James Worthy

American basketball forward who won the 1982 NCAA Championship with North Carolina and became a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Los Angeles Lakers.

James Ager Worthy was born in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1961. He attended the University of North Carolina under coach Dean Smith and won the national championship in 1982 alongside freshman Michael Jordan. He was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game — his interior scoring and physical dominance in the paint being the foundation around which Jordan's jump shot and Sam Perkins' rebounding were built. His dunks and post moves in the 1982 tournament were the most athletic plays of any big man that year. He was the ACC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in 1982. Los Angeles Lakers selected him first overall in the 1982 NBA Draft — he did not wait for a senior season. His three years at North Carolina — culminating in that 1982 championship where he was the most dominant player — were the perfect preview of the professional career that followed: three NBA championships with the Lakers and the 1988 Finals MVP. His nickname Big Game James was earned first at North Carolina.

Worthy was known for his exceptional speed and agility for his size, able to run the fast break like a guard despite being 6'9". He possessed excellent ball-handling skills and could finish at the rim with either hand. His trademark move was a quick spin move in the post that often left defenders off-balance.

Worthy helped establish North Carolina's reputation as a premier basketball program and was instrumental in the Tar Heels' 1982 championship run. His combination of size and speed became a template for the modern versatile forward position.

• National Championship (1982)
• Tournament MOP (1982)
• ACC Player of Year
• All-American