James Worthy

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 All-American, he was selected to play in the 1979 McDonald's All-American Game that featured future NBA Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, and Ralph Sampson.

The Los Angeles Lakers had received the Cleveland Cavaliers' 1982 first-round draft pick in a 1979 exchange for Don Ford. The Cavaliers 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 for a reigning league champion. They chose Worthy.

Worthy was married for 12 years to Angela Wilder, and they had two daughters together. They met in 1981 at the University of North Carolina, where she was a cheerleader while he was playing.

The lanky small forward 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 and a deadly turnaround 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. He was still named to the 1983 All-Rookie First Team but missed the rest of the season and playoffs.

In 1985 the Lakers once again they met the Celtics in the Finals, this time decided in LA's favor on the famed parquet floor of the Boston Garden.

During the play-off run to title Worthy emerged as a feared clutch performer. He averaged 21.5 points per game on 62.2% shooting in the playoffs, and his play and 23.7 points per game against the Celtics in the Finals confirmed him as one of the league's premier players. It was also in 1985 that the goggles emerged after Worthy suffered a scratched cornea during a March 13 game at the Utah Jazz and started wearing the eyewear the next game March 15 versus the Spurs and for the rest of his career.

Even on Lakers teams dominated by fellow Hall of Fame and NBA Top 50 teammates Jabbar and Magic Johnson, Worthy stood out during their years together. Worthy led the Lakers in play-off 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). Worthy always saved his best for the play-offs and averaged 3.5 points higher per game than in the regular season.

Once again Riley drove the Lakers hard in 1987–88, and once again they celebrated a championship, the first back-to-back titles in the NBA since '68-'69 Celtics. During the regular season Worthy averaged 19.7 points and scored a career-high 38 points against the Atlanta Hawks. Worthy 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 of the Finals earned Worthy the NBA Finals MVP award.

On November 14, 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. 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.

It would be Worthy's last chance at a fourth ring. Magic Johnson's sudden retirement in November 1991 threw the Lakers franchise for a loop. 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 had robbed much of his quickness and leaping ability. After struggling with knee pain in the 1994–95 preseason, Worthy announced his retirement in November 1994, after 12 seasons in the NBA.

Worthy played in 926 NBA regular season games, averaging 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists per game. He played in 143 play-off 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 pts 8.2 rebs on 60% shooting in these 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). Voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996, Worthy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003. His jersey No. 42 was retired by the Lakers.

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