”To this day I wake up at night with a sweat” – James Worthy admits he is still haunted by his mistake that could’ve won the Lakers a title in 1984 originally appeared on Basketball Network.
James Worthy’s Los Angeles Lakers legacy speaks for itself. No, it screams for itself. A three-time NBA champion, a Finals MVP in 1988 and a 2003 Hall of Fame inductee, Worthy penned his name into the fabric of Showtime basketball alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Known for his graceful finishes, deadly mid-range jumper and wicked transition game, he earned the nickname “Big Game James” through his habit of turning up in crucial playoff games.
A worthy mistake
Three championships may have been a fulfilling achievement to many players, but for Worthy, there has always been a lingering feeling that three rings could have been four. The 1984 championship that got away was a footnote in a legendary career — and he still hasn’t forgotten it.
“To this day I wake up at night with a sweat, because he went up for that layup and I can still feel the leather just go over my hand,” Worthy said.
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The 1984 NBA Finals between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics was nothing short of warfare. It was a seven-game grind that grew their already storied rivalry. It was the first time the two juggernauts met in the Finals during the Showtime era.
Expectations soared as Larry Bird, the lead antagonist; Kevin McHale, the low-block warrior with moves for days; and Robert Parish, the immovable interior force, lined up against Johnson, Abdul-Jabbar, and Worthy.
Worthy, then just in his second year, had quickly become indispensable to the Lakers’ fast-paced offense. He averaged 22.1 points per game in that Finals series, shooting a blistering 63.8 percent from the field, a mark rarely seen in postseason history for a player at his volume. But in the closing moments of Game 2 at the Boston Garden, a single decision shifted the course of the series.
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With just under 20 seconds left and the Lakers up by two, Worthy made a cross-court pass intended to maintain the clock and control the tempo. Instead, Celtics guard Gerald Henderson intercepted it like a free safety reading a quarterback. Henderson’s steal and game-tying layup sent the Garden into hysteria and forced overtime, where Boston would steal the win.
Down the wire
The Lakers still had a chance.
They returned to Los Angeles and took a 2–1 lead in the series. But the psychological blow from Game 2 lingered. It gave Boston a second life, and the Celtics rode that momentum all the way to Game 7.
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Game 7 at the Boston Garden was a cauldron of heat and history. It was 97 degrees inside the arena. No air conditioning. Just pure sweat and adrenaline. The Celtics fed off the crowd, led by Bird’s 20 points and Cedric Maxwell’s surprising 24. The Lakers lost 111–102, despite a late push. Worthy had 21 points in the final game, efficient as always, but that didn’t ease the sting.
“That was our fourth championship,” Worthy said. “And I always say that was our fourth one, it just didn’t came up short. We had a chance to win in Game 7, but I still think that Game 2 was the one.”
Worthy’s 22.1 points per game in the series trailed only Abdul-Jabbar’s 26.6, and his 63.8 percent shooting was the highest of any starter on either team. He delivered in every moment except one. But that one moment would haunt him more than any other.
The loss was collective. Johnson took heat for late-game mistakes in Game 2 and again in Game 4. Pat Riley had to reassess the team’s composure in crunch time. And the entire franchise left Boston that summer with the weight of disappointment heavy on their shoulders.
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But as much as 1984 was painful, it also became fuel. The Lakers returned with vengeance in 1985, finally defeating the Celtics in six games, ironically clinching the title at the Boston Garden, the same floor where their hearts had been broken just a year earlier.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.