 |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 17, 1958 Brooklyn, New York, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Franklin K. Lane (Brooklyn, New York) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1980: 2nd round, 26th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Chicago Bulls |
| Playing career | 1980–1988 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 31 |
| Coaching career | 1982–2005 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1980–1981 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1981 | Utah Jazz |
| 1981–1982 | Rochester Zeniths |
| 1982–1983 | Albany Patroons |
| 1983–1985 | Puerto Rico Coquis |
| 1985 | Springfield Fame |
| 1985–1986 | Maine Windjammers |
| 1986 | Springfield Fame |
| 1986–1987 | Charleston Gunners |
| 1988 | New Haven Skyhawks |
Coaching | |
| 1982–1983 | Albany Patroons |
| 1987 | Miami Tropics |
| 1990 | New York Whitecaps |
| 1994–1995 | Harrisburg Hammerheads |
| 1997 | Long Island Surf |
| 1999 | Brooklyn Kings |
| 2001 | Brujos de Guayama |
| 2004–2005 | Gallitos de Isabela |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Samuel Lee Worthen (born January 17, 1958) is an American former NBA player who currently is touring as the coach of the Washington Generals, the team that perennially loses to the Harlem Globetrotters. He was well known for his play at the Rucker Park Tournament.[1]
Sam Worthen was an All-American point guard at Marquette University from 1978 to 1980 under coach Hank Raymonds. He led the Warriors in assists during his junior year and scoring and assists in his senior year. Worthen led the Warriors to a win over 10th ranked Notre Dame on the road in 1980.[2] Worthen was named to Basketball Weekly's second team after his junior and senior seasons. He was also named to Sports Page magazine's first team, United States Basketball Writers Association first team, UPI, third team and top newcomers of 1979, Playboy magazine pre-season basketball edition.[3]
In 1980, he was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft and played in the NBA for two seasons. Worthen was with the Bulls in 1980–1981 and the Utah Jazz in 1981–1982. In August, 2003 – 23 years after leaving Marquette for the NBA – Worthen completed his undergraduate degree from Marquette's College of Communication[4]
In late 2008, Worthen was the coach of the Generals, playing the bad guy role during the games. He ran such skits as using a "remote controlled" ball that the Globetrotters could not control, putting a piece of hard plastic on top the Globetrotters rim so they could not score and simply adding 30 or so points to the Generals' score by manipulating the scoreboard. At the end of games, he would lose a bet and was forced to wear a pink tutu and a tiara, and carry a shiny magic wand off the court.
Worthen started coaching in 1985 as a player/coach of the United States Basketball League's Springfield Fame guiding them to the league title.
Worthen and the New Haven Skyhawks won the 1988 USBL Championship. He has been the head coach of the Albany Patroons (CBA), Miami Tropics (USBL; 1987 Champions), New York Whitecaps (USBL), Harrisburg Hammerheads (CBA), Fort Wayne Fury (CBA), Long Island Surf (USBL), Brooklyn Kings (USBL), and Baltimore Bayrunners (IBL). Sam also was player coach of the Harlem Wizards show team for 15 years
Worthen was an assistant for three years 2004 through 2007 with the Iona College men's basketball program.[4] He also was the assistant coach of the Fayetteville Patriots of the National Basketball Development League (NBDL).
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Source[5]
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Chicago | 64 | 14.8 | .495 | .000 | .750 | 1.8 | 1.8 | .9 | .1 | 3.7 | |
| 1981–82 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 4.4 | .400 | – | – | .2 | .6 | .0 | .0 | .8 |
| Career | 69 | 0 | 14.0 | .492 | .000 | .750 | 1.7 | 1.7 | .8 | .1 | 3.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Chicago | 1 | 1.0 | – | – | – | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
References
- ↑ "Elite 24: Rucker Park legends". May 17, 2012.
- ↑ "Sam Worthen and Marquette versus Notre Dame". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021.
- ↑ "Amsterdam News Worthen Keeps Promise". July 2, 2015.
- 1 2 "Iona Athletics".
- ↑ "Sam Worthen NBA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 13, 2025.