NBA Legends Explain Why James Worthy Was Unique 

It’s crazy to me that Worthy isn’t remembered or respected more. That guy was instrumental in Lakers chip dubs in the 80s. Great player, very fun to watch!

As a Celtic fan, Worthy was the one I feared. You never knew when he'd take the shot and he was clutch when they needed that basket. The guys you love to hate!!! Rivalries are the best in sports and it's a downright shame our kids are not experiencing what we had!!

I used to say James had the quickest first step in the league back then, especially turning around going base line.

Big James was my favorite basketball play many great memories watching him play in my youth so glad I got to see this time in basketball.

He’s NEVER overlooked by the Lakers faithful! Thank you so much for another great video!

So glad you did this vid. Most Laker fans know about how Worthy single-handedly won game #7 vs. Detroit in 1988 finals: 44 mins, 15-22 (that's 68% shooting in a game 7! Legendary!), 36 pts, 16 reb, 10 ast. What fans don't know about Worthy is his fg%. In his first 9 years, he never shot LESS than 52% (while averaging about 20 ppg too). That's LBJ level stuff. Lastly, "Big Game James" really started in 1982. NCAA Final vs. Georgetown, people remember Jordan's jumper to put UNC ahead with 15 secs left, but Worthy led all scorers with 28 pts on 13-17 shooting. Incredible player.

Dudes that know their bball know he was a certified Gun.. one of the most underappreciated players of all time.

He's pivotal to the Lakers winning those championships in the eighties. I'm glad that he played for them. One of the greatest players to ever do it. He gets over looked a lot and that's not right.

Don't forget that spin move and layup was with either hand. It didn't matter what block or what side of the lane he was on.

The greatest thing about Worthy is despite having absolute top level talent he was no ego clown. He approached the game like a guy who barely made the team.

In my hood on southside playgrounds of Chicago, when Worthy was at North Carolina we all called him, " Da Word." Then once he got to the league he played behind the great Silk Wilk. But when he became a starter and started taken over games,then playoff series and became finals MVP, he became known as, " Big Game James." One of the craziest things about his game,he would drag his leg at times as if he had an injury. But once you saw him fly out on the break, or be a blur on one of his many post moves,you knew he was abnormal and one of the all time greats hands down.

I totally agree . I was always amazed by Worthys speed. Underrated player . Loved the Laker/Celtic rivalry back in the day.

James Worthy was one of my favorite players growing up! Another thing that doesn't get mentioned is that James Worthy every now and then could stick the 3! Thanks for the memories dear James and God bless you and your loved ones!

The Lakers were a very strong team when they had Magic, James and Kareem. And it's really amazing that all three of them have won the NBA Finals MVP. I miss the 80's NBA when the Lakers, Celtics, Sixers, Pistons and Bulls were in their prime.

You hit the nail right on the head. Worthy had a very unique style of play. Certified BEAST.

He won that Finals MVP with Rodman guarding him. That tells you how good he was.

I started watching basketball in 90s and now i am feel so regretful (and also surprised) not knowing that James got A LOT in his bag. He got lots of great moves. Thanks Sean!

One of the best finishers of all time. That first step along the baseline oooof ⚡

James Worthy I salute you. You changed the game with you footwork , spins and skills. Lightening quick. I will never forget how bad he was bro.

So underrated in the shadow of Kareem n Magic. Worthy is a great player standing alone ❤

Worthy had a diagonal move--almost like he was moving from one step-and-jump on a direct 45-degree angle toward the basket. I never saw anyone else do that. It wasn't just that he went up--he went LATERAL at the same time.

He had the quickes first step of any big men in the post I've ever seen. By far

James Worthy. Wow, what a delight to see him play. Isiah Thomas, you tell the stories with such joy...thank you.

Great video giving James Worthy his due.. He was big and FAST.. One of the ways to beat the Lakers was to slow them down. Why was this important? Because Worthy was so FAST...Lakers were the fastest team. Magic was like a quarter back looking for the long bomb to Worthy or Kareem.. Great teams in the 80's. Great talent..

Baddest man on the wing on a fast break,always finished with authority.Big game James was no joke.

So good to c Worthy get some well overdue recognition! Great video!!

