James Worthy, a basketball legend and Lakers icon, built a remarkable career on the court before transitioning to broadcasting. His achievements include three NBA championships and Hall of Fame induction.
Following his retirement from professional basketball, James Worthy established himself as a prominent sports commentator and analyst, frequently appearing on Lakers pre- and post-game broadcasts. In 2003, he was honored with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and continues to be a revered figure in Lakers history. Throughout his NBA tenure, James Worthy accumulated a total salary of $11.85 million. His peak earnings came during the 1992-1993 season, his second-to-last year, when he received $1.85 million from the Lakers. Adjusted for inflation, that amount equals $3.5 million in today’s currency. Born on February 27, 1961, in Gastonia, North Carolina, Worthy showcased extraordinary talent from a young age. As a high school standout at Ashbrook High School, he guided his team to the state championship game in his senior year. Additionally, he earned a spot on the 1979 McDonald's All-American team and represented the United States men's national team at the FIBA U19 World Championship in Brazil, where he led the squad to a gold medal. Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1982 NBA draft, Worthy made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 13.4 points per game and achieving a .579 field goal percentage, a record for a Lakers newcomer. Known for his blistering speed and iconic "Statue of Liberty" dunks, his rookie season ended prematurely in April due to a broken leg. Upon his return the following season, he helped the Lakers advance to the NBA Finals, though they fell to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The rivalry resumed in the 1985 NBA Finals, where the Lakers triumphed in six games. Although they narrowly missed the Finals in 1986, Worthy secured his first of seven consecutive All-Star selections. The following year marked one of the franchise’s finest seasons, as the team finished with a 65-17 record and claimed another championship by defeating the Celtics in six games. Worthy was instrumental in the playoffs, leading the Lakers with 23.6 points per game. During the 1987-88 regular season, Worthy averaged 19.7 points per game and set a personal best with 38 points against the Atlanta Hawks. He once again led the team in scoring during the playoffs, culminating in an NBA Finals showdown with the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers emerged victorious in seven games, earning Worthy his third championship and the Finals MVP award. In 1989, the Lakers and Pistons met again in the Finals, but this time Detroit prevailed in a clean sweep despite Worthy’s exceptional performance, which included a career-high 40 points in the decisive fourth game. The following season, the Lakers boasted the league’s best record at 63-19, yet they were eliminated in the Conference semifinals by the Phoenix Suns. Worthy steered the team back to the NBA Finals in 1991, though an ankle injury hampered his performance as the Chicago Bulls claimed the title in five games. This injury signaled the decline of his playing career, as subsequent physical setbacks gradually diminished his athleticism. In late 1994, Worthy officially retired after 12 NBA seasons. Post-retirement, Worthy joined Time Warner Cable SportsNet as a studio basketball analyst and co-hosted the network’s pregame and postgame programs, "Access SportsNet." He also served as an NBA analyst for Los Angeles’s KCBS-TV. In 2015, he reunited with his former team, the Lakers, to support the coaching staff. James Worthy married Angela Wilder in 1984; the couple first met in 1981 at the University of North Carolina, where Wilder was a cheerleader for the Tar Heels. They had two daughters before finalizing their divorce in 1996. Worthy faced legal challenges in late 1990 when he was apprehended in Houston, Texas, during a law enforcement operation and charged with two counts of solicitation and prostitution. Alongside a year of probation, he paid a $1,000 fine and completed 40 hours of community service. In 1989, Worthy purchased a $2.6 million residence in Los Angeles’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood. He sold the property in 1996 at a significant loss, accepting $1.8 million. In 1997, he acquired a more modest home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, for $945,000, which he later sold in 2015 for slightly over $2 million. © 2026 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved