By Veronica An
James Worthy played his first game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1982. The Lakers los 132-117 to the Golden State Warriors. After a standout college career as a power forward for the University of North Carolina, Worthy was the No. 1 pick of the 1982 NBA draft by the Lakers. He averaged 13.4 points per game and held a shooting record .579 field goal percentage during his rookie season. Although his 1982-3 season was cut short by a broken leg, he was still named to the 1983 All-Rookie First Team. In the 1983-4 season, he replaced Jamaal Wilkes in the starting line-up and proved his skill as a strong offensive player. He led the Lakers to championships in 1985, 1987 and 1988 and earned the nickname “Big Game James.” His field-goal percentage of .544 ranks among the top 10 on the NBA’s all-time playoff list and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.