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SteemSports Editor:
The signature movement of the Showtime Lakers was the fastbreak. Magic Johnson was the conductor of the orchestra, leading the purple and gold down the other end of the court like a crescendo. James Worthy was the climax, grappling the outlet pass from Magic and slamming it down with the combined force of every onlooker in attendance at The Forum.
He got the name "Big Game James" from legendary Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn. Worthy's scoring average in the regular season was 17.6, but when playoffs came he rose to the occasion with 21.1 points per game. His performance in Game 7 of the 1988 NBA Finals against the Detroit Pistons stamped his ticket to the Hall of Fame. He put the Showtime Lakers on his back with a fat 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists to clinch his final NBA title, and the final title of the Showtime era. He played in 4 Game 7's in his career and averaged 27 points and 8.2 rebounds on 60% shooting in those contests. In total, he won 3 championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, two against the Celtics and one against the Detroit Pistons. In 1985, he and his teammates ended the woeful losing streak to the Celtics in the NBA finals that spanned over 8 playoff series starting in 1959.
Big Game James wasn't always the bold, goggle-donning baller we know him as. He actually grew up as a sensitive introverted kid in Gastonia, North Carolina. He was a self-proclaimed mamma's boy. His parents were earnest, working-class people who provided the necessities for James and his brothers. When he found out he could obtain an athletic scholarship with basketball and use it to pay for college, he focused on honing his craft.
He earned that scholarship to the University of North Carolina where he was coached by the legendary sideline strutter Dean Smith, and Michael Jordan was actually one of his teammates. He remarks, "I was better than Michael Jordan...for about 3 weeks". Those were the first 3 weeks of practice before the season. He won the 1982 NCAA Championship with Michael and future Laker teammate Sam Perkins against the Georgetown Hoyas led by Patrick Ewing.
When you watch old game footage, you can't help but notice how much acceleration Big Game James had. If he played today he'd be one of the top guys in the league in terms of speed, and he stands around 6'9 like LeBron. He had one of the quickest first steps when he was running the lane waiting for an outlet from Magic. You couldn't get too close to James or else he'd break right by you with that long stride and unstoppable velocity. Check out this video to understand how his quick footwork gave him the upper hand in engagements.
He stayed with the Lakers until 1994, a couple years after Magic had to retire. Ankle and knee issues are ultimately what did him in. He's beloved by the city of Los Angeles for his contributions as a player, but now as a local LA sports analyst he's known for his big ass claps and how hyped he gets after a solid Laker win. He's a Laker legend because he came up clutch so many times when the team's hope seemed lost, and because he beat that Celtic Ass...twice.
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