4. James Worthy (Round 1, Pick 1, 1982)
As if the Lakers weren’t already going to be dominant after the arrival of Magic Johnson (we’ll get there), they also added James Worthy out of North Carolina with the top-overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, fresh off of winning the 1982 NCAA Championship alongside some freshman named Michael Jordan. While he wasn’t Jordan, Worthy would go onto a long and fantastically productive career over his 12 seasons spent with the Lakers.
Over his run of seven consecutive All Star selections from 1986-92, the Hall-of-Famer was a beast for the Lakers. Worthy averaged 20.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on incredibly efficient 52.7 percent shooting over that time. Just as an overall basketball player, Worthy’s impact on the Lakers during his tenure in the league is evident.
However, that all pales in comparison to his deserved label as “Big Game” James that he earned with his prowess in the playoffs. Throughout the three title-runs that he enjoyed in Los Angeles, Worthy was tremendously effective in the postseason in leading his teams to the championship. The big man simply had a way of turning it up a notch for the big moments and getting the job done whenever the stakes were at their highest.
Next: No. 3 Elgin Baylor