As the main player of the Lakers' "show time" period in the 80s, James Worthy is like his nickname "Cobra", waiting for opportunities behind the back of Magic and Sky Hook!
As the man behind Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, isn't Worthy a superstar-caliber player? While the spotlight was on his teammates, it was Worthy's unsung dedication and performance at key moments that brought the championship trophy in his hands!
As former Lakers player and now Godfather of the Miami Heat, Pat Riley, said, "There has never been, and will never be, a talent like Worthy at the small forward position." Worthy was always a silent man, and when he was at the best of his youth, I can guarantee that no one could guard against him. ”
So in this issue, Sanfat will take the audience into this "big game James" James Worthy who only wins key balls!
High School/College Career:
Born on February 27, 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina, James Worthy quickly showed his talent in basketball! By the time Worthy was in ninth grade at Greer Junior High School in North Cargastonia, his basketball skills had already made a name for himself in the local newspaper.
When he entered high school, Worthy's coach was Larry Rhodes, a protégé of the famous North Carolina godfather Dean Smith.
Worthy then attended a basketball summer camp in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In his final year at Ashbrook High School, Worthy was named to the All-American Team with an average of 21.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game, but sadly, Worthy's team lost the North Carolina Championship...
After graduating from high school, Worthy attended the University of North Carolina. His basketball skills made him the soul of the team in his freshman year! Unfortunately, an untimely ankle injury caused him to miss the rest of his freshman year...
As a senior power forward, Worthy is the NC varsity's leading scorer, averaging 15.6 points per game. Also on the team at the time was freshman Michael Jordan.
In 1982, Worthy went on to be named to the All-American Team and shared the College Player of the Year award with Ralph Sampson of the University of Virginia! In the 1982 championship game against Georgetown University, Worthy's fatal steal helped North Carolina win 63-62.
In that game, Worthy scored 28 points and 4 rebounds on 13-of-17 shooting, and won the Most Outstanding Player in College Basketball award after the game! His photo of Patrick Ewing later became the cover image of Sports Illustrated magazine...
At the end of his sophomore year, Worthy announced his candidacy and was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers to enter the NBA. A college legend, he was also one of eight North Carolina players to receive the Retirement Award!
NBA Career:
Los Angeles Lakers era:
As the second champion in the history of the Lakers, the Lakers had already won the championship of the previous season before the 1982 draft! And the team's number one small forward at that time was the team's meritorious figure - Jamal Wilkes.
Even if the forward players are so rich that they are overflowing, the Lakers, who covet Worthy's talent, still resolutely took away this talented teenager from North Carolina!
Due to the presence of superstar Wilkes, James Worthy in his rookie season rarely had a chance to perform. But even so, Worthy still contributed 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game. While being selected for the best rookie team, he also ranked first among all rookies with a perverted 57.9% shooting rate, and set a new team record!
At the start of the '83-'84 season, the Lakers traded Nixon for Sven Nate and rookie Byron Sputt of the San Diego Clippers. Worthy started 53 games this season, and the Lakers' three-time championship position over the next five years is basically in shape.
In the 1984 NBA Finals, the Lakers eventually lost to the Boston Celtics in a thrilling seven-game battle. Two of those seven games went to overtime...
For Worthy himself, his playoff performance was even better than in the regular season! Worthy, who contributed 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in the regular season, finished the playoffs with 17.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
The characteristics of Mr. Big Scene are beginning to appear!
In the 84-85 season, the Lakers became the dominant player in the league! This season, the Lakers have the best record in the West with 62 wins and 20 losses. Worthy has further improved his stats to 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.
This season's Lakers have shown invincible momentum in the playoffs! The Lakers, who had only lost three games before entering the Finals, entered the Finals and completed their revenge on the Green Army last season 4:2!
In the playoffs, Worthy averaged 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game to become the team's third-leading scorer and second-rebounder. To their credit, Worthy's shooting percentage is still a staggering 57.2%!
However, Worthy suffered an eye injury against the Jazz in March of that year, which forced him to wear glasses. Since then, the name of the cobra has begun to resound throughout the rivers and lakes!
In the 85-86 season, Worthy had his best season and kicked off his seven-time All-Star selection!
