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JAMES WORTHY

It was Lakers announcer Chick Hearn who gave James Worthy his nickname, “Big Game James,” and it is hard to dispute the characterization. Worthy played a key role in three championship series and was named MVP in the 1988 finals against Detroit, recording a triple-double in Game 7 with 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. His .721 field goal percentage against the Nuggets in the 1985 Western Conference finals is still the all-time record for a five-game playoff series.

Selecting an all-time power forward for the Lakers presents some problems given the franchise’s history and style. Many list-makers cheat a bit by selecting big men who never played the position such as Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. At least Worthy played some power forward since he had to work around Jamaal Wilkes, one of the best small forwards in the league, when he arrived in LA in 1982. Eventually Pau Gasol, a legitimate big man, may occupy this spot but for now Worthy is as plausible a candidate as there is.

Worthy certainly was an ideal player for the Lakers’ running game and post-up offensive style. He could score with either hand and play above the rim. He was renowned for his tomahawk chops and Statue of Liberty dunks. As a small forward, he also was an outstanding baseline post player with a deadly turnaround jumper. His rookie year field goal percentage of .579 is still a franchise record. He is the only player in history whose field goal percentage exceeded .530 in each of his first eight seasons in the NBA.

It was in the playoffs, though, that Worthy made his most lasting mark. While averaging 17.6 points and 5.1 rebounds in the regular season, his career postseason averages were 21.1 and 5.2. His career postseason field goal percentage of .544 places him among the top 10 on the NBA list. As Magic Johnson said, Big Game James ranks among the five greatest players in postseason history.