So many young fans know that Jordan hit the winning shot in the NCAA Championship game against Georgetown. Unfortunately, most young fans NEVER have watched that game. Ewing was the top college freshman in that game, and Worthy was the most dominant player in that game with 28 points on 13 of 17 shooting from the field. That's amazing given he was going against one of the greatest college centers of all-time (Ewing).

The 80’s Lakers fast break was a thing to behold and Big Game James was a huge part of that.

I was lucky to get to watch Worthy growing up. He always came up the biggest in the biggest games/moments. I remember countless times how he got The Forum crowd absolutely deafening and rocking with his fast break plays and big shots. He was a baller.

Justice and respect for James Worthy. He could easily have been the superstar of any team. His speed could overwhelm any era of NBA basketball.

Once Worthy had the ball on the baseline and held the ball away from the defender, it was over. You couldn't stop him going to the rim. Magic on the break with Cooper and Worthy on each of the wings, was a problem.

Great to hear from so many of Worthy's opponents how he was so outstanding! Thank you!

Thanks for covering Worthy. I agree he often doesn't get the credit he deserves.

I've said the same thing as you do for years. I am glad that you highlighted what we both already know. Worthy was no joke.

During his college career, James Worthy was the most valuable player and I’m saying that over Michael Jordan . And I am a huge Michael Jordan fan. But I watch their entire college careers. Big game James always came through for Carolina. UNC

Thank you for this awesome video! Big Game James was my favorite player growing up. I don’t know of any current NBA players who can cover the court in a couple of strides besides Giannis.

He was one of my fav player. Sensational. He performed the spin move best.

Worthy was the Man!!! I was very quick and I added his post action to my game.

He was unreal.

Oh how I miss the showtime lakers

Thank you for this video. He should've been on the Dream Team in 1992... I mean, Scottie Pippen was two years into being the Scottie Pippen that we all know as an all-time great, but Big Game James was a three-time champ at that point, a Finals MVP, had his 7th and final All-Star season in 91-92 while averaging 20, 6 and 5 in his first season without Magic (Pippen averaged 21, 8, and 6). Yes, Pippen was the champ, younger, and MJ's sidekick, but James had the better body of work at that time and, again, was coming off of an All-Star season. They're both "greats" now, but at that time, James was already considered as such, whilst Scottie was simply, in NBA marketing language of the time, "Fantastic".

Prime Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey, Kevin Duckworth, Buck Williams and crew. I remember a western conference matchup with the Lakers one year and it was still the first half and Portland was getting run out of the building by the Lakers fast break... so we took a time out and as the camera pans over to the Blazer bench all you can see is the aforementioned Blazers just sitting on their chairs leaning all the way back and GASPING for air. That was the James Worthy effect. I still remember it to this day. Show Time Lakers would kill your conditioning by halftime and we had to see them 6-8 times a year not counting playoffs. Thank you for making this video btw just subbed.

The Lakers with James Worthy were scary even when their opponents were up by 20 pts. I don’t know of any team that were that likely to go on a 15-20 minute run and and your lead just seemed to disappear.

Big Game James! This guy was on another level come finals time! Not many have such a stats differential from reg to playoffs!

James Worthy was known as the "fastest forward in the NBA". He's the fastest I've seen. He has this move posting up..when the ball touches his palm..he would would turn right away to the baseline and drive to the basket for a dunk.

I loved this video. Worthy was amazing and glad you finally gave the man a video and the props

I still don't think I've ever seen a forward with James Worthy's speed. The players said it all. He could run the break and fill lanes sure but what always shocked me was his post moves. He would get the ball in the post and this is in the 80's when there were 6 other guys in the paint already and he would spin on his man and dunk it before anyone could get near him or he would turn to the middle and put up a short jumper in a fraction of a second. The ball never stopped on the way up, he started his shooting motion as he was moving and the ball was gone before the defender could extend his arm up. And these shots would go in more often than not. Incredible.

I agree with you Sean. If worthy would’ve ended up on a bad team as the number one option he would’ve been averaging 25-30 ppg for his career and gotten a lot more clout. Plus, according to MJ, worthy was the only person to beat him in one on one back in their unc days. 😮

As a life long Lakers fan I remember watching all his big moments.

