Big Game James' big announcement

The Gastonia-raised basketball great James Worthy had a surprise up his sleeve for his former Ashbrook High School coach.

Surrounded by dozens of photos, trophies and plaques in the living room of their Gastonia apartment, Larry and his wife, Frances Rhodes, nearly jumped to the ceiling when the 6 foot, 9 inch Worthy opened the door to see them in person for the first time in several years. Larry Rhodes coached Worthy through his senior year at Ashbrook in 1979, and retired from coaching basketball at the culmination of the season.

“He’s the kind of guy that you’d like to have when you’re a coach,” said Rhodes, wearing a Green Wave-inspired, green-striped, button-down shirt. “Not only did he help me as a coach, he helped his teammates. He helped his teammates a lot and got them moving more sometimes, than I could.”

Surrounded by other family members, the group reminisced about their days spent together at Ashbrook and their friendship that has endured for more than 40 years.

But “Big Game James" had a big announcement to make.

As the room quieted, he informed Larry Rhodes that he has created a $2,000 scholarship in his honor to be awarded to a graduating senior from Ashbrook High. The Larry Rhodes Athletic Scholarship will be awarded every year beginning this spring.

It’s a “thank you” from Worthy for his former coach’s relentless encouragement and motivation throughout his life, from attending his college games with the Tar Heels to his college and professional basketball hall of fame inductions. Worthy even remembers coach bringing oranges to his home when he was sick and driving him to practice on snowy days.

“He put those chains on his tires and he would come by and pick everybody up, and we’d go to practice,” Worthy said. “He’s been there for everything… So this is really special for me.”

Frances exclaimed “Bless your heart” and leaped out of her chair to give Worthy a big hug as Larry humbly and graciously accepted the honor.

“It’s good to know how he’s turned out as an individual, and he says I had a little bit to do with it, it makes you feel good,” Larry Rhodes said.

It's one of four new scholarships Worthy will award to graduating seniors this year.

Worthy also announced that he would award three additional $1,000 scholarships to deserving students from around the county. The three scholarships are named in honor of iconic members of the Highland community, where Worthy grew up; the late Judge Donald Ramseur, who was Gastonia’s first African-American attorney and judge; the late world-renowned artist John Biggers; and the former Highland High School Principal Robert Lee Schooler.

Worthy began awarding scholarships two years ago to graduating seniors in memory of his late mother Gladys Thompson Worthy, an alumnus of the former Highland High School. Worthy will continue to award those scholarships, worth $1,000 each to two deserving students at each of Ashbrook High, Hunter Huss High and Highland School of Technology.

“My mom was the first humanitarian that I ever saw,” Worthy said. “My mom was a giver and so, that’s where I got it from.”

Originally a standout athlete from High Point, Larry Rhodes went on to graduate from East Carolina University in 1955. Two weeks later, he and Frances married.

In 1956, he began teaching several subjects at the former Ashley High and became basketball coach for the next 14 years before moving to Ashbrook. He’s since been inducted into both the N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame.

Rhodes won 10 conference championships as a varsity head boys basketball coach, and his 1967 Ashley High team claimed the NCHSAA 4A state title. The Ashbrook gymnasium has been named in his honor.

Worthy always called Rhodes “The man in the green jacket,” for the green blazer he wore to games and continues to wear to this day. It still hangs in his closet. Worthy remembered being in a gym playing basketball in eighth grade when he first met Rhodes, who walked in wearing his signature attire.

During Worthy’s high school tenure, the Green Wave basketball team achieved many successes and appeared in the 1977 state championship game against Hunter Huss High.

Frances, whom Worthy still calls “Mama Rhodes,” served as a team mother. She remembered getting a nerve-wracking phone call from her husband once that Worthy wasn’t feeling well, and rushed to her car before even hearing the rest of the story.

“Larry said James had a tooth extracted, he’s not feeling good, can you come and take him home,” Frances said. “I jumped in that car because I thought something bad had happened.”

Larry Rhodes would spend about another decade or so coaching golf before retiring from teaching in 1989, a year after Worthy won his third NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Worthy still keeps busy working as a basketball broadcast analyst for Lakers games, and delivering speeches to schools, corporations and more about commitment, discipline, teamwork and other topics.

But he never forgets his hometown. And he’s paying it forward to the community and its influencers that shaped his life and career.

You can reach Eric Wildstein at 704-869-1828 or Twitter.com/TheGazetteEric.