James Ager Worthy (born February 27, 1961) is an American

sports commentator In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...

, television host, analyst, and former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. Nicknamed "Big Game James", he played his entire professional career with the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA). Worthy was a seven-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Team member who won three NBA championships and was voted the NBA Finals MVP in 1988. He was named to both the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams. A standout

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

player for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the stat ...

, the

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronge ...

was a consensus first-team All-American and shared national player of the year honors en route to leading his team to the 1982 NCAA championship. Named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, he was selected by the Lakers with the first overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft.

Early life

Worthy was born in Gastonia, North Carolina. His 21.5 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game during his senior season at Ashbrook High led the team to the state championship game. Named both a ''Parade Magazine'' and

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

All-American, he was selected to play in the 1979

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...

, which featured future fellow

Hall of Famers A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...

including

Isiah Thomas Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who is an analyst for '' NBA TV''. The 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History as well as the 75 Gr ...

, Dominique Wilkins, and Ralph Sampson.

College career

After graduating from high school, Worthy attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

. 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's 1981 NCAA runner-up team starring alongside Al Wood and Sam Perkins. As a junior power forward Worthy was the leading scorer (15.6 points per game) of a Tar Heels NCAA championship team that featured one of the greatest collections of talent in collegiate basketball history, including future NBA stars sophomore Sam Perkins and freshman

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

. A consensus first-team All-American,UNC Men's Basketball Media Guide
, 2007, p. 95. Worthy was named co-winner of the Helms Foundation Player of the Year with Ralph Sampson of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...

. He dominated the 1982 championship game against the

Georgetown Hoyas The Georgetown Hoyas are the collegiate athletics teams that officially represent Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C. Georgetown's athletics department fields 23 men's and women's varsity level teams and competes at the National ...

, 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 its Most Outstanding Player award. A tip dunk in front of Patrick Ewing captioned "James Worthy slams the door on Georgetown" made the cover of ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence tw ...

''. 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. In 2002, Worthy was named to the

ACC 50th Anniversary men's basketball team During the 2002–03 school year, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) celebrated its 50th anniversary by selecting the top players in its respective sports. Fifty players were selected for the men's basketball team, which was voted on by a 120-memb ...

honoring the fifty greatest players in

Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Assoc ...

history.

NBA career

Number 1 pick

The

had received the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central ...

' 1982 first-round draft pick in a 1979 exchange for

Don Ford Donald J. Ford (born December 31, 1952) is a former American basketball power forward in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. He also was a member of the Auxilium Torino in Europe. He playe ...

. The

Cavaliers The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...

finished with the NBA's worst record in the 1981–82 season, leaving a coin toss to decide whether they or the worst record runner-up San Diego Clippers would get the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. The Lakers won the flip, the first and only time a reigning NBA champion picked first overall. They chose Worthy over Dominique Wilkins and Terry Cummings.

1982–1983

The lanky

immediately made an impact as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting a Laker rookie record .579 field goal percentage. 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 finishing fast 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. His rookie 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 the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

. 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 the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...

in the Finals.

1983–1984

Back and healthy for the opening of the 1983–84 season, Worthy's effective play soon had him replacing All-Star and fan-favorite Jamaal Wilkes in the starting line-up. The Lakers dominated throughout the Western Conference Playoffs and faced the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

in the Finals. Late in Game 2, Worthy made an errant cross-court pass that was picked off by Gerald Henderson and taken in for the game-tying score, leading to a Celtics win in overtime. The series would go seven games, ending in a Boston victory. Worthy had a very strong Finals, with 22.1 pts per game (second to Jabbar) on 63.8% shooting. The Lakers would go into the off-season bitter about the loss and motivated for 1985.

1984–1985

A peak Lakers "Showtime" team dominated the West in 1985 and returned to the NBA Finals. During the play-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 the Celtics in the championship series. His all-round play helped lead the team to a 4–2 victory cinched on the celebrated parquet floor of the old

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (la ...

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 the Utah Jazz, wearing them for the rest of his career.

1985–1986

The 1985–86 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 consecutive All-Star appearances. A trip to the Finals disappeared in a preternatural tip in the Western Conference final by 7' 4"

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...

star Ralph Sampson, with the Rockets going on to be drubbed by the Celtics in the Championship series.

1986–1987

With stalwart center Abdul-Jabbar finally showing signs of his age the Lakers added center-forward Mychal 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 the NBA's all-time great teams 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 the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

. 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 NBA Finals versus the Celtics. The Lakers won the championship 4 games to 2.

1987–1988

Once again Riley drove the Lakers hard in 1987–88. During the regular season Worthy averaged 19.7 points and scored a career-high 38 points against the Atlanta Hawks. He led the Lakers in scoring in the 1988 play-offs and led the NBA in points scored during the play-offs. During the Finals against the Pistons Worthy once again excelled, averaging 22 ppg, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in the series. 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 the NBA Finals MVP award and the Lakers the first back-to-back titles in the NBA since '68–'69 Celtics.

1988–1989

With Riley clamoring for a "Three-peat" in 1988–89 the

Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play thei ...

marched through the regular season and met the Pistons for an encore in the Finals. With Abdul-Jabbar playing his last games and Johnson and Byron 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, including a career-high 40 points trying to stave off elimination in Game 4, the Lakers were swept in four.

1989–1990

The Lakers ran hot again in 1989–90 despite internal friction that had developed during Pat Riley's final year as head coach, their 63–19 record the NBA's best. 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. 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 hot

team.

1990–1991

The Lakers once more won the West in 1991 and marched through the

to the Finals thanks to Worthy's team-leading and career-high 21.4 ppg in '91 and the addition of former North Carolina Tarheel star Sam 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 the Chicago 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 emergent

. The Lakers ultimately fell in five, with Worthy sidelined for Game 5 after re-injuring his ankle the previous game.

