his rebounding,[13] describing him as "a finesse guy who likes to get the ball and go with it".[14] TheLos Angeles Times wrote that "he really is a small forward in a big forward's body."[15] Worthy returned to the small forward position and came off thebench after Rambis recovered from his foot injuries.[16][17] Riley cited Rambis's defense and rebounding. Worthy provided offense as asixth man and was also prone tofoul trouble.[18] He developed into one of the league's top small forwards.[19] He remained as a reserve even whenAll-Star small forwardJamaal Wilkes was sidelined by a gastrointestinal illness during the playoffs, as Riley opted to startMichael Cooper instead. However, Worthy became a starter in the final game of the Western Conference finals against the Suns.[17][19] He was essential for the Lakers during the1984 NBA Finals against theBoston Celtics.[15] Late in Game 2, Worthy made an errant cross-court pass that wasstolen byGerald Henderson and taken in for the game-tying score, leading to a Celtics win in overtime. Boston won the series in seven games. Worthy had a very strong Finals, with 22.1 pts per game (second to Abdul-Jabbar) on 63.8% shooting. The Lakers would go into the off-season bitter about the loss and motivated for 1985.
Worthy began the1984–85 season as a reserve, while Wilkes returned as the starting small forward.[20] After the Lakers opened the season slowly and were outrebounded in each of their first four games, Riley started Worthy in place of Rambis. "We're looking for rebounding. We're experimenting", said the coach.[21] A few games later, Riley replaced Wilkes in the starting lineup withLarry Spriggs.[20] The Lakers dominated the West and returned tothe NBA Finals. During theplay-off run Worthy emerged as a feared clutch performer, averaging 21.5 points per game on 62.2% shooting in the playoffs and 23.7 points per game in a match-up against theCeltics in the championship series.[22] His all-round play helped lead the team to a 4–2 victory clinched on the celebrated parquet floor of the oldBoston Garden and confirmed him as one of the league's premier players. It was also in 1985 that Worthy first donned goggles after suffering a scratched cornea during a March 13 game at theUtah Jazz, wearing them for the rest of his career.
The1985–86 season held tremendous promise for the Lakers, who again stormed through the regular season and seemed destined to meet Boston once again. Worthy continued to improve, raising his scoring from 17.6 to 20 points per game on 58% shooting and was named to the first of seven consecutiveAll-Star appearances.[9] A trip to the Finals disappeared in a preternatural tip inthe Western Conference final by 7' 4"Houston Rockets starRalph Sampson, with the Rockets going on to be drubbed by the Celtics in theChampionship series.
With stalwart center Abdul-Jabbar finally showing signs of his age the Lakers added center-forwardMychal Thompson during the 1986–1987 regular season to address the need for frontcourt help. The result was a 65–17 record and what many regard as one of theNBA's all-time great teams[23] sprinting to another NBA title over the Celtics. Worthy was at the top of his game, leading the team with 23.6 points per game in theplayoffs. He had a number of huge games during this '87 play-off run, in particular a vintage 39 point performance (including 6 dunks) in a 122–121 win at Seattle in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals and 33 pts 10 assists 9 rebounds in a game 1 victory in the NBAFinals versus the Celtics. The Lakers won the championship 4 games to 2.
Once again Riley drove the Lakers hard in1987–88. During the regular season Worthy averaged 19.7 points and scored 38 points against theAtlanta Hawks. He led the Lakers in scoring in the 1988 play-offs and led the NBA in points scored during the play-offs. During theFinals against thePistons Worthy once again excelled, averaging 22 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in the series.[24] A 28-point, 9 rebound Game 6 and monster 36–16–10 triple-double that carried the Lakers to victory in Game 7 earned Worthy theNBA Finals MVP award and the Lakers the first back-to-back titles in the NBA since '68–'69 Celtics.
