James Worthy

basketball player

Personal Information

Born on February 27, 1961, in Gastonia, NC; married Angela Wilder, 1984 (divorced); two children
Education: Attended University of North Carolina, 1979-82.
Memberships:
Selected: Big Brothers of Los Angeles; Special Olympics; Boys and Girls Club of America.

Career

Los Angeles Lakers, professional basketball player, 1982-94; professional speaker, 1994-; broadcaster.

Life's Work

In 12 years with the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team, "Big Game" James Worthy was known for his ability to maneuver around opposing players at a dizzying pace. "I just decide I'm going to go around [a defensive opponent] when I'm setting up and when I get the ball, I go," he told Sports Illustrated. He also thrilled fans with trademark one-handed swooping dunks. With the Lakers, Worthy helped his team capture three NBA championships. "I don't think there has been or will be a better small forward than James," former Lakers coach Pat Riley told the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. "He was always such a quiet guy. But when he was in his prime, I can guarantee you, there wasn't anybody who could touch him."

Played Basketball to Help Parents

James Ager Worthy was born on February 27, 1961, the youngest son of Ervin and Gladys Worthy. He was raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, where his father was a Baptist minister. Worthy started playing basketball around the age of four, though he acknowledged during his Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech, "I just hated the sport," according to Newsday. His parents inadvertently changed his mind. The Worthy family believed in hard work and hard study and it was expected that their children would go to college. However, on a minister's salary that was not so easy to accomplish. Worthy saw his parents struggling to pay college tuition for his brothers and decided to get a scholarship to help out. "[That] was the only reason I wanted to play ball," Worthy continued.

By ninth grade Worthy was making local headlines. By tenth grade colleges were after him. Already nearing his full height of six feet, nine inches, Worthy was very big, very fast, and very good. As he led Ashbrook High to victory after victory, even his opponents cheered for him. By his senior year he had played on five All-American teams, earned Conference Player of the Year, and amassed an incredible average of 21.5 points per game (ppg) and 12.5 rebounds per game (rpg). Scholarship offers poured in. Worthy stayed close to home, choosing the University of North Carolina (UNC). His decision again was influenced by his family. "[UNC Coach Dean Smith] talked to my parents and promised two things; I would go to class and I had to go to church unless I had a letter from my parents," Worthy told Hoophall, the Web site of the Basketball Hall of Fame. "From that point I knew I wanted to play for Coach Smith."

Worthy donned the UNC Tar Heel uniform in 1980 but midway through his freshman year he slipped and shattered his ankle. Doctors had to implant two screws and a six-inch metal rod to repair the damage. He missed 14 games and began to doubt his future in basketball. "I wasn't sure I would be able to come back with the same type of intensity I'd always had," the NBA Web site quoted him. His fears were unfounded. His sophomore year, with the screws still intact, Worthy stormed back onto the court. He averaged 14.2 ppg and 8.4 rpg, helping to lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA championships. Though they lost to Indiana, Worthy's reputation as a top college player was cemented.

Went from College Champion to Superstar Shadows

Worthy entered his junior year at UNC at the top of his game. "He was the quickest guy on our North Carolina team," a former UNC coach told Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. "And we had Michael Jordan as a freshman. But James was a man among boys underneath. And when the big games came, his eyes got big." With an average of 15.6 ppg in the regular season, Worthy led his team to the 1982 NCAA championships. In a pattern that came to characterize him, Worthy shifted into high gear during the playoffs and scored 28 points in the final game to seal the championship.

In three years at UNC Worthy was named to 11 All-American teams, voted Most Outstanding Player of the 1982 NCAA Final Four, chosen Helms Foundation National Player of the Year, and of course, earned an NCAA championship. He was ready to go pro. He left UNC just before his senior year and threw his name into the 1982 NBA draft. The Los Angeles Lakers did not hesitate to make him the number one draft choice.

In 1982 the Lakers were the reigning NBA champions and their roster boasted superstars Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson. The team also had Jamaal Wilkes as small forward--the position Worthy was drafted to play. On just about any other team, Worthy would have become an immediate star. On the Lakers, he was relegated to the background. "We could all see he was a big-time player, but I think what everybody appreciated most under the circumstances was that he kept his mouth shut," Johnson told Sports Illustrated. In fact Worthy gained a league-wide reputation for his stoicism. He did not scream for joy over a win, nor complain loudly about a loss. He shunned media attention and did not engage in locker room banter. "We know him, but we don't know him," Johnson told Sports Illustrated. This quiet demeanor came to be an essential part of his success in pro ball. "James was a great player within a system," Jerry West, former general manager of the Lakers, told the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service.

