In 1982, the North Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Georgetown Hoyas (63-62) in the 44th NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. Tar Heels’ future Hall of Fame small forward James Worthy was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player. In the contest, Worthy led the team with 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Following his championship season, Worthy was selected as the 1st pick in the 1982 NBA Draft. Worthy played his entire 12 season career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he played a prominent role in helping the Lakers secure three NBA Championships. In the 1988 NBA Finals, Worthy led the Lakers over the Detroit Pistons in a heated seven-game series. Worthy averaged 22 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists throughout the series earning himself NBA Finals MVP honors. Worthy’s other accolades include 2x All-NBA Third Team and 7x NBA All-Star. Worthy was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 and his no. 42 was retired by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Today in Sports History: March 29
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