Bob McAdoo, Walt Bellamy, and Chris Paul all hail from North Carolina but they still weren't able or haven't created a legacy for themselves like 'Big Game' James. Born in Gastonia, North Carolina, James Worthy went on to lead his home state North Carolina Tar Heels to an NCAA National Championship in 1982. Worthy was named College Basketball Player of the Year and the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. With a resume like that under his belt, Worthy was drafted first overall in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers where he would play his entire twelve-year career.
Sometimes people forget that if James Worthy wasn't around, the 'Showtime' era the LA Lakers embodied throughout the '80s wouldn't exist without James. His ability to catch flight, change direction, and float in the air was uncanny. Worthy played unselfish basketball and was always in the right place at the right time. He helped the Lakers win three NBA Championships (1985, 1987, 1988), was named NBA Finals MVP in 1988, and was a 7x NBA All-Star. To this very day, James is an important part of the Lakers organization working as an analyst on the team's broadcast television network.