Angel Reese’s rapid rise in the WNBA continues to draw attention from across the basketball world — including from one of the NBA’s most respected legends.
Hall of Famer James Worthy joined Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson on Scoop B Radio and responded directly to comparisons between his early career and Reese’s developing game.
The conversation follows recent remarks from Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh, who first compared Reese to the ex-Laker and told Robinson that Reese’s versatility has been one of the defining parts of her growth.
Marsh highlighted the forward’s improvement from her rookie year to her second season, noting, “There’s so much more room for growth and there’s so much progression that she’s shown from year one to year two.”
Marsh also emphasized her ability to make in-game adjustments: “She’s realizing all the other aspects of her game in real time to be effective, and she’s showing it night in and night out.”
Worthy echoed several of those observations when asked about similarities he sees between his playing style and Reese’s. “She has tremendous footwork,” he said. “Her ability to bypass players — I do see a little bit of familiarity in that. I haven’t seen enough to say she’s exactly like me, but she does have tendencies of evading and making her game stretch out a little bit to avoid defenses. I do like that about her game.”
Reese’s development has been one of Chicago’s major storylines, and Worthy’s comments add perspective from a player who built his career on the same combination of mobility, size, and positional flexibility.
Reflecting on his sophomore season, Worthy explained that adapting to the NBA required significant changes. “In Year 2…I was just raw talent,” he said. He recalled shifting from college power forward to NBA small forward, adding, “A lot of times you come into the NBA as a certain player out of college and you totally get taken out of that position.”
The interview also covered the current NBA landscape, including Worthy’s thoughts on LeBron James and Luka Dončić’s partnership. “I’ve never seen a one-two punch like that,” he said, citing their combined control of the game.
He also discussed Pat Riley’s coaching style during the Showtime era and reiterated his stance that Magic Johnson remains the greatest point guard in league history.