James Worthy - Definition and Overview

James Ager Worthy (b. February 27, 1961), nicknamed Big Game James, was a college and professional basketball player from Gastonia, North Carolina. Standing 6'9", he played small forward.

Worthy was a stand-out basketball player for the University of North Carolina, winning the 1982 NCAA championship before being drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Lakers. As a Laker, he contributed to 3 NBA championships in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He was best known for his one-handed tomahawk slam dunks, as well as his ability to glide seemingly effortlessly through the air to the basket. He was a member of the 1983 NBA all-rookie team (unanimous choice) as well as being voted the 1988 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

Worthy played in 926 NBA games, had a career field goal percentage of .521, and averaged 17.6 points per game (21.1 points per playoff game). He was a first-ballot inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004. He began wearing eye goggles after suffering a severe eye injury during the 1985 season. Since his retirement from the NBA, Worthy has done color commentary for Lakers pre-game shows on KCAL, a local Los Angeles television station.