Retirement

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 in

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment building in Amsterdam after two of its engin ...

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 the 1994–95 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.

"Big Game James"

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 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, 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. 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 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 the

50 Greatest Players in NBA History The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the third anniversary team ...

in 1996 and named to the

NBA 75th Anniversary Team The NBA 75th Anniversary Team, also referred to as the NBA 75, was chosen in 2021 to honor the 75th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It was the fourth and most recent anniversary team in the league. S ...

in 2021. Worthy was inducted into the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pre ...

in 2003. His jersey No. 42 was retired by the Lakers.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

L.A. Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, 77 , , 1 , , 25.6 , , .579 , , .250 , , .624 , , 5.2 , , 1.7 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , 13.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 53 , , 29.5 , , .556 , , .000 , , .759 , , 6.3 , , 2.5 , , .9 , , .9 , , 14.5 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 76 , , 33.7 , , .572 , , .000 , , .776 , , 6.4 , , 2.5 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 17.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 73 , , 32.7 , , .579 , , .000 , , .771 , , 5.2 , , 2.7 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, style="background:#cfecec;", 82* , , 82 , , 34.4 , , .539 , , .000 , , .751 , , 5.7 , , 2.8 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 19.4 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", † , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , 72 , , 35.4 , , .531 , , .125 , , .796 , , 5.0 , , 3.9 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 19.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 36.5 , , .548 , , .087 , , .782 , , 6.0 , , 3.6 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 20.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 37.0 , , .548 , , .306 , , .782 , , 6.0 , , 3.6 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 74 , , 38.6 , , .492 , , .289 , , .797 , , 4.6 , , 3.5 , , 1.3 , , .4 , , 21.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 54 , , 54 , , 39.0 , , .447 , , .209 , , .814 , , 5.6 , , 4.7 , , 1.4 , , .4 , , 19.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 82 , , 69 , , 28.8 , , .447 , , .270 , , .810 , , 3.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.1 , , .3 , , 14.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 2 , , 20.0 , , .406 , , .288 , , .741 , , 2.3 , , 1.9 , , .6 , , .2 , , 10.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 926 , , 717 , , 32.4 , , .521 , , .241 , , .769 , , 5.1 , , 3.0 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 17.6

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 1984 , style="text-align:left;",

, 21 , , 0 , , 33.7 , , .599 , , .500 , , .609 , , 5.0 , , 2.7 , , 1.3 , , .5 , , 17.7 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1985† , style="text-align:left;",

, 19 , , 19 , , 32.9 , , .622 , , .500 , , .676 , , 5.1 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .7 , , 21.5 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal en ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 14 , , 14 , , 38.5 , , .558 , , .000 , , .681 , , 4.6 , , 3.2 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , 19.6 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1987† , style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 18 , , 37.8 , , .591 , , .000 , , .753 , , 5.6 , , 3.5 , , 1.6 , , 1.2 , , 23.6 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 1988† , style="text-align:left;",

, 24 , , 24 , , 37.3 , , .523 , , .111 , , .758 , , 5.8 , , 4.4 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 15 , , 15 , , 40.0 , , .567 , , .375 , , .788 , , 6.7 , , 2.8 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 24.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 40.7 , , .497 , , .250 , , .837 , , 5.6 , , 3.0 , , 1.6 , , .3 , , 24.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1991 , style="text-align:left;",

, 18 , , 18 , , 40.7 , , .465 , , .167 , , .736 , , 4.1 , , 3.9 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 21.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 1993 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 0 , , 29.6 , , .372 , , .250 , , .600 , , 3.4 , , 2.6 , , 1.0 , , .0 , , 13.8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 143 , , 117 , , 37.0 , , .544 , , .209 , , .727 , , 5.2 , , 3.2 , , 1.2 , , .7 , , 21.1

Post-NBA

TV career

Worthy was a studio analyst for

Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes Spectrum SportsNet, formerly Time Warner Cable SportsNet (abbreviated as TWC SportsNet), is an American regional sports cable and satellite television network owned by Charter Communications through its acquisition of Time Warner Cable in Ma ...

and co-host of ''Access SportsNet'', the networks' pregame and postgame show for Lakers game telecasts on in Los Angeles; he also served as an NBA analyst for

KCBS-TV KCBS-TV (channel 2) is a television station in Los Angeles, California, United States, serving as the West Coast flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside independent outl ...

in Los Angeles. Worthy has acted in several television shows. He portrayed the Klingon Koral in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " Gambit, Part II". He also guest starred as himself on '' Everybody Loves Raymond'' and ''

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta * Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United Stat ...

''.

Coaching career

On September 28, 2015, Worthy was hired to work with the Lakers coaching staff with a focus on the team's big men.

Personal life

Worthy was married for 12 years to Angela Wilder, whom he met in 1981 at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC S ...

where she was a cheerleader while he was playing. The couple had two daughters before divorcing in 1996. On November 14, 1990, Worthy was arrested in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 ...

, and charged with two counts of solicitation of

prostitution Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...

in a Houston police department sting operation. He was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 40 hours of community service.

Philanthropy

Worthy is the founder of the James Worthy Foundation, 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.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Worthy, James 1961 births Living people African-American basketball players All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from North Carolina College basketball announcers in the United States Los Angeles Lakers assistant coaches Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers National Basketball Association broadcasters National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Gastonia, North Carolina Small forwards 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni

Early life

College career

NBA career

Number 1 pick

1982–1983

1983–1984

1984–1985

1985–1986

1986–1987

1987–1988

1988–1989

1989–1990

1990–1991

Retirement

"Big Game James"

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Post-NBA

TV career

Coaching career

Personal life

Philanthropy

See also

References

External links