James Worthy
Basketball · Hometown: Gastonia, NC
- High school
- Ashbrook High School
- College
- University of North Carolina
- Pro team(s)
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
James Ager Worthy was born on February 27, 1961, in Gastonia, North Carolina, and starred at Ashbrook High School before going on to the University of North Carolina, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1982 NCAA Tournament — the same team as Michael Jordan, James Worthy was the one who finished the job. Selected 1st overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1982 NBA Draft, Worthy spent his entire 12-year career in Los Angeles, winning three NBA championships (1985, 1987, 1988) alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He earned the nickname "Big Game James" for his postseason brilliance, culminating in a performance for the ages in Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals — 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists in a triple-double against the Detroit Pistons that earned him Finals MVP honors. A seven-time All-Star, Worthy was the prototype of the modern small forward: athletic, skilled, and utterly unflappable in the biggest moments. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. Attended Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, North Carolina.