The Daily: James Worthy
The Daily: James Worthy
It was 40 years ago today that Los Angeles Lakers selected Big Game James first overall in the NBA Draft. Ultimately, it was a pick that would pay off in a major way. Check out why in The Daily: James Worthy edition.
James Worthy was a standout at the University of North Carolina. Though his freshman year was cut short due to an injury, he was key to the team’s success in his sophomore season. Worthy, Al Wood and Sam Perkins led the Tar Heels to the championship game but fell short to Bob Knight’s Hoosiers. However, in 1982, alongside Perkins and a freshman Michael Jordan, Worthy cut down the nets defeating Georgetown.
Even though the Lakers were the reigning NBA Champions, they won the first overall selection thanks to a trade with Cavs and winning a coinflip with the Clippers. The Lakers opted for Worthy over Dominique Wilkins and Terry Cummings, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Worthy had an immediate impact with the Showtime Lakers averaging 13 points and 5 rebounds a night, off the bench, earning him an ’82-83 All-Rookie time selection. James spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Lakers racking up plenty of accolades along the way. He was a seven-time All-Star, a three-time NBA Champion, a two-time All-NBA selection, and the ’87-88 Finals MVP.
The Card: 1986-87 Fleer James Worthy
Like many other stars of the era, Worthy did not receive an official rookie card until a few years into his career. For Worthy, it was some four years later in 1986-87 Fleer. Sure there were a few Star Company offerings, but those were regional releases.
Considering Worthy’s career, his rookie card is criminally undervalued in my opinion. It has a high of just $50 in the OPG, which is spot on for raw copies. However, I believe this is just a case of a younger collector not fully up to speed on Worthy. With that, High-grade copies often push four figures.
Thanks for checking out The Daily: James Worthy edition. If you missed yesterday’s post on Mike Tyson you can find it here.
