"That's why he has the Double Zero" - When James Worthy's jersey got lost "at the dry cleaners"
In mid-December 1987, the Los Angeles Lakers traveled to face their arch-nemesis, the Boston Celtics. However, something unusual happened as the L.A. players were about to change into their NBA uniforms before the game—James Worthy's No. 42 jersey was nowhere to be found.
During the broadcast, light was shed on the whereabouts of the missing jersey.
"On this road trip, the Lakers have been losing. Now, they've also lost Worthy's jersey at the dry cleaners; that's why he has the Double Zero," a sportscaster said.
Tough game against the C's
The Purple and Gold, then coached by Pat Riley, faced a tough challenge in Massachusetts. Fresh off a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks just days before, they were now up against the reigning champions, the C's, who had defeated the Houston Rockets 4-2 in the 1986 NBA Finals.
However, the California franchise had a secret weapon for such big moments: Worthy, whom they selected first overall in 1982. After quickly establishing himself as a star for the 'Showtime Lakers,' James was dealing with injuries at the start of the 1986-87 regular season.
"We were talking about Worthy having trouble with his knee and tendonitis. He only started 11 out of 17 games," a broadcaster said.
Worthy played his part with the Double Zero
Worthy's role as a scoring forward and a great rebounder was to execute in a different attire against Boston. Instead of his usual number, which was retired by the Lakers in 1995, 'Big Game James' wore the Double Zero.
L.A.'s standout duo of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson led the charge. Kareem delivered an ultra-efficient 23 points, hitting 10 of 14 shots from the field. Meanwhile, Magic nearly had a triple-double, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high 17 assists.
Many of Johnson's passes found their way to Worthy, at least when he was on the court, playing only 14 minutes. However, despite not being fully fit, the North Carolina native converted four shots (out of nine attempts), adding up to eight points. The game ultimately went into overtime, and the Purple and Gold triumphed in a thrilling 115-114 victory.
While it may not reach the legendary status of a Michael Jordan moment when he suddenly had to switch his Bulls jersey number to No. 12, Worthy's performance while wearing the Double Zero certainly deserves recognition in its own right.