Despite the championship in the '85-86 season, it returned to Boston. But Worthy's regular season points per game average broke the 20 mark for the first time! He once again shot an impressive 57.2 percent from the field in the regular season.
In the next two seasons, not only did Worthy reach the peak of his career, but the Lakers also naturally became the powerhouse of the 80s!
The Purple and Gold have the league's best record for the second year in a row, winning 65 games in '86-87 and 62 games in '87-88.
What's more, the Lakers defeated Boston in six games in the 1987 Finals and the upstart Detroit Pistons in seven games in the 1988 Finals, becoming the first team to win back-to-back NBA championships in nearly two decades!
In addition to his consistent output, Worthy has also improved his playmaking skills as a striker! His average assists per game increased to 3.5. Worthy, meanwhile, has defended his nickname as the "Big James" with a stellar playoff performance (22.4 points per game per game).
In the playoffs of '88, the dangerous Lakers encountered a series of shocks from all sides before the seven big games in the Finals: the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks in the first two rounds forced the Lakers to tie seven. The Pistons in the Finals almost killed the Lakers...
In the tie-break between the two teams, Mr. James Worthy scored 36 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists! With the data of his first career Finals triple-double, he helped the Lakers beat the Pistons 108-105 to win the cup! As a result, Worthy became the Most Valuable Player of the Finals that year!
Being able to win the Most Valuable Player of the Finals in the presence of Magic and Skyhook at the same time, Worthy's ability can be seen!
The '87-88 season became the swan song of the "show time" Lakers, and the following season became Abdul-Jabbar's last season...
In the 88-89 season, Worthy became the Lakers' most playing time, averaging 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 36.5 minutes per game.
But with Magic Johnson and Byron Scott missing three games due to injury, the Lakers were swept by the Pistons... In the Finals, Worthy still averaged 25.5 points per game, including a career-high 44 points in Game 4!
In '89-90, Worthy had his best season in terms of personal data, averaging 21.2 points per game and a career-high six rebounds. In the 89-90 playoffs, Worthy averaged 24 points per game and was named to the NBA All-NBA First Team for the first time in 1990!
In the '90-91 season, Worthy averaged a career-high 21.4 points per game. It's a pity that for the first time in his career, his 49.2% shooting rate was below 50%, ending his own NBA record of shooting above 53% for 8 consecutive years...
April 24, 1994 was Worthy's last NBA game, and he played 16 minutes to score 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. After that, Worthy suffered a knee injury in the preseason, and finally chose to end his 12-year NBA career in November 1994, officially announcing his retirement...
NBA Career Summary:
In his 12-year NBA career, James Worthy played in 926 regular season games. He scored 16,320 points, 4,708 rebounds, and 2,791 assists.
He has reached the Finals six times and won three NBA championships in his career.
7-time All-Star (1985-1986, 1986-1987, 1987-1988, 1988-1989, 1989-1990, 1990-1991, 1991-1992)
Two-time All-Star three-time (1989-1990, 1990-1991)
In 1996, Worthy was named one of the 50 greatest stars of NBA history.
In 2003, Worthy was inducted into the Nai Smith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
In October 2021, Worthy was named one of the 75 superstars of all time.
Three fat comments:
James Worthy is the best player who has seen three fats who is willing to be a green leaf on weekdays but repeatedly stands up at critical moments!
Despite being the top pick in the draft, Worthy worked diligently to learn from Wilkes and then surpass to replace Wilkes' role on the team.
Worthy is totally a team-first player and winner. Most rookies complain a lot when they encounter situations like him, but Worthy never did!
And the trait of never being soft at critical moments is what Sanfat admires most about Worthy. Compared to many stars who are fierce in the regular season and weak in the playoffs, Worthy is perfect! How can such a player not be remembered?
That's all there is to know an All-Star in one day in this issue, the "Big James" James Worthy who only wins key shots. I don't know if you have any different views and opinions? You are welcome to comment in the comment section. Let's discuss with each other and make progress together!
If you like the works of the three fats, please move your rich little hands to give the three fats a little attention and praise~ It is said that people who are connected with one click can get rich overnight in the new year, they must pass every exam, they are full of peach blossoms, and the whole family is healthy!!