Worthy's season best was 15.6 points, but he shot 54 percent for his career, averaged 7.4 rebounds, and helped the Tar Heels reach two NCAA championship games. Although Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot, Worthy controlled the game with 13-of-17 shooting and 28 points. He also had seven rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
Now, on to your questions...
Q: Who is the greatest point guard in UNC history? - kevinfromnc
A: Dean Smith coached at North Carolina from 1945-81 and is considered the father of college basketball. Under Smith's guidance, the Tar Heels won 10 national championships, finished in the top 10 of the AP poll every year, and never lost more than two games in a row during his tenure.
Dean Smith is also known for introducing the 3-point shot into college basketball. He did this because he believed it would make his players safer and help their teams win more games.
Q: Who is the greatest shooting guard in UNC history? - danielfromcharlotte
A: It's hard to say who the greatest shooting guard in UNC history is because they have so many great players at that position. But if we had to pick one, it would be Vince Carter.
The Runnin' Rebels, though, had made their imprint in collegiate basketball history, and several of its players went on to success in the NBA. Larry Johnson scored 21.6 points per game during his two years at UNLV and was undoubtedly the greatest player on the squad, collecting the coveted Naismith Player of the Year title as well as the John Wooden Award in 1991. In addition to being one of only three players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points and grab 900 rebounds (the other two are Pete Newell and Ralph Sampson), Johnson also holds the school record for most points in a single game with 51 against San Diego State in 1990.
Johnson's teammate at UNLV, Dave Rice, was an All-American center who helped the team reach the Elite Eight of the 1989 National Championship game before losing to Michigan. The Runnin' Rebels have appeared in more NCAA Tournaments than any other program -- including a national runner-up finish in 1990 -- and boast seven individuals who have been selected in the NBA Draft since it began in 1995.
Other notable players from UNLV include Derek Allen, Kevin Gamble, Michael Gerald, DeMarcus Nelson and Walter Berry. Allen was a first-team All-American while playing for the Rebels in 1996, and he went on to become just the third freshman in NCAA history to win the scoring title with 26.7 points per game. He is currently an assistant coach for the University of Arizona.
However, as impressive as Pierce's credentials are, there are a slew of possibilities for the No. 3 place. John Havlicek is arguably the most powerful. To this day, Havlicek remains the franchise's all-time leading scorer, with 26,395 total points (20.8 points per game) in 16 seasons in Boston. He also led the league in scoring three times.
Pierce is one of five players who have scored at least 20,000 points in NBA history. The others are Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry.
It's safe to say that Paul Pierce is among the greatest Celtics ever. He was named an All-Star nine times, won the Most Improved Player Award, and helped lead the team to the 2008 NBA Championship. His career averages of 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists make him one of the best two-way players in Cs history.
In terms of advanced statistics, LeBron's Value Over Replacement Player rating of 133.7 is the greatest of all-time, considerably ahead of Jordan's 116.1, which is the second-highest. However, when considering all-time wins above replacement players (WARP), then it is clear that Jordan is the greatest.
LeBron has won more games than any other player in NBA history and is one victory away from becoming the first player to win Olympic gold medals with both USA National Teams. He also has two World Championships to his name, while Michael Jordan had none. In addition, LeBron has four MVP awards to his name, while MJ received only one during his career.
However, there are several factors that have been used to justify why he isn't considered the best player in history. First of all, many consider Kobe Bryant to be the greatest player of all time, but he has never won a championship. Secondly, Jordan was able to lead the Chicago Bulls to six championships in eight years from 1991 to 1998, whereas LeBron led the Cleveland Cavaliers to only one title in 2016-17.
Lastly, although Jordan and Bryant were both dominant players, their styles were completely different.
LeBron James is without a doubt the greatest player in NBA history. He is one of just two players in history to average at least 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists (LeBron's figures are really 27.1, 7.3, and 7.0), the other being Oscar Robertson.
James is also one of three players in NBA history to score 100 or more points in a game (the others are Elgin Baylor and Moses Malone). His career averages are 26.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. He is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, five rebounds, and five assists throughout his career.
LeBron has won every award possible, including four MVPs, two Finals MVPs, and one Triple Crown winner (2007-08). He is also a nine-time All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
He is the first player in NBA history to have a triple double (40 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) and be named Player of the Week eight times each year (32 years old).
LeBron has already made an impact on the history of his sport by becoming the first player to win NBA titles with three different teams.
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