“Big Game” James Worthy is an NCAA champion, 3-time NBA champion, Most Valuable Player with the Los Angeles Lakers, philanthropist and a TV host, analyst for Time Warner Cable SportsNet and spokesperson for Rushmore Essentials (RE) Brands. Selected No. 1 in the 1982 NBA draft by the Lakers, Mr. Worthy was instrumental in defeating the Detroit Pistons to win two consecutive championships. In games six and seven of that series, he went on a legendary run, scoring a combined 64 points, 25 rebounds and 10 assist to cement the “Big Game” moniker and earn the MVP. A versatile forward, Big Game averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and three assists over his 12-year career, helping the Lakers win three championships. A seven-time All-Star, Mr. Worthy was voted one of the top 50 NBA players of all time in 1996, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003. His jersey (#42) is one of only nine retired by the Lakers. He also won a national championship and Final Four MVP award in 1982, when he teamed with Sam Perkins and Michael Jordan to lead the North Carolina Tar Heels to the title. Off the court and out of the studio, Mr. Worthy is a motivational speaker and through the James Worthy Foundation, helps at risk youth, military veterans and their communities. 
 
 
Health E-Insights: What got you involved in promoting REvive and REvitalize?
 
Mr. Worthy: As a connoisseur of basketball, sports broadcaster and Hall of Fame NBA player, I strongly believe that there are three primary pillars of success for athletes: God-given talent, wise training and mentorship, and top-notch physical conditioning. I am very grateful for the successful highest-level amateur, collegiate and professional basketball career I had. As a way of giving back, I have always strived to be a mentor to the upcoming sports generations. One of the main things I stress to them is the need for almost endless stamina that is required to be the best you can be. Unfortunately, I have found that in the low-income communities, where sports are the center of their community interactions and the number one dream of want-to-be sports stars, there is a big information gap about the sources of high-quality and sustainable nutrition and energy. This lack of nutritional balance is also present in the close-knit military communities around bases I have visited in the course of my work with the James Worthy Foundation, such as Los Angeles Air Force Base, Camp Pendleton and Fort Bragg. I had been on the lookout for a way to support this nutritionally insecure American population. One thing I wanted to do was help get these young athletes off energy drinks, which are full of empty calories, sugar and potentially harmful chemicals, and replace them with an all-natural drink that truly delivered for an athlete’s nutritional needs. After reviewing the clinical research, hearing the true commitment of the Rushmore team, seeing the enthusiasm of major food markets and, of course, me and my team personally using the RE brands, I can clearly see REvive and REvitalize as a value-added nutritional contribution that I can make to both educate and change this at-risk group’s nutritional mindset and consumption.
 
Health E-Insights: What excites you most about this alternative energy drink?
 
Mr. Worthy: Through the James Worthy Empowerment Center, which manages a Head Start program that services two low-income counties in North Carolina, we provide daily nutrition to 460 children between the ages of three and four years old who are living below the poverty line, and manage a senior living apartment complex that averages 38 residents. I am so excited by, and a champion for, all of the RE products, because they are a convenient, easy-to-obtain form of significant nutrition, a blend of vitamin, mineral and antioxidant-rich ingredients made from pure fruit, with no artificial ingredients or harmful chemicals. Through the prism of poverty, we have observed first-hand the effects of nutritional insecurity and caffeine intoxication on the health of at-risk populations that are universally unaware and/or don’t have access to vitality products like REvive and Revitalize, which provide a simple, healthy all-natural dietary supplement that can fill-in where the diet is lacking. Along with our deep-felt commitment to providing the upward mobility stepping-stones that support the at-risk population, the James Worthy Foundation has a mandate to consistently seek out opportunities to enhance the quality of life of the at-risk military veterans, especially homeless female veterans. One way of doing so is by assisting with their medical and nutritional requirements. I have championed the Army Best Warrior Competition for 2011 and 2012, Carrier Classic 2011 on the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson (which buried Osama Bin Laden at sea), All Army Sports and a host of other Military’s Directorate Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation military community-outreach initiatives. My passion and ultimate goal is to work with Rushmore Essentials, the Defense Commissary Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make REvive and REvitalize available to the at-risk military and civilian communities and eventually, to all Americans that live in poverty. 
 
Health E-Insights: As a celebrity spokesperson, is it easier to convince consumers and retailers to buy this product?
 
Mr. Worthy: Absolutely not! I still have to take the time to give the facts and benefits to get the message across. That said, being an accomplished Hall of Fame athlete does give me a much broader platform from which to reach out to and also champion those who are less fortunate than me—and to whom I have a humanitarian obligation to reach out and help uplift. These at-risk Americans, as well as more affluent people who have supported and followed me throughout my amateur, collegiate and professional careers all know that I have always striven to be a strong, fit, high-energy team player which required me to be committed to the nutritional requirements of the game. One of the pillars of success is my Foundation’s focus on making all “Nutrition Insecure” Americans aware of ways to get better nutrition in their daily lives, as well as let people know that there are great products out there, like REvive and REvitalize, that are very healthy and address their unique nutritional requirements with all-natural ingredients. I have always hoped that my circle of family, friends and supporters have also observed that in my post-court career I have committed myself to the demanding—yet very rewarding—cause of championing a clearly-defined spectrum of societal efforts, as well as those value-added community support entities that strive to uplift all Americans in at-risk, low-income and poverty-stricken communities. It is my heartfelt desire that all of my fans and supporters truly and clearly understand that I would never promote a nutritional product that I wasn’t 100% sure about and didn’t consume myself.
 
Health E-Insights: How do you ensure the organization and its activities are aligned with your values?
 
Mr. Worthy: The James Worthy Empowerment Center uses a comprehensive approach involving public and private entities and grassroots community participation; all of which invest in a short- and long-term poverty alleviation plan that is community-driven, results-oriented, comprehensive and partnership-oriented. The causes of poverty have multiple roots involving individuals’ lives, families, communities, institutions, systems and cultures. Therefore, we perform a lot of synergy alignment analysis and work with alliance and support organizations to carefully select programs we offer to ensure that they deliver quality services that are proven to make a difference in neighborhoods. Also, as mentioned, I am strong supporter of the U.S. military and recognize that they too have nutrition insecure active military, veterans, reserves and civilian families within their military communities. Therefore, through my personal commitment and mandate to my Foundation, we ensure that at the center of all