That little drop step he did backing people down at the post...

Magic wouldn't be Magic without this man.

I have to agree. His spin slam! was the quickest move I've ever seen. I miss Chick Hearn.

Big Game James one of the best forwards to play back when forwards played down on the block and knew how to fill the lane

Agree 100%! Loved watching WORTHY WITH HIS TRADEMARK NEW BALANCE!

I love James Worthy he was quick and he recognizes mismatches he's hard to guard. He's a terrific player and with Magic Johnson their phenomenal.

I hate when LeBron is added to greatest Lakers lists but people forget Worthy. One of my favorite players growing up.

Had we not GIFTED Boston that series back in 1984, worthy was walking away with that MVP! I'm still haunted by that series today😮

it's great to hear players of opposing teams talk about another player's strength. all NBA players always have something positive to say about each other's game/style despite playing against each other in their careers.

As a Detroit Piston fan I hated him because he gave us the business... Because he was so quick that they cannot stop him... John salley or Rick Mahorn... The only one gave him problems was Dennis Rodman...

Worthy was sooooo smooth on the court too. Nothing looks forced

I met Big Game James back in 1997 and he was such a pleasant and humble man and really tall and big I wondered he could be so quick. Yes he was really so underrated.

When contrary team was scoring .... James Worthy was already running to the other end for the fastbreak. I think Magic to Worthy pass play was clocked in 2 or 3 seconds for fastbreaks at one point of time. He was unstoppable. For me that was really show time.

Worthy had the touch. He was among the best players in the league when the league was at its best. Another player I wish would've had an injury free career. He deserved more peak years. James Worthy, in the unlikely chance you ever read this, know that I highly respect you and I'll always be grateful for what you brought to the game.

Watching JW in action was mesmerizing. Lightning speed!

Big game James will never be forgoten by all the people that watched him hes another legend that would destroy todays players! His fast break tomahawk dunk was mind blowing he could run the court all night!His first step was unstoppable!lightning!

Humble guy not under Los Angeles spotlight what a quickness when he moves great finisher a great player thank you James

Worthy was a joy to watch. Iaiah said it best. James was a top 20 player.

It was like he could be down the court in 3 steps. Never seen anyone cover so much ground so quickly. Magic was the brains behind Showtime...Worthy was its body.

Im so glad to find this video and see you did a Video on Worthy. I grew up just up the road from UNC and lived in winston slaem area most of my life before moving to Ohio a few years ago. I remember Worthy in college and the Pros....loved him....the guy was never given as much hype or attention as he deserved as a player. Though Worthy won a National Championship at UNC he was forced to share the stardom during that season with super freshmen Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. Worthy was great his first two years at Carolina but also was never given his due truly there because Carolina under Dean Smith always had powerhouse teams and most of the roster was full of high school all- americans. In college Worthy was a like like Jordan in that both players it was obvious were athletic and talented but because of Dean Smith's strict team concept you never really knew just how good either of those guys could be until they got to the Pro's. In the NBA Worthy was always the 3rd guy the guy who never got his due even though he hoestly was a far superior defender than Magic ever was and than Kareem was in the later stages of his career. If Worthy had been drafted by a rebuilding team like Jordan was when he got taken by the Bulls then I am positive Worthy would have put up numbers much like that of an Alex English or Adrian Dantley in those days and easily averaged over 20 points a game every single season of his career. The thing was Worthy never got the ball like that with the Lakers because they had Kareem who was still pumping in the points early in Worthy's career and then there was Magic who ran the show as the point guard that could also score the ball. The Lakers didnt really begin to look to Worthy as a main scoring option until his 3rd year or so and even as Kareem aged in the late 80s and was no longer as big a scorer, Worthy was often the 3rd player mentioned by fans when they talked about the Lakers behind Kareem and Magic. If he was even mentioned then. But if it was not for Worthy being so talented on both ends of the court especially on Defense guarding the other teams best players always. The Lakers probably dont win all those titles during Worthys career. Worthy was impossible to stop in his prime and one of my favorite players of all time.

AS a kid, James Worthy was my sports idol. He is the one I wanted to emulate when I played. Excellent fast break player, very balanced player in half court play inside and outside. AC Green was as well on that team

The quickest forward ever that first step to the basket no one could keep up with him. If you blinked he was gone....

