Lakers Could Use ‘Big Game James’ Now

James Worthy was among the special guests at the Special Olympics “Breakfast With Champions” at Long Beach State on Saturday.

Pat McClenahan, station manager of Channels 2 and 9 and also the chairman of the board of directors for the Southern California chapter of Special Olympics, apologized that Worthy had to eat and run.

“James has to catch a plane for Detroit,” McClenahan said. “He has just been reactivated by the Lakers.”

Trivia time: When did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar play his last NBA game?

Still speedy: Carl Lewis was also at the Special Olympics breakfast but was a late arrival and was served just before coming up to the podium.

“I’ve slowed down a bit in retirement,” Lewis said, “but I can still eat fast.”

At least he didn’t have to eat and run.

Services sought: Angel television announcer Steve Physioc, who was the master of ceremonies at Saturday’s breakfast, wondered whether Lewis might be available to serve as a pinch-runner whenever catcher Bengie Molina gets on base.

“Call me,” Lewis said. “Or better yet, call my agent.”

Not in the genes: Janet Evans, the keynote speaker at the breakfast, said she began swimming at age 1 and had learned all four strokes by the age of 3.

“I was born to swim,” she said, “but I don’t know why. The joke in my family is that my mother can’t swim and my father just sort of floats.”

Respecting his elders: When LeBron James referred to Larry Bird as “Mr. Bird” during a round-table discussion televised last week by ESPN, it got a chuckle out of Bird, 47. “It’s my age,” he said.

Double billing: James will be among Ahmad Rashad’s guests on the “Live at the Finals” pregame show today at 5 p.m. on NBA TV.

Then, as Rashad has done with other guests during the Finals, he will escort James to the other end of the court and have him as his guest on ABC’s pregame show.

Everything, and more: Of NBA TV, which has been around since 1999, Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press wrote that it “seeks to provide all the NBA coverage anybody could want, plus an additional 21 hours per day.”

Looking back: On this day in 1935, boxer James J. Braddock, who will be featured in an upcoming film starring Russell Crowe, won the heavyweight title by defeating Max Baer. In his only title defense, Braddock was knocked out by Joe Louis in the eighth round on June 22, 1937.

Trivia answer: Game 4 of the 1989 NBA Finals, when the Lakers were swept by the Detroit Pistons.

And finally: From Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times: “Good news! That blue-ribbon commission investigating corruption in professional boxing has finally uncovered something that couldn’t possibly be fixed: Don King’s hair.”

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Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.