James Ager Worthy is a retired Hall of Fame professional basketball player, basketball commentator, analyst and television host born on 27th of February 1961 in Gastonia, North Carolina, USA. He is better known under his nickname “Big Game James”, and has been named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
Have you ever wondered how rich James Worthy is? According to sources it has been estimated that James’s overall net worth is over $10 million. James accumulated his wealth thanks to his three decades-long basketball career both as a player and a coach. The long list of awards he won only helped increase his net worth.
James Worthy Net Worth $10 Million
James attended Ashbrook High School and at this time he was already named an All-American high school basketball player. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the University of North Carolina where he continued perfecting his basketball skills. His first year at college was interrupted by an ankle injury but he soon got back on court, and became a key member of that school’s 1981 NCAA runner-up team the next year. Worthy lead the scoring for Tar Heels NCAA championship team, which included some of basketball’s biggest talents such as future NBA stars Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan. He earned the College Player of the Year award and dominated the game against the Georgetown Hoyas in 1982 championship. James’s outstanding performance throughout the NCAA tournament earned him its Most Outstanding Player Award.
On his senior year in college, Worthy entered the 1982 NBA Draft, completing his degree later via summer school, and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers. James instantly made an impact as a rookie with his speed and the ability to score with either hand. Apart from being one of the best post players in his position, Worthy made his signature mark with his so called “Statue of Liberty” dunk. During the following period, he was named “Big Game James” for his exceptional talent and abilities. In the 1985/1986 season, Worthy excelled and secured his first of seven consecutive All-Star appearances. The following two seasons were equally successful and cinched him the NBA Finals MVP award. After playing in 926 NBA regular season games, 143 play-off games, ranking sixth all-time in Lakers team scoring, third all-time in team steals and seventh all-time in team field goal percentage, James retired in November 1994 after several ankle and knee injuries. Of course his net worth had grown substantially in these 12 seasons.
In 1996 he was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame seven years later. Worthy is one of eight UNC players who had their numbers retired upon the end of their active career.
After his retirement, James started working as a studio analyst for Time Warner Cable SportsNet and Time Warner Cable Deportes and served as an NBA analyst for KCBS-TV in Los Angeles. He also had a brief acting career as he portrayed the Klingon Koral in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” on episode “Gambit, Part II”. Apart from this, he portrayed himself in an episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond”. When it comes to his most recent activity, on September 2015, Worthy was hired as an assistant coach for the Lakers.
Away from his basketball and TV career, in his personal life, James is known as a philanthropist and has founded the James Worthy Foundation which dedicates resources to support non-profit community organizations. He was married to Angela Wilder for 12 years, but the couple split in 1996. They have two daughters.