Earned First NBA Championship

While he was still a rookie, Sports Illustrated called Worthy "one of the best players to come into the NBA in the last decade." He earned that praise, playing in 77 games and scoring the highest field goal percentage of any rookie in the league. He also became the fourth rookie in Lakers history to score 1,000 points. Worthy's feats landed him on the NBA All-Rookie team. Coaches and fellow teammates were also impressed. "He has unbelievable footwork," Lakers forward Maurice Lucas told Sports Illustrated. West agreed, telling the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "James was an impossible matchup. Put a smaller guy on him and he'd go over him. Put a taller guy on him and he'd go around him. Put a smaller, quicker guy on him and he'd still go around him. That was his special skill." Unfortunately, near the end of the season Worthy broke his leg and was sidelined during the playoffs.

Back on court by the middle of the 1984 season, Worthy racked up a 14.5 ppg average. Again, he turned up the heat during the playoffs, increasing his average to 17.7 ppg. Worthy and team went on to face long-time rivals the Boston Celtics in the championships series. According to Sports Illustrated, "[Worthy dominated] the first three games." By the fourth game, the Celtics--and their fans, known for taunting opposing teams in order to unnerve them--had had enough. As Worthy took the floor for a potentially game-tying free-throw, the heckling began, not only from the fans, but also from Celtic players. Worthy missed and the Lakers went on to lose the series. "I really didn't appreciate that," Worthy told Sports Illustrated. "I just thought it was kind of low. It was my first experience with the Boston mystique. It was kind of cheap--but that's the Celtics."

In 1985 the Lakers returned to face Boston in the NBA championships. After losing the first game by 40 points, the usually quiet Worthy spoke up. "Before Game 2, I remember James saying, 'Let's go out and play like the Lakers,'" teammate Michael Cooper recalled to the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. "; Now, that doesn't sound like anything special. But it reminded us that we hadn't been ourselves." Taking his own advice, Worthy, whose season average had been 17.6 ppg, increased his average to 21.5 in the playoffs. In the finals against Boston he nudged even higher, to 23.7. "The bigger the game, the more important the situation, the better James plays," Riley told Sports Illustrated. Playing like a Laker, Worthy helped the team win the championship. "That was the one I cherish the most," the NBA Web site quoted Worthy. From 1959 to 1969, the Lakers had faced the Celtics seven times in the championships, losing each time. In breaking that losing streak, Worthy and crew became Los Angeles heroes.

Became "Big Game" James

For the first time in his professional career Worthy's scoring average topped 20 ppg in the 1986 regular season. He also made the first of seven consecutive appearances in the NBA All-Star Game. The All-Star series--held mid-season each year--features players voted on by fans. Worthy's inclusion proved that he had finally come out of the shadow of Jabbar and Johnson. Worthy and the Lakers faced the Celtics again in the 1986 championship. Boston won but the Lakers bounced back the following year. In 1987 the Lakers tore through the playoffs and then trounced the Celtics in six games to retake the NBA crown.

By 1988 Worthy was a superstar. During home games the stadium shook as the crowds chanted his name. Sports journalists across the country wrote that Worthy was indeed "worthy"--of praise, fame, even basketball history. Characteristically, Worthy stayed focused on basketball. His scoring average again topped 20 ppg, helping the Lakers coast to another championship appearance. This time their opponents were the Detroit Pistons. The series came down to the wire in the seventh game. Worthy, again proving his grace under pressure, pulled off the best game of his career. He scored an astounding 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. In basketball, when a player attains double-digits in three different game statistics, it is called a triple-double;--an amazing feat that attests to a player's versatility. By scoring the first triple-double of his career, Worthy helped the Lakers beat the Pistons, 108 to 105. Worthy donned his third championship ring and was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals. He also earned the nickname that has come to define him: "Big Game" James.

The Lakers lost the NBA championship to the Pistons in 1989 and did not make it past the semi-finals in 1990. They returned to the finals in 1991, but lost to the Chicago Bulls. As the Lakers fell, Worthy's play also declined. In 1991 he posted the best scoring average of his career with 21.4 ppg, yet his field goal percentage dropped for the first time in eight seasons. The following year Worthy had surgery on his knee and sat out most of the season. When he came back in 1993 he had record low averages in every category. He was suffering tendonitis and knee pain. "Physically, he's beat up," teammate Sam Bowie told the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Worthy decided to retire a week into his thirteenth season with the Lakers. He was 33. In addition to his physical ailments, Worthy admitted to Hoophall, "I lost the love of [playing] the game."

