Rumors

Even when the right players go high, they don’t always provide those teams with the relationship to winning that they hoped for. Take the top pick. The last No. 1 pick to win an NBA championship with the team that drafted him is Kyrie Irving, who went No. 1 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2011. He is one of just six No. 1 picks since 1980 to do that: Irving, LeBron James (2004, Cleveland Cavaliers), Tim Duncan (1997, San Antonio Spurs), David Robinson (1987, Spurs), Hakeem Olajuwon (1984, Houston Rockets) and James Worthy (1982, Los Angeles Lakers).

New York Times

Jorge Sierra: Russell Westbrook passed James Worthy in playoff scoring for No. 29 all-time. He also tied Yao Ming in blocks.

bsky.app

Jorge Sierra: Jimmy Butler moved ahead of Richard Hamilton in playoff scoring for No. 42 all-time. He also passed all these guys in rebounds for No. 88 in NBA history: Marc Gasol James Worthy Cliff Hagan Rajon Rondo

x.com

Jorge Sierra: Kawhi Leonard passed Klay Thompson and James Worthy in playoff scoring tonight. He's No. 27 all-time now. He also moved ahead of Rasheed Wallace and Nate Thurmond in rebounds for No. 41 in NBA history.

bsky.app

Jorge Sierra: Devin Booker passed Kyle Lowry and James Worthy in scoring last night and is now No. 117 in NBA history at age 28.

Twitter

Jorge Sierra: Nikola Vucevic passed NBA75 selection James Worthy in scoring yesterday. He's No. 114 all-time now. Also: Devin Booker (age 28) moved ahead of Lou Williams, Terry Porter, Walt Frazier, Artis Gilmore and Rashard Lewis for No. 137. He's in Top 10 all-time trajectory.

bsky.app

James Worthy on Michael Jordan: "I was better than him for about three weeks, and I enjoyed those three weeks because I saw something in that boy. He didn’t have it quite yet, but he was learning. I don’t know much about his high school coach, but Michael Jordan was actually a better baseball player back then. He would seek out the best in everything—chess, backgammon, you name it. If he lost, he’d get so mad, like he’d just lost a Game 7. We’d practice for two and a half hours, running sprints until we were exhausted. Afterward, you just wanted to leave, but here comes Michael, pushing me and saying, 'Where you going, young fella? You scared?' He always wanted to play a little one-on-one. So we’d play, and he was just a bad boy.

YouTube

It took him six errant guesses -- Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, James Worthy and LeBron James -- before he got one right. "Jerry West?" Davis asked, correctly naming the Hall of Famer who opened the 1969-70 season with 39 points in his first game and 42 in his second. James, standing at his locker next to Davis, helped out the big man with an assist on identifying the other. "Elgin," James said. "Elgin Baylor," Davis continued, mentioning the forward who started the 1962-63 season with 71 points in his first two games, which matches Davis' total.

ESPN

“I thought about (TV), but never thought, ‘This is going to be my path,’ ” said Johnson, who has worked in coaching, scouting and training since retiring as a player. “I think it’s going to be fun. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be me in a different light, breaking down the game and explaining it.” During mid-playing career stints in Los Angeles with the Lakers and Clippers, Johnson enjoyed speaking to team TV analysts James Worthy and Corey Maggette, respectively, who helped Johnson embrace becoming a veteran leader for those teams. His second-to-last NBA stop coincidentally was New Orleans, appearing in 26 games and making 13 starts for the 2018-19 Pelicans.

NBA.com

“I'm happy to see that their owner, [Steve] Ballmer, has taken a lot of interest in the city of Inglewood, creating jobs and housing,” Worthy told ClutchPoints. “He's got a great arena over there. I mean, it's a great arena. He's a tech guy, and right beside SoFi, so the Clippers finally have a home that they can call their own. They don't have to look up and see Lakers championship banners, even though they covered them up, so it's nice that they have that."

Clutch Points

When it comes to the GOAT conversation, Worthy did not hesitate to place Durant among the high in his rankings. “If you’re talking like top seven guys who can be the greatest of all time, he’s in there, in my opinion," Worthy emphasized. "He’s just a phenomenal player who has impacted the game in ways few others have." Worthy concluded.

BasketNews

On Saturday, the Dodgers gave fans who attended the game Showtime Lakers T-shirts and a complimentary cartoon design of the legendary Lakers wearing Dodgers uniforms. Lakers legends Michael Cooper, A.C. Green, Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, Mychal Thompson and James Worthy also made an appearance for a pre-game ceremony and threw out the first pitch.

People

James Worthy: Retired from the Lakers, but never from the game. The journey never ends, it simply evolves. #LifeAfterLakers #NBANation

x.com

Justin Kubatko: Jayson Tatum last night: ✅ 31 PTS ✅ 11 AST He's the fifth player in NBA history to record at least 30p/10a in a Finals-clinching win, joining Walt Frazier (1970), James Worthy (1988), Michael Jordan (1991), and Stephen Curry (2017). Read & share: statitudes.com/p/nba-game-not… pic.twitter.com/D6SCEdIHE5

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