James Worthy

James Worthy defines the term “most valuable player” – not just in his career as a superstar athlete but as an entrepreneur, sports broadcast analyst, commercial spokesman, and devoted father.

Under the tutelage of the famed coach, Dean Smith, Worthy teamed with dream teammate Michael Jordan and was named to virtually every All-American team following his junior year as a Tar Heel. After being named MVP of the Final Four in 1982, he was the #1 overall pick in the 1982 draft, joining the reigning NBA Champion, the Los Angeles Lakers, while continuing his college education and finally graduating with a BA degree from U.N.C. at Chapel Hill.

While with the Lakers for 12 consecutive years, Worthy earned the name “Big Game James” for his dazzling performance in the championship playoffs. On December 10, 1995, he became only the sixth player in Laker history to have his jersey retired. His #42 joined the jerseys of teammates Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlin, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson.

Worthy was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003, topping a long list of noteworthy statistics: Seven-time NBA All-Star, Member of three NBA Championship teams, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 1988, College Player of the Year in 1982, MVP of NCAA Championships in 1982, rated by NBA as one of the 50 all-time best pro players, Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame, and NBA’s 75 Players of all time.

Worthy’s trademark goggles, along with a championship uniform, were inducted into the Smithsonian Institute in early 1996. In addition, Worthy launched the Smithsonian’s National Sports Oral History Project, a career retrospective providing insight into historical changes in the sport.

Since retiring from the game on November 10, 1994, Worthy’s schedule is now devoted to appearances on the corporate and collegiate lecture circuits, and commercial and animation voiceovers. He is most notably known now for sports broadcasting with Spectrum Sports Network.

Worthy has also maintained his commitment to helping youngsters achieve their greatest potential, most notably through his active involvement with The Boys and Girls Club of America.