Following retirement, the previously media-shy Worthy took on several high-profile jobs. He covered the NCAA Final Four for CBS and appeared on Fox Sports News. He guest-starred on Everyone Loves Raymond and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On the professional speaking route, he began commanding up to $20,000 an appearance. He also wrote a basketball column for Sports Ya!, a Spanish-language Web site. Meanwhile, he received several prestigious honors for his years with the Lakers. On December 10, 1995, Worthy became only the sixth player in Lakers history to have his jersey--number 42--retired. In 1996, the NBA named Worthy one of the 50 greatest basketball players in history. And in September of 2003 Worthy was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. "This is the ultimate," Sports Network quoted Worthy as saying during his acceptance speech. "It is more than an honor to be amongst the Hall of Famers tonight." However, in typical modesty, he clarified to Hoophall, "of all my goals, this was not one of them.... I played basketball to try to get my parents from working so hard." He not only succeeded, he became a basketball legend in the process.

Awards

Selected: NCAA, Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, 1982; NBA, Most Valuable Player of the Finals, 1988; LA Lakers, jersey retired, 1995; NBA, 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, 1996; enshrined in Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 2003.

Further Reading

Periodicals

• Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, November 9, 1994; November 10, 1994.
• Newsday, September 7, 2003.
• Sports Illustrated, February 21, 1983; May 19, 1986.
• Sports Network, September 6, 2003.

• "James Worthy," NBA, www.nba.com/history/players/worthy_bio.html (October 24, 2004).
• "James Worthy," Biography Resource Center, www.galenet.com/servlet/BioRC (December 8, 2004).
• "The Worthy File," Hoophall, www.hoophall.com/halloffamers/worthy_james_feature.htm (October 24, 2004).

— Candace LaBalle

James Worthy
Position(s)	Small forward
Jersey #(s)	42
Born	February 27, 1961 (1961-02-27) (age 48) Gastonia, North Carolina
Career information
Year(s)	1982–1994
NBA Draft	1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
College	North Carolina
Professional team(s)
Los Angeles Lakers (1982–1994)
Career stats
Points	16,320
Assists	2,791
Steals	1,041
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Career highlights and awards
3× NBA Champion (1985, 1987, 1988) 7× All-Star (1986-1992) 1× NBA Finals MVP (1988) 2× All-NBA Third Team Selection (1990–1991) 1983 NBA All-Rookie Team NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team 1× NCAA Men's Basketball Champion (1982) 1× NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (1982)
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina), is a retired Hall of Fame American college and professional basketball player. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven time NBA All-Star and three time NBA champion. A standout for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 6 ft 9 in (2.05 m) small forward was the MOP of the 1982 NCAA Tournament and #1 pick of the 1982 NBA Draft.

Contents 1 College basketball career 1.1 NCAA Championship 2 Professional basketball career 2.1 "Big Game James" 3 Current 4 1990 police sting 5 Acting career 6 Notes 7 External links

College basketball career

James Worthy was an All-American high school basketball player at Ashbrook High School, in Gastonia, North Carolina. Worthy averaged 21.5 points and 12.5 rebounds during his senior season, for a team that lost in the state championship game. Worthy went on to attend the University of North Carolina. He quickly became a standout at UNC but saw his freshman year cut short by a broken ankle suffered near mid-season. As a sophomore he was a key member of that school's 1981 NCAA runner up team, playing with Al Wood and Sam Perkins.

NCAA Championship

As a junior power forward, Worthy was the leading scorer (15.6 points per game) of a Tar Heel NCAA championship team which featured future NBA stars Sam Perkins and freshman Michael Jordan. A consensus first team All-American,^[1] Worthy shared College Player of the Year honors with Virginia Cavalier Ralph Sampson^[2]. The 1982 championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas is notable for Worthy's steal of a pass inadvertently thrown to him by the Hoya's point guard Fred Brown, which sealed the Tar Heels' 63-62 victory. For the game, Worthy shot 13-17 from the field, scored 28 points and had 4 rebounds, capping a standout performance which won him the NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player. His tip dunk in front of Patrick Ewing made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Following this success, Worthy elected to forego his senior year and enter the NBA draft. He went on to complete his degree via summer school. He is one of seven UNC players to have their numbers retired. ^[3]

Professional basketball career

In the NBA draft, Worthy was chosen first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. Shrewd and opportunistic trade moves made by the Lakers front office, combined with a coin flip victory against the then-San Diego Clippers the year before provided them with the first overall pick, the year after winning the NBA Championship. The NBA soon installed the lottery system to ensure that no team, especially the reigning NBA Champion, would be guaranteed the first pick again.

Worthy immediately made an impact as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting a Laker rookie record .579 field goal percentage. He was also named to the 1983 All-Rookie First Team. Worthy thrived in the Laker's fastbreak style with his speed and his dynamic ability to score with either hand and play above the rim. Beyond just finishing a fastbreak with his trademark Statue of Liberty dunks or swooping finger rolls, Worthy was also one of the best baseline post players at the small forward position, with a quick spin move and a deadly turnaround jumpshot. Unfortunately, his rookie year ended on a down note as Worthy broke his leg after coming down awkwardly from a jumpball in one of the last regular season games of the year.

