James Worthy on first impression of Michael Jordan joining Chicago Bulls: “I was better than Michael Jordan”
The story of Michael Jordan being cut from his varsity basketball team is one that has received plenty of attention over the years. As the story goes, Jordan thought he was cut from his high school team. But it turned out that he was placed on junior varsity for developmental purposes.
MJ spent time with the JV team and worked his way up to the varsity squad. After weighing multiple college offers, he chose to play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels.
It was there that he proved himself to be one of the most exciting young prospects in the nation. When he got there, however, he wasn't the top dog right off the bat. There was another future NBA great on his team - James Worthy. The pair won an NCAA championship together in 1982, with Worthy winning the Final Four 'Most Outstanding Player' award.
As Worthy recalls, Jordan was very confident when he first joined the Tar Heels. He was eager to test himself against the best of the best. That meant he frequently challenged Worthy to one-on-one games during practice. Worthy initially had the upper hand over Jordan. But that lasted only a few weeks.
During a recent interview, the LA Lakers legend opened up about what it was like being around a young Michael Jordan in college.
"He always wanted to measure against the best. At the time I was the best. I don't know if you guys saw his documentary ... you know I made a statement. I was better than Michael Jordan for about three weeks. So I mean he hated to lose."
Worthy explained that Jordan was confident, but not arrogant. He spoke about how a freshman Jordan would frequently push him to the limit.
"I would be walking off the court after about two and a half hours of practice. Here comes Michael, a freshman you know, bullying me, pushing me back on. 'Where you going young fella? Where you going? Let's play a game to five'"
See the interview below, beginning at the 17:40 mark.
Michael Jordan and James Worthy post-college
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After the two led the University of North Carolina to an NCAA title in Worthy's final year, the pair split up. Worthy declared for the draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the LA Lakers. Jordan spent two more years in North Carolina. He earned two Consensus first-team All-American awards during that span.
In addition, he also won the National College Player of the Year award in his final year with the Tar Heels. Shortly after, he declared for the 1984 NBA draft. He was selected by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick. Jordan and Worthy played for opposing teams their entire careers. Although we never got to see the duo win an NBA championship together, they did have some pretty epic battles over the years.
Below you can see footage of the two playing in the 1987 All-Star game, where Worthy put Jordan on an absolute poster.
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