James Worthy on receiving the 'Big Game' nickname from Chick Hearn: 'I was scared as hell to get that name'

James Worthy got one of the coolest nicknames in basketball. He was anointed as “Big Game” by the legendary sports commentator Chick Hearn after proving time and again that he didn’t shy away from pressure-packed games and moments. Nonetheless, the 1982 first-overall pick admitted he felt the burden of carrying such a flamboyant moniker.

“Man, I was scared as hell to get that name at first,” the former UNC Tar Heel said on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast. “Chick Hearn gave me that name because I think during the regular season, I elevated a little bit every playoff, every series. He threw that name on me, and I said, ‘Now, I gotta big every game.’ You know what I mean? But I love it, B, because I love the pressure just like we love the pressure.”

Why “Big Game” was better in the playoffs

Worthy was one of the few who performed better in the playoffs than in the regular season. He averaged 3.5 points better in the postseason, upping his scoring output from 17.6 to 21.1 while also raising his field goal percentage (from 52.1 percent to 54.4). There was no shortage of tremendous performances from “Big Game James,” outputs that ultimately swung positive results in favor of his team.

The reason behind this was not rocket science. According to the Hall of Famer, the regular season was physically more challenging than the postseason because of the travel involved. They may land in the cold of Milwaukee one night, flying commercial, and then have to deal with Bernard King in New York the next day. Such wasn’t the case in the playoffs.

“I only need to lock in on a couple of people. I realized that’s all I got (to do). I ain’t got to travel,” explained the three-time champion.

Coming up big when it mattered the most

The nerves of steel had already been in Worthy’s DNA ever since he was playing high-level basketball.

For instance, “Clever” dropped 28 points and four rebounds in the 1982 NCAA championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas. He intercepted an errant pass that sealed the game for the Tar Heels, 63-62, although that one was Hoyas’ Fred Brown’s fault.

Worthy showed similar poise in the NBA, stepping up when the Purple and Gold needed him the most. He scored 33 and 28 in Games 5 and 6, respectively, to shut the door on the Boston Celtics in the 1985 Finals. Then, he set the tone for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1987 Finals against their archrivals, dropping 33/9/10 in Game 1. Worthy then finished the job with a well-rounded stat line in Game 6 (27 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks).

Nonetheless, nothing tested the forward’s mettle more than the Lakers’ 1988 title run. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was not a spring chicken at this point, so everyone had to pick up the slack. “Big Game” answered the call as Los Angeles had to go through three tough seven-game series in a row to win it all!

The Lakers had their hands full facing a young Karl Malone and Stockton in Utah. As the Jazz took a 2-1 lead in the West semifinals, Worthy mustered his best offensive game in the series, scoring 29 to force a deadlock. He dropped 27 in a Game 5 win to take control and churned up another all-round performance in the deciding Game 7: 23 points, six rebounds, two dimes, and four steals.

When the smoke cleared, the UNC product was awarded the Finals MVP in another hard-fought series against the Detroit Pistons. “Big Game” averaged 22 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. However, It wasn’t just about the numbers; it was the timeliness of his explosions. He dominated Game 7 of the Finals with a triple-double: 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 dimes in the 108-105 win.

Worthy fully lived up to the “Big Game” moniker— Hearn made the right call, and Lakers Nation couldn’t be prouder. Each clutch postseason moment he was a part of proved that the nickname was earned, not given.