Back and healthy for the opening of the 1983-1984 season, Worthy's effective play soon had him replacing Jamaal Wilkes in the starting line-up. The Lakers dominated throughout the Western Conference Playoffs and faced the Boston Celtics in the Finals. It was late in Game 2 of the Finals that Worthy made the now-infamous mistake of throwing an errant crosscourt pass that was picked off by Celtic Gerald Henderson and taken in for the game-tying score. Ultimately, the mistake-prone Lakers lost this game in overtime, and would lose this series in seven games.

"Big Game James"

1985 saw a Laker team that was on a mission of redemption; it was during the play-off run to winning the championship that year that Worthy took a big step forward as a clutch performer. Worthy averaged 21.5 points per game on .622 percent shooting in the playoffs, and it was his inspired play against the Celtics (23.7 points per game in the Finals)^[4] that further established Worthy as one of the league's premier players. It was also in 1985, after sustaining an eye injury against the Utah Jazz in March, that Worthy was forced to wear goggles. Worthy would wear protective eyewear for the rest of his career.

The 1985-1986 season, although ending badly for the Lakers after a playoff flameout against the Houston Rockets, began the first of seven consecutive All-Star appearances for Worthy. The 1986-1987 Championship Laker team, regarded by many as one of the NBA's all time great teams, saw Worthy at the top of his game as he averaged 23.6 points per game in the playoffs.

1988 saw the Lakers pull off an incredible repeat championship, becoming the first team since the Boston Celtics in 1969 to do so. It was during the Finals matchup against the Detroit Pistons that Worthy cemented his reputation as Big Game James. By 1987-1988 it was clear an aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had to pick his spots; it was Worthy, point guard Magic Johnson, and shooting guard Byron Scott that began to pick up the slack. Against the Pistons, Worthy more than picked up his share and provided 22 points per game 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists game in the series.^[5] His 28 points and nine rebounds in Game 6 and triple double effort of 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in Game 7 of the Finals earned him his first and only Most Valuable Player award.

The following season (1988-1989), Kareem's last, saw the Lakers again make the NBA Finals in a rematch again the Detroit Pistons. This time, Magic Johnson and Byron Scott missed 3 games due to injuries and the Lakers were swept in four games. Worthy, however, was again in championship form and averaged 25.5 points per game in the Finals^[6], including a playoff career-high scoring effort of 40 points in Game 4.

Although of lesser renown than teammates Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, Worthy is regarded as a key contributor to the three NBA championships (1985, 1987, 1988) and the overall success of the Lakers' '80s basketball dynasty. After the Lakers lost the 1991 Finals to the Chicago Bulls, followed by the sudden retirement of Magic in November 1991, Worthy played for three more seasons. By this time, injuries and mileage caught up with "Big Game James": A high ankle injury during the 1991 playoffs and season-ending knee surgery in 1992 robbed Worthy of much of his quickness and leaping ability. After struggling with knee pain in the preseason of the 1994-1995 season, Worthy announced his retirement in November 1994, after 12 seasons in the NBA.

Dubbed "Big Game James" by longtime Tar Heel play-by-play radio broadcaster Woody Durham, Worthy played in 926 NBA regular season games, averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists per game.^[7] He played in 143 play-off games and averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game and had a .544 field goal percentage. In 34 NBA Finals games he averaged 22.2 pts per game on 53% shooting. He ranks fifth all-time in Lakers team scoring (16,320), second all-time in team steals (1,041) and sixth all-time in team field goal percentage (.521). Voted one of the top 50 NBA players of all time in 1996, Worthy was not a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, his first year of eligibility. However, he was later inducted into the Hall in 2003. His jersey (#42) is only one of seven retired by the Los Angeles Lakers, alongside (#44) Jerry West, (#13) Wilt Chamberlain, (#22) Elgin Baylor, (#25) Gail Goodrich, (#32) Magic Johnson, and (#33) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Current

As of the 2008–09 NBA season, Worthy is the co-host of LTV, the pregame and postgame show for Laker road game telecasts on KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, and also serves as an NBA Analyst for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. As CEO of Worthy Enterprises, Worthy engages with companies to help them enhance sales and marketing initiatives, improve company culture and teamwork, charitable fundraising, and community relations. Worthy also 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 was married to Angela Wilder from 1984-1996 and they have two daughters, Sable and Sierra Worthy.