With Riley clamoring for a "Three-peat" in1988–89 theLakers marched through the regular season and met thePistons for an encore in theFinals. With Abdul-Jabbar playing his last games and Johnson andByron Scott missing three due to injuries even Worthy at his play-off best was not nearly enough. In spite of averaging a career Finals high 25.5 ppg,[25] including a career-high 40 points trying to stave off elimination in Game 4, the Lakers were swept in four.[9]
The Lakers ran hot again in1989–90 despite internal friction that had developed during Pat Riley's final year as head coach,[citation needed] their 63–19 record the NBA's best.[26] Worthy averaged 21.1 points per game and became the first player in NBA history to shoot at least 53% in each of his first eight seasons.[9] In spite of stepped-up performances by both Johnson (25.2 ppg) and Worthy (24.2 ppg) in the play-offs, LA fell in the Conference semifinals to a hotPhoenix Suns team.
The Lakers once more won the West in 1991 and marched through theplayoffs to theFinals thanks to Worthy's team-leading and career-high 21.4 ppg in '91 and the addition of formerNorth Carolina Tarheel starSam Perkins at center. Unfortunately, Worthy suffered a high ankle sprain in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Blazers and was very limited heading into the Finals against theChicago Bulls. Despite LA pulling out a Game 1 victory in Chicago it ultimately wasn't enough against a surging Bulls squad led by another teammate from the 1982 NCAA Championship team, an emergentMichael Jordan. The Lakers ultimately fell in five, with Worthy sidelined for Game 5 after re-injuring his ankle the previous game.
Johnson's sudden retirement in November 1991 threw the Lakers franchise into disarray. Injuries and high mileage soon spelled the end for Worthy. The high ankle injury during the 1991 playoffs and season-ending knee surgery in1992 robbed much of his quickness and leaping ability, and with it both his ability to finish on the fast break and drive to the hoop to score. After struggling with knee pain in the1994–95 preseason and no prospects of another title run in any foreseeable future, Worthy announced his retirement in November 1994, after 12 seasons in the NBA.
Even on Lakers teams dominated by fellow Hall of Fame members Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, Worthy stood out as a star during their years together. He led the Lakers in playoff scoring in their championship runs in 1987 (23.6) and 1988 (21.1) and was second to Abdul-Jabbar in the 1985 championship run (21.5). He always saved his best for the playoffs and averaged 3.5 points higher per game than in the regular season. That, his heroics in the1982 NCAA Championship game alongside Michael Jordan, spectacular offensive displays, and flashes of defensive brilliance, cemented his legacy as "Big Game James".
Worthy played in 926 NBA regular-season games, averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists per game.[27] He played in 143 playoff games and averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and had a 54.4 field goal percentage. In 34 NBA Finals games he averaged 22.2 pts per game on 53% shooting. Worthy played in 4 Game 7s in his career and averaged 27 points and 8.2 rebounds on 60% shooting in these winner-take-all contests. He ranks sixth all-time in Lakers team scoring (16,320), third all-time in team steals (1,041) and seventh all-time in team field goal percentage (.521). Worthy was voted one of the50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996 and named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. To commemorate the NBA's 75th AnniversaryThe Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Worthy as the 59th greatest player in NBA history.[28] Worthy was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. His jersey No. 42 wasretired by the Lakers.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | L.A. Lakers | 77 | 1 | 25.6 | .579 | .250 | .624 | 5.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .8 | 13.4 |
| 1983–84 | L.A. Lakers | 82* | 53 | 29.5 | .556 | .000 | .759 | 6.3 | 2.5 | .9 | .9 | 14.5 |