I was raised to absolutely hate the Lakers. That said James Worthy was quite possibly the most underrated player I have ever seen in my lifetime. Everyone talks Magic and Kareem, but I promise you without Worthy there would be no rings back then.

Quick spin to the baseline. And tomahawk dunk. I think he had a beard at 15.

Watch his first step... shit was and still is one of the best I've seen...💯💯💯

Well said and well done. Thanks for taking us back👍👍

Hey Sean another guy people forget about on the early Showtime Lakers is Jamaal Wilkes. He was a 4 time champ, Hall of Famer, 3x All Star, 2x All-Defense, and was rookie of the year for GSW even though he played the bulk of his career with L.A.

Dawg my favorite. Big game James! From Carolina to LA.

Big Game was the most graceful Laker, he didn't have kobe s agility but quick first step, spin moves,up and unders, pump fakes,finger rolls, and he would dunk on you off 1 leg.....Him and Byron's speed was crucial to that showtime fastbreak....#RipChic

I used to get in wonderful arguments with my friends about James Worthy, my claim was that he's the best player EVER to have played the game. Not a showman, just the best.

Sean! Appreciate the Laker love. Big Game is an excellent choice for a vid. Dude had one of the quickest first steps in NBA history. Those Statue of Liberty dunks on the fast break were a thing of beauty. McHale talks about it here but what people don't really think of was his outside shooting. Dude was buckets anywhere on the court from 18-feet in.

These videos aren't long enough!! Your research is 🔥🔥🔥

Man gotta love Isaiah, he gives entertaining and exact analysis. Worthy was impossible to guard.

Big Game James will always be my favorite player, dude is speed, power, and grace on the floor. I LOVED watching the LAKERS in the 80's, basketball was great fun to play and watch. My friends called me one time to go do... doesn't matter, watching the LAKERS, I'll catch you guys tomorrow! ;}

Still considered the greatest NBA finals performance of all time.

That baseline spin is engraved in my mind

Big game james, he was worthy of that name 👏

James Worthy is one of the best finishers that ever played. His quick release shot was also extremely effective. One of the nicest guys you’ll meet too!

Great player!!!! So damn humble.

i liked seeing how rodman and worthy were so complimentary of each other. and its factual...rodman said worthy was the quickest player off the ball he had seen...worthy said dennis was the best athlete he played against. (and he knew how to get in your head. dennis would squeeze your butt. and for 3 quarters you would be lookin at this guy thinking...what is wrong with him?)

Smooth assassin “James Worthy” one of the best!! 🔥💰💪🏻

I believe Jordan said if he got to choose his all time starting five Worthy would be one of them! MJ Pippen Magic Worthy Hakeem A. I would take these five any day!

Love his game...lightening first step that was explosive.,biggest hands since Dr. J, a eagle soaring on the break,clutch as they come.Big game James, enough said! I drop the mic!

James was fun to watch. Also from right here in NC!!❤

Love worthy my fav all time his game was so smooth and in big games worthy was a monster

Ive been a Laker fan all my life. James Worthy is my Favorite Laker of all time ! Forget about his obvious talent, talk about team player and being humble, Worthy had no problems deferring to other players and NEVER complained about not getting the ball. He would D up against HOF`ers like Bird and Mchale and give you 100%. When the lights were the Brightest BIG GAME went Super Nova. Sure Miss Chic Hearns calling the games on KCLA 9 and watching Big James and The Showtime Lakers do their THANG !!!

I've been watching you for a long time bro. I appreciate your content and I'm glad you're still doing your thing

The Worthy Express! The real greatness in Worthy was that he was able to put team first even know he could’ve tried to do much more…he knew his lane and filled that lane with the best of all time. Some say Lakers should’ve drafted Dominique…we all love the Human Highlight Film, but I don’t think his chemistry would’ve meshed well with Kareem, Magic and the Lakers.

I liked Kareem and Magic, Scott, Rambis, Cooper, but Worthy was my favorite Laker back in the day.

Loved this!

He definitely gets his due. I grew up in that Era, and Worthy definitely got his due.