1990 police sting

In 1990, Worthy was arrested in Houston and charged with two counts of solicitation of prostitution. He was in the city with the Lakers for a game against the Houston Rockets. According to the police, prior to the game, Worthy called a local escort service and requested that two women be sent to meet him in his hotel room. Unbeknownst to Worthy, police had already shut down the escort service, and they instead sent two undercover vice squad officers to the hotel to meet him.^[8] A month later, Worthy pleaded no contest to both charges. He was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.^[9]

Acting career

Worthy has acted in several television shows, most notably portraying the Klingon Koral in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Gambit.^[10]

Notes

1. ^ UNC Men's Basketball Media Guide, 2007, p. 95
2. ^ http://www.nba.com/history/players/worthy_bio.html
3. ^ UNC Men's Basketball Media Guide, 2007
4. ^ "1985 NBA Finals Composite Box Score". basketballreference.com. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1985_finals.html. 
5. ^ "1988 NBA Finals Composite Box Score". basketballreference.com. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1988_finals.html. 
6. ^ "1989 NBA Finals Composite Box Score". basketballreference.com. http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/NBA_1989_finals.html. 
7. ^ "James Worthy Career Stats". basketballreference.com. http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/worthja01.html. 
8. ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Worthy Arrested - New York Times
9. ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; No Contest for Worthy - New York Times
10. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0941788/

External links

• James Worthy Foundation
• nba.com/historical/playerfile
• Basketball Hall of Fame biography
• Career Stats
• Hoopedia bio
• James Worthy's UNC Tar Heels 1982 NCAA Champions Basketball Pennant
• James Worthy Profile and Stats at LakersWeb.com
• James Worthy at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

Preceded by Julie Shea	ACC Athlete of the Year 1982	Succeeded by Ralph Sampson
Preceded by Isiah Thomas	NCAA Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player (men's) 1982	Succeeded by Hakeem Olajuwon
Preceded by Mark Aguirre	NBA first overall draft pick 1982 NBA Draft	Succeeded by Ralph Sampson
Preceded by Magic Johnson	NBA Finals Most Valuable Player 1988	Succeeded by Joe Dumars

v • d • e North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball 1981–1982 NCAA Champions 21 Jimmy Black | 22 Buzz Peterson | 23 Michael Jordan | 24 Jim Braddock | 41 Sam Perkins | 44 Matt Doherty | 45 Chris Brust | 52 James Worthy Coach Dean Smith

v • d • e 1982 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans First Team Terry Cummings • Quintin Dailey • Sleepy Floyd • Ralph Sampson • James Worthy Second Team Dale Ellis • Kevin Magee • John Paxson • Sam Perkins • Paul Pressey

v • d • e North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball retired and honored jerseys Retired #5 Jack Cobb • #10 Lennie Rosenbluth • #12 Phil Ford • #20 George Glamack • #23 Michael Jordan • #33 Antawn Jamison • #50 Tyler Hansbrough • #52 James Worthy Honored #0 Cartwright Carmichael • #00 Eric Montross & Brendan Haywood • #2 Raymond Felton • #5 Jim Jordan & Ty Lawson • #11 Larry Brown • #12 Lee Shaffer • #13 John Dillon • #15 Vince Carter • #21 Mitch Kupchak & Donald Williams • #22 Wayne Ellington, York Larese & Bob Lewis • #24 Walter Davis • #30 Al Wood, Kenny Smith & Rasheed Wallace • #31 Bill Chamberlain & Mike O'Koren • #32 Billy Cunningham & Rashad McCants • #33 Charlie Scott • #34 Bobby Jones, J. R. Reid & George Lynch #35 Pete Brennan, Doug Moe & Robert McAdoo • #40 Tommy Kearns & Joseph Forte • #41 Sam Perkins • #42 Brad Daugherty, Jerry Stackhouse & Sean May • #44 Larry Miller & Dennis Wuycik • #45 Tom LaGarde

v • d • e 1982 NBA Draft First Round James Worthy · Terry Cummings · Dominique Wilkins · Bill Garnett · LaSalle Thompson · Trent Tucker · Quintin Dailey · Clark Kellogg · Cliff Levingston · Keith Edmonson · Lafayette Lever · John Bagley · Sleepy Floyd · Lester Conner · David Thirdkill · Terry Teagle · Brook Steppe · Ricky Pierce · Rob Williams · Paul Pressey · Eddie Phillips · Mark McNamara · Darren Tillis Second Round Oliver Robinson · Bryan Warrick · Ricky Frazier · Fred Roberts · David Magley · Scott Hastings · Wallace Bryant · Rod Higgins · Richard Anderson · Linton Townes · Vince Taylor · Derek Smith · Mitchell Anderson · Audie Norris · Wayne Sappleton · Kevin Magee · Guy Morgan · Dwight Anderson · Jeff Taylor · Jose Slaughter · Mike Gibson · Russ Schoene · Tony Guy