| 1984–85† | L.A. Lakers | 80 | 76 | 33.7 | .572 | .000 | .776 | 6.4 | 2.5 | 1.1 | .8 | 17.6 |
| 1985–86 | L.A. Lakers | 75 | 73 | 32.7 | .579 | .000 | .771 | 5.2 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 20.0 |
| 1986–87† | L.A. Lakers | 82* | 82 | 34.4 | .539 | .000 | .751 | 5.7 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 19.4 |
| 1987–88† | L.A. Lakers | 75 | 72 | 35.4 | .531 | .125 | .796 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 1.0 | .7 | 19.7 |
| 1988–89 | L.A. Lakers | 81 | 81 | 36.5 | .548 | .087 | .782 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 1.3 | .7 | 20.5 |
| 1989–90 | L.A. Lakers | 80 | 80 | 37.0 | .548 | .306 | .782 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 1.2 | .6 | 21.1 |
| 1990–91 | L.A. Lakers | 78 | 74 | 38.6 | .492 | .289 | .797 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | .4 | 21.4 |
| 1991–92 | L.A. Lakers | 54 | 54 | 39.0 | .447 | .209 | .814 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .4 | 19.9 |
| 1992–93 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 69 | 28.8 | .447 | .270 | .810 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 1.1 | .3 | 14.9 |
| 1993–94 | L.A. Lakers | 80 | 2 | 20.0 | .406 | .288 | .741 | 2.3 | 1.9 | .6 | .2 | 10.2 |
| Career | 926 | 717 | 32.4 | .521 | .241 | .769 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 1.1 | .7 | 17.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 0 | 33.7 | .599 | .500 | .609 | 5.0 | 2.7 | 1.3 | .5 | 17.7 |
| 1985† | L.A. Lakers | 19 | 19 | 32.9 | .622 | .500 | .676 | 5.1 | 2.2 | .9 | .7 | 21.5 |
| 1986 | L.A. Lakers | 14 | 14 | 38.5 | .558 | .000 | .681 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .7 | 19.6 |
| 1987† | L.A. Lakers | 18 | 18 | 37.8 | .591 | .000 | .753 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 23.6 |
| 1988† | L.A. Lakers | 24 | 24 | 37.3 | .523 | .111 | .758 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 1.4 | .8 | 21.1 |
| 1989 | L.A. Lakers | 15 | 15 | 40.0 | .567 | .375 | .788 | 6.7 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 24.8 |
| 1990 | L.A. Lakers | 9 | 9 | 40.7 | .497 | .250 | .837 | 5.6 | 3.0 | 1.6 | .3 | 24.2 |
| 1991 | L.A. Lakers | 18 | 18 | 40.7 | .465 | .167 | .736 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 1.1 | .1 | 21.1 |
| 1993 | L.A. Lakers | 5 | 0 | 29.6 | .372 | .250 | .600 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | .0 | 13.8 |
| Career | 143 | 117 | 37.0 | .544 | .209 | .727 | 5.2 | 3.2 | 1.2 | .7 | 21.1 | |
Worthy is a studio analyst forSpectrum SportsNet and co-host ofAccess SportsNet, the networks' pregame and postgame show for Lakers game telecasts on in Los Angeles; he also served as an NBA analyst forKCBS-TV in Los Angeles.
Worthy has acted in several television shows. He portrayed the Klingon Koral in theStar Trek: The Next Generation episode "Gambit, Part II".[29] He also guest starred as himself onEverybody Loves Raymond[30][unreliable source] andWebster.[citation needed]
On September 28, 2015, Worthy was hired to work with the Lakers coaching staff with a focus on the team's big men.[31][32]
Worthy was married for 12 years to Angela Wilder, whom he met in 1981 at theUniversity of North Carolina where she was a cheerleader while he was playing.[33] The couple had two daughters before divorcing in 1996.[34]
On November 14, 1990, Worthy was arrested inHouston, and charged with two counts of solicitation of prostitution in aHouston Police Department sting operation.[35][36] He was sentenced to one year ofprobation, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.[35]
Worthy is the founder of the James Worthy Foundation,[37] and dedicates a substantial amount of his time and resources to support non-profit community organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brothers of America, YMCA, and others.
Worthy, who averaged 15.6 points last season, was named first-team all-America by just about everybody in the picking business and was named co-college player of the year (along with Sampson) by the First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation (formerly the Helms Foundation).
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