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James Worthy and Michael Jordan were teammates at the University of North Carolina for one season. They won the 1982 NCAA championship after securing a 63–62 victory over Georgetown, with a rookie Jordan hitting the game-winning jump shot. Worthy, on the other hand, was the Tar Heels' best player that season and was drafted first overall by the LA Lakers in the 1982 NBA draft.
In an appearance on Adam Mendler's "Thirty Minute Mentors" podcast, Worthy explained how he did not expect MJ to become the greatest player of all time. He also revealed the intensity and drive that a young Jordan had. The 60-year-old even recalled beating "His Airness" in a one-on-one game.
"He would call me young fella. He said, 'Come on, young fella. Where are you going? Let's play a little game.' And so I was like, 'Man, I'm tired.' But he was like, 'Nah, you’re scared. That's what you are.' He said, 'You're not tired. You're scared.' He said stuff like, 'Yeah, I'll bust your a**,' you know? He was just always like that with a big smile on his face," Worthy said.
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"I think I beat him three out of five times and I stopped playing. And that's the one thing that I have on him to this day are those three games in a one-on-one that I beat him. But he has amazing mental capacity because it could be Game 6 or Game 7 of the Finals or it could be a backgammon game in the dorm room. If he lost, they were the same to him. He was extremely upset. And that's who he is," Worthy added.
Both James Worthy and Michael Jordan played three seasons under Dean Smith at UNC. They became teammates in 1982 when Worthy was a junior and Jordan was a rookie.
Worthy was the team's best player, averaging 15.6 points and 6.3 rebounds. Meanwhile, Jordan recorded 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
"Big Game" and "His Airness" formed a great bond during that lone season of playing together at Chapel Hill. They are still friends to this day despite having a short rivalry back in 1990. Worthy's LA Lakers lost 4-1 to Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.
Michael Jordan, James Worthy among those honored at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game
The NBA recognized the 75th Anniversary Team at halftime of the 71st All-Star Game in Cleveland. A majority of the living players attended the ceremony, including Michael Jordan, who was absent earlier in the evening during the pregame pictorials.
Jordan showed up when his name was announced last during the ceremony. He proceeded to greet almost every member of the NBA 75, including former UNC teammate James Worthy, former Chicago Bulls teammate Dennis Rodman and even LeBron James.
MJ also interacted with several young players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Karl-Anthony Towns. It was a rare appearance by Jordan in that kind of setting as he mostly spends his time playing golf and watching NASCAR or the Charlotte Hornets.
The reception Jordan got from the Cleveland crowd when his name was announced showed he's still the most popular basketball player in the world. "His Airness" got the loudest cheers among all players, including Cavaliers legend LeBron James.
