It’s hard to imagine a time when Michael Jordan was not perceived as one of the greatest. But back in the early 1980s, Jordan was still making a name for himself. The Chicago Bulls legend made himself known to people after his time at the University of North Carolina. It was his iconic game-winning shot against Georgetown during the 1982 NCAA finals that made people realize that there was something special about him.

Even for his teammates, it was surprising at the time to see the 19-year-old Michael Jordan stepping up to the challenge and delivering on the big stage.

James Worthy did not think Michael Jordan was Special

Michael Jordan shared the floor with future first-overall pick James Worthy. Worthy was the main star of the UNC squad. Coached by the great Dean Smith, Worthy and Jordan played crucial roles on the team.

In a recent episode of the ALL THE SMOKE podcast, Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson were joined by none other than Laker legend James Worthy. During the episode, Worthy talked about sharing the court with a young Jordan. James Worthy explained that back when MJ joined their team at UNC, Worthy was the guy. He was the main player on the team, without question. So when games got close, he wanted to be the one to have the ball in his hands at the last moment to take the final shot.

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Jordan was just a freshman, so at the time of the 1982 NCAA finals, Worthy did not know if Jordan was capable of taking a last-second shot with the game on the line. Worthy revealed that Dean Smith drew up a play, but it was not for Jordan to take the shot.

Worthy said, “I wanted to win or lose because Michael was a freshman and I didn’t know if he had it in his veins“. The play included Worthy as the focal point. If Georgetown surrounded Worthy, then Micahel Jordan would open up for the shot. So even though Dean Smith knew how it would turn out, Worthy was his first option.

Worthy overhead Dean Smith talking to Jordan, saying that if he is open, then he should take the shot. Jordan made the shot and everything is history. Worthy said, “Michael had it in his veins. Yea that was the beginning of we calling him ‘Mike‘”

MJ was not very good at basketball when he came to college

Worth revealed during the show that MJ had a lot of raw talent. Along with it, he also had the work ethic and drive to be the best, which helped him develop his skills.

James Worthy said, “I think he was a better baseball player coming out of high school. You’ve heard the story of him getting cut from his high school team once. So, he had a lot to work on”. But once Jordan had the fundamentals of the game drilled into him, he became unstoppable, and Worthy was one of the first to witness it.

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What do you think of James Worthy’s take on Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments!