James Worthy Basketball Camp

Lakers basketball star James Worthy “came from nothing to something,” he said. “Now I want to give back.”

Long before the Los Angeles riots made people more aware of the needs of inner-city youth, Worthy began planning a basketball clinic at Compton Community College for children ages 8 to 16 “to try to reach these kids, to point them in the right direction,” he said.

The three-day James Worthy All-Stars Basketball Clinic, sponsored by more than 20 corporations, begins Tuesday and benefits the Compton Unified School District. Four hundred children will be divided into groups by age and gender to learn basketball and hear professionals--from athletes and actors to scientists and surgeons--discuss education, hard work and tenacity as the means for achieving success.

Worthy said he wants to teach the students as much about job interviews as about layups.

“I want to give them a realistic point of view. These kids don’t know what’s out there. Their chances of becoming a professional athlete are slim,” he said. “They have a much better chance of being a doctor or a lawyer or a scientist.”

Though Worthy grew up in the small, rural town of Gastonia, N.C., he says he understands inner-city problems. “When I was a kid, you either went to the Boys’ Club or hung out on the street,” he said. “I can relate to these kids. A lot of my friends come from homes without fathers, so I know what they’re going through.”

Worthy, 31, a Laker for 10 years, remembers wanting to attend camp but never being able to go. “We couldn’t afford it,” he said. “We need to get these kids going in the right direction. I’m thankful I had my parents to give me direction and didn’t have the distractions of the inner city.”

The camp will offer scholarships to those unable to afford the $50-a-day fee, Worthy said. Though Worthy has had a number of offers to sponsor youth basketball camps, this is the first time he has attached his name to one, he said. He chose Compton “because of all the negativity that comes with Compton,” he said. “I felt like Compton needed it.”

Other athletes taking part in the camp include the Lakers’ Byron Scott; track and field gold medalist Florence Griffith Joyner and her husband, Al Joyner; Olympic long jump medalist Bob Beamon, and Los Angeles Raider Greg Townsend. Worthy also has invited athletes who didn’t make professional teams to talk about career options other than sports. KCBS-TV sports anchor Jim Hill will speak, as will actress Tyra Farrell from the movie “Boyz N the Hood.”

Advance registration is encouraged because only the first 400 applications will be accepted, said Worthy’s agent, Frank Wheaton, who is organizing the clinic. Registration begins Tuesday at 8 a.m. in the Compton College gymnasium, followed by a full day of basketball and speakers. Lunch is included. A similar schedule is repeated on the next two days. Participants are encouraged to attend all three days, Wheaton said.

For an application and scholarship information, call (310) 639-4321, Ext. 5205. Additional information is available through Wheaton at (213) 979-9000. Parking is available at the college, 1111 E. Artesia Blvd., Compton.