James Worthy

James Ager Worthy is a retired pro basketball player and current basketball commentator, television host, and analyst. Named as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, "Big Game James" was a seven-time NBA All-Star, a three-time NBA champion and the 1988 NBA Finals MVP . A standout for the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 6 ft 9ins small forward was the MOP of the 1982 NCAA Tournament and #1 pick of the 1982 NBA Draft. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

In a 1979 trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Lakers received a 1982 first round pick and additional assets. In 1982, the trading of future first round picks could result in the loss of high draft picks because there existed none of the protection clauses that currently prevent the loss of such picks. The Cavaliers finished with the NBA's worst record in the 1981–82 season, putting the Lakers in automatic contention for one of the top two picks in the 1982 Draft. The only further requirement for the Lakers to land the first pick was to win a coin toss which determined the placement of the first two draftees (all other draft positions were awarded to teams in descending order of their record in the previous season; this practice ended with the advent of the Draft Lottery in 1985). The Lakers won the coin toss against the San Diego Clippers and received the first pick, with which they selected Worthy. As a result, the Lakers became the first and only team to acquire the top pick in the Draft after having won that season's championship. Worthy immediately made an impact as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points per game and shooting a Laker rookie record .579 field goal percentage. He was also named to the 1983 All-Rookie First Team. Worthy thrived in the Laker's fast break style called "Showtime" with his speed and his dynamic ability to score with either hand and play above the rim. Beyond just finishing a fast break with his trademark Statue of Liberty dunks or swooping finger rolls, Worthy was also one of the best baseline post players at the small forward position, with a quick spin move and a deadly turnaround jump shot. Unfortunately, his rookie year ended on a down note as Worthy broke his leg while landing improperly after trying to tap in a missed shot against the Phoenix Suns on April 10, 1983. Worthy missed the rest of the season and playoffs.

Back and healthy for the opening of the 1983–84 seasons, Worthy's effective play soon had him replacing Jamaal Wilkes in the starting line-up. The Lakers dominated throughout the Conference Playoffs and faced the Boston Celtics in the Finals. It was late in Game 2 of the Finals that Worthy made the now-infamous mistake of throwing an errant crosscourt pass that was picked off by Celtic Gerald Henderson and taken in for the game-tying score. Ultimately, the mistake-prone Lakers lost this game in overtime, and lost this series in seven games.