Los Angeles Lakers legend James Worthy cemented himself into the team’s history during the Showtime Era, which led to numerous championships. After lucking out by getting the No. 1 pick in 1979 to draft Magic Johnson, L.A. got lucky again with the No. 1 pick in 1982 to draft Worthy.
He would go on to play 12 seasons with the Lakers, winning three championships with the franchise. That’s in addition to seven All-Star appearances, two All NBA nominations, 1987-88 Finals MVP and being named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Despite being a third option behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson, Worthy found his way to become a perfect complementary player to that star-studded duo. Given the nature of today’s NBA, players like Worthy are hard to come by.
But when asked what current player plays like him, Worthy responded with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and NBA journeyman Jeff Green, currently of the Houston Rockers, via his social media:
“I’m not a great of shooter as he is, especially from 3. But my mid-range game and post-up game, I mean I love Kevin Durant. He’s a scorer and he’s unstoppable. I’d go with a guy like that. There is a player named Jeff Green, he’s been in the league for awhile, his game mimicked mine. But it’s not like other players to follow me. But it’s all good, I had an unique style.”
Those answers by Worthy are intriguing, as during his playing days, he would do his damage from below the 3-point line. During the 1980s and 90s, that mid range was a go-to for the three-time champion.
Similarly, that is Durant’s bread and butter. He loves getting to his spots in the mid-range to rise and shoot over defenders. But Green is an interesting one because he was never known as a star player.
However, Green contributed to a championship during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets in 2023. Despite playing for 12 teams, he was known as a quality role player that can adapt his role to whatever a team needs.
James Worthy appreciative of impact Jerry West had on him
Unfortunately, this summer featured an untimely loss of Jerry West, who meant a lot to the Lakers organization and the NBA as a whole. Seeing how West was L.A.’s general manager during the Showtime Era, he was responsible for taking James Worthy during the 1982 NBA Draft.
Fortunately, Worthy got to know The Logo during his tenure with the team. After his passing, the Lakers champion shared how appreciative he was of West.
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