v • d • e National Basketball Association number one overall draft picks 1947: McNeely | 1948: Tonkovich | 1949: Shannon | 1950: Share | 1951: Melchiorre | 1952: Workman | 1953: Felix | 1954: Selvy | 1955: Ricketts | 1956: Green | 1957: Hundley | 1958: Baylor | 1959: Boozer | 1960: Robertson | 1961: Bellamy | 1962: McGill | 1963: Heyman | 1964: Barnes | 1965: Hetzel | 1966: Russell | 1967: Walker | 1968: Hayes | 1969: Alcindor | 1970: Lanier | 1971: Carr | 1972: L. Martin | 1973: Collins | 1974: Walton | 1975: D. Thompson | 1976: Lucas | 1977: Benson | 1978: M. Thompson | 1979: E. Johnson | 1980: Carroll | 1981: Aguirre | 1982: Worthy | 1983: Sampson | 1984: Olajuwon | 1985: Ewing | 1986: Daugherty | 1987: D. Robinson | 1988: Manning | 1989: Ellison | 1990: Coleman | 1991: L. Johnson | 1992: O'Neal | 1993: Webber | 1994: G. Robinson | 1995: Smith | 1996: Iverson | 1997: Duncan | 1998: Olowokandi | 1999: Brand | 2000: K. Martin | 2001: Brown | 2002: Yao | 2003: James | 2004: Howard | 2005: Bogut | 2006: Bargnani | 2007: Oden | 2008: Rose | 2009: Griffin

v • d • e Los Angeles Lakers 1984–85 NBA Champions 4 Scott | 11 McAdoo | 12 Lester | 21 Cooper | 25 Kupchak | 31 Rambis | 32 Johnson | 33 Abdul-Jabbar (Finals MVP) | 35 Spriggs | 40 McGee | 42 Worthy | 43 Nevitt | 52 Wilkes Head Coach Riley Assistant Coaches Bertka | Wohl

v • d • e Los Angeles Lakers 1986–87 NBA Champions 1 Matthews | 4 Scott | 21 Cooper | 24 Branch | 31 Rambis | 32 Johnson (Finals MVP) | 33 Abdul-Jabbar | 42 Worthy | 43 M. Thompson | 45 Green | 52 Smrek | 55 B. Thompson Head Coach Riley Assistant Coaches Bertka | Pfund

v • d • e Los Angeles Lakers 1987–88 NBA Champions 1 Matthews | 4 Scott | 19 Campbell | 20 Wagner | 21 Cooper | 31 Rambis | 32 Johnson | 33 Abdul-Jabbar | 42 Worthy (Finals MVP) | 43 M. Thompson | 45 Green | 52 Smrek | 55 B. Thompson Head Coach Riley Assistant Coaches Bertka | Pfund

v • d • e Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2003 Players Dino Meneghin • Robert Parish • James Worthy Coach Leon Barmore Contributors Chick Hearn • Meadowlark Lemon • Earl Lloyd

