This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/21/2017
Hall of Fame forward James Worthy was a huge part of the legendary Los Angeles Lakers championship teams in the 1980's. The 7-time All-Star was chosen as one of the esteemed NBA 50 Greatest Players in 1996. After leading the North Carolina Tar Heels to the 1982 NCAA title alongside Michael Jordan, Worthy was drafted #1 overall by the Lakers and played his entire 12-year career in the purple and gold. Over 926 career regular season games, Worthy averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3 assists, upping those numbers in 143 playoffs games to 21.1 / 5.2 / 3.2. In 34 NBA Finals games, he averaged 22.2 points on 53 percent shooting from the field and helped lead the Lakers to three titles (’85, ’87 & ’88).
This gold mesh Lakers gamer was donned by Worthy in the very beginning of his storied NBA career (1982-85 according to MEARS) when “Showtime” basketball in L.A. was at its peak. It comes with impeccable provenance from a longtime celebrity agent. His iconic No. “42” appears front and back with "LAKERS" across the front and “WORTHY” arched on the upper back. All-original letters and numbers are sewn directly on the shirt in purple-on-white tackle twill. Purple and white elastic trim adorns the collar and yokes. The appropriate "Tiernan of Glendale, Calif." tagging (slightly faded) appears on the front shirttail at the middle hem. The shirt shows solid evidence of game use, with stretching to the gold mesh along with puckering and slight fraying to the letters and numbers. What a tremendous example to own from one of the best small forward in NBA history!
Letter from MEARS with perfect A10 grade.
Provenance: This lot originates from a gentleman who has enjoyed a long and successful career in Hollywood as an agent for many well-known athletes and entertainers. His professional and personal network enabled him to amass a significant collection of memorabilia, nearly all of which was given to him directly from the athletes and entertainers themselves. All of these items are being introduced to the marketplace here for the first time. While our consignor remains anonymous, SCP Auctions will issue an LOA for each game used item attesting to its player-direct provenance.