Guess whose drawing comparisons to top 50, hall of fame basketball player James Worthy? If you guessed Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo, then you are wrong. The answer is Jeff Green. OK, so the nickname was said by Brian Scalabrine on Comcast SportsNet, but still, those are big shoes to fill. Green said on twitter: “I’ve got a message for Scal: You have to ask the great James Worthy if I’m able to have that nickname of James Worthy, because that’s a top 50, one of the greatest players to ever play this game, and for me to be called that, it’s an honor, but you have to ask his permission. So Tweet it, call him, email, whatever you need to do, because I don’t want to be called that without his permission.”

James Worthy is a 7 time all-star, 3 time NBA Champion, and former #1 draft pick. He also was an NCAA Champion at UNC in 1982. Big Game James averaged 17.6 PPG and 5.1 RPG over 12 seasons. He played his whole career for the Lakers during the Magic Johnson era. It is great that Scal wants to compare Green to a Laker great, but I think he needs a few championships first. Also, it is going to be tough to be compared to the great Worth because Green is not slated to start for the C’s this season. He started while he was in Oklahoma City, and was great, but his role is a little bit different with the Celtics.

Should championships always be a factor in determining great players’ legacies? Forget about the Jeff Green-James Worthy comparison for a minute. Kevin Love is one of the best players in the game today, and he will probably never win a championship, unless he is traded, which is unlikely. Charles Barkley never won a ring either.