v • d • e Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Based in Springfield, Massachusetts Members   Coaches (82) Allen • Anderson • Auerbach • Auriemma • Barmore • Barry • Blood • Boeheim • Brown • Calhoun • Cann • Carlson • Carnesecca • Carnevale • Carril • Case • Chancellor • Chaney • Conradt • Crum • Daly • Dean • Díaz-Miguel • Diddle • Drake • Ferrándiz • Gaines • Gamba • Gardner • Gill • Gomelsky • Gunter • Hannum • Harshman • Haskins • Hickey • Hobson • Holzman • Iba • Jackson • Julian • Keaney • Keogan • Knight • Krzyzewski • Kundla • Lambert • Litwack • Loeffler • Lonborg • McCutchan • A. McGuire • F. McGuire • Meanwell • Meyer • Miller • Moore • Nikolić • Novosel • Olson • Ramsay • Riley • Rubini • Rupp • Rush • Sachs • Sharman • Shelton • Sloan • Smith • Stringer • Summitt • Taylor • Thompson • Wade • Watts • Wilkens • Williams • Wooden • Woolpert • Wootten • Yow Boldface indicates those who are also inducted as players   Contributors (56) Abbott • Bee • Biasone • H. Brown • W. Brown • Bunn • Colangelo • Davidson • Douglas • Duer • Embry • Fagan • Fisher • Fleisher • Gavitt • Gottlieb • Gulick • Harrison • Hearn • Hepp • Hickox • Hinkle • Irish • Jones • Kennedy • Lemon • Liston • Lloyd • McLendon • Mokray • Morgan • Morgenweck • Naismith • Newell • Newton • J. O'Brien • L. O'Brien • Olsen • Podoloff • Porter • Reid • Ripley • Saperstein • Schabinger • St. John • Stagg • Stanković • Steitz • Taylor • Teague • Tower • Trester • Vitale • Wells • Wilke • Zollner   Players (139) Guards Archibald • Beckman • Belov • Bing • Blazejowski • Borgmann • Brennan • Cervi • Cousy • Davies • Drexler • Dumars • Frazier • Friedman • Gervin • Goodrich • Greer • Hanson • Haynes • Holman • Hyatt • Jeannette • Johnson • K. Jones • S. Jones • Jordan • Lieberman • Maravich • Marcari • Martin • McDermott • McGuire • Meyers • Monroe • Murphy • Page • Petrović • Robertson • Roosma • Russell • Schommer • Sedran • Sharman • Steinmetz • Stockton • Thomas • Thompson • Vandivier • Wanzer • West • Wilkens • Woodard • Wooden Forwards Arizin • Barkley • Barry • Baylor • Bird • Bradley • Cunningham • Curry • Dalipagić • Dantley • DeBusschere • Dehnert • Endacott • English • Erving • Foster • Fulks • Gale • Gates • Gola • Hagan • Havlicek • Hawkins • Hayes • Heinsohn • Howell • Lucas • Luisetti • McAdoo • B. McCracken • J. McCracken • McHale • Mikkelsen • Miller • Pettit • Phillip • Pollard • Ramsey • Schayes • Schmidt • Thompson • Twyman • White • Wilkins • Worthy • Yardley Centers Abdul-Jabbar • Barlow • Bellamy • Chamberlain • Cooper • Ćosić • Cowens • Crawford • DeBernardi • Donovan • Ewing • Gallatin • Gruenig • Harris-Stewart • Houbregs • Issel • Johnson • Johntson • Krause • Kurland • Lanier • Lovellette • Lapchick • Macauley • Malone • Meneghin • Mikan • Murphy • Olajuwon • Parish • Reed • Risen • Robinson • Russell • Semjonova • Thurmond • Unseld • Wachter • Walton Boldface indicates those who are also inducted as coaches   Referees (13) Enright • Hepbron • Hoyt • Kennedy • Leith • Mihalik • Nucatola • Quigley • Rudolph • Shirley • Strom • Tobey • Walsh   Teams (6) Buffalo Germans • The First Team • Harlem Globetrotters • New York Rens • Original Celtics • 1966 Texas Western Awards Bob Cousy Award • Curt Gowdy Media Award • John Bunn Award • Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award Website: http://www.hoophall.com/

v • d • e National Basketball Association's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Nate Archibald • Paul Arizin • Charles Barkley • Rick Barry • Elgin Baylor • Dave Bing • Larry Bird • Wilt Chamberlain • Bob Cousy • Dave Cowens • Billy Cunningham • Dave DeBusschere • Clyde Drexler • Julius Erving • Patrick Ewing • Walt Frazier • George Gervin • Hal Greer • John Havlicek • Elvin Hayes • Magic Johnson • Sam Jones • Michael Jordan • Jerry Lucas • Karl Malone • Moses Malone • Pete Maravich • Kevin McHale • George Mikan • Earl Monroe • Hakeem Olajuwon • Shaquille O'Neal • Robert Parish • Bob Pettit • Scottie Pippen • Willis Reed • Oscar Robertson • David Robinson • Bill Russell • Dolph Schayes • Bill Sharman • John Stockton • Isiah Thomas • Nate Thurmond • Wes Unseld • Bill Walton • Jerry West • Lenny Wilkens • James Worthy

v • d • e Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award 1969: West | 1970: Reed | 1971: Abdul-Jabbar | 1972: Chamberlain | 1973: Reed | 1974: Havlicek | 1975: Barry | 1976: White | 1977: Walton | 1978: Unseld | 1979: D. Johnson | 1980: E. Johnson | 1981: Maxwell | 1982: E. Johnson | 1983: Malone | 1984: Bird | 1985: Abdul-Jabbar | 1986: Bird | 1987: E. Johnson | 1988: Worthy | 1989: Dumars | 1990: Thomas | 1991: Jordan | 1992: Jordan | 1993: Jordan | 1994: Olajuwon | 1995: Olajuwon | 1996: Jordan | 1997: Jordan | 1998: Jordan | 1999: Duncan | 2000: O'Neal | 2001: O'Neal | 2002: O'Neal | 2003: Duncan | 2004: Billups | 2005: Duncan | 2006: Wade | 2007: Parker | 2008: Pierce | 2009: Bryant

v • d • e NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Most Outstanding Player 1939: J. Hull  | 1940: M. Huffman  | 1941: J. Kotz  | 1942: H. Dallmar  | 1943: K. Sailors  | 1944: A. Ferrin  | 1945: B. Kurland  | 1946: B. Kurland  | 1947: G. Kaftan | 1948: A. Groza  | 1949: A. Groza  | 1950: I. Dambrot | 1951: B. Spivey  | 1952: C. Lovellette  | 1953: B. Born  | 1954: T. Gola  | 1955: B. Russell  | 1956: H. Lear  | 1957: W. Chamberlain  | 1958: E. Baylor  | 1959: J. West  | 1960: J. Lucas  | 1961: J. Lucas  | 1962: P. Hogue  | 1963: A. Heyman  | 1964: W. Hazzard  | 1965: B. Bradley  | 1966: J. Chambers  | 1967: L. Alcindor  | 1968: L. Alcindor  | 1969: L. Alcindor  | 1970: S. Wicks  | 1971: H. Porter*  | 1972: B. Walton  | 1973: B. Walton  | 1974: D. Thompson  | 1975: R. Washington  | 1976: K. Benson  | 1977: B. Lee  | 1978: J. Givens  | 1979: M. Johnson  | 1980: D. Griffith | 1981: I. Thomas  | 1982: J. Worthy  | 1983: H. Olajuwon  | 1984: P. Ewing  | 1985: E. Pinckney  | 1986: P. Ellison  | 1987: K. Smart  | 1988: D. Manning  | 1989: G. Rice  | 1990: A. Hunt  | 1991: C. Laettner  | 1992: B. Hurley  | 1993: D. Williams  | 1994: C. Williamson  | 1995: E. O'Bannon  | 1996: T. Delk  | 1997: M. Simon  | 1998: J. Sheppard  | 1999: R. Hamilton  | 2000: M. Cleaves  | 2001: S. Battier  | 2002: J. Dixon  | 2003: C. Anthony  | 2004: E. Okafor  | 2005: S. May  | 2006: J. Noah  | 2007: C. Brewer  | 2008: M. Chalmers  | 2009: W. Ellington *Ruled ineligible after tournament

v • d • e Los Angeles Lakers Formerly the Detroit Gems and the Minneapolis Lakers • Founded in 1946 • Based in Los Angeles, California The Franchise Franchise • Team History • All-Time roster • Draft history • Seasons • Records • Head coaches • Current season Arenas Minneapolis Auditorium • Minneapolis Armory • Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena • The Forum • Staples Center Coaches Kundla • Mikan • Castellani • Pollard • Schaus • van Breda Kolff • Mullaney • Sharman • West • McKinney • Westhead • Riley • Dunleavy • Pfund • Johnson • Harris • Rambis • Jackson • Tomjanovich • Hamblen • Jackson D-League Affiliate Los Angeles D-Fenders Administration Dr. Jerry Buss (Majority Owner) • Anschutz Entertainment Group (Minority Owner) • Magic Johnson (Minority Owner) • Mitch Kupchak (Vice President & GM of Basketball Ops.) • Phil Jackson (Head Coach) Important Figures Kareem Abdul-Jabbar • Elgin Baylor • Kobe Bryant • Dr. Jerry Buss • Wilt Chamberlain • Michael Cooper • Vlade Divac • Derek Fisher • Pau Gasol • Gail Goodrich • Chick Hearn • Robert Horry • Phil Jackson • Eddie Jones • Magic Johnson • John Kundla • Mitch Kupchak • Clyde Lovellette • Slater Martin • George Mikan • Vern Mikkelsen • Shaquille O'Neal • Lamar Odom • Jim Pollard • Kurt Rambis • Pat Riley • Byron Scott • Nick Van Exel • Jerry West • Jamaal Wilkes • James Worthy Retired Numbers 13 • 22 • 25 • 32 • 33 • 42 • 44 • Chick Hearn (Microphone) Minneapolis Lakers Hall of Famers (Mikan, Mikkelsen, Martin, Lovellette, Pollard, Coach Kundla) NBA Championships (15) 1949 • 1950 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1972 • 1980 • 1982 • 1985 • 1987 • 1988 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2009 Rivals Boston Celtics • Philadelphia 76ers • Detroit Pistons • Houston Rockets • Portland Trail Blazers • Sacramento Kings • San Antonio Spurs Culture and Lore "Showtime" • Wilt the Stilt • Mr. Clutch • Magic • Jack Nicholson • Lakers vs. Celtics • Chick Hearn • Jack Kent Cooke • The Fabulous Forum • Staples Center • The Punch • Big Game James • Celebrity fans • Shaq–Kobe feud • 81 • Black Mamba • The Diesel • Lawrence Tanter • I Love L.A. Media TV: KCAL • Fox Sports West • Radio: KSPN-AM • KWKW • Announcers: Joel Meyers • Stu Lantz • Spero Dedes • Mychal Thompson

Persondata
NAME	Worthy, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	American basketball player
DATE OF BIRTH	February 27, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH	Gastonia, North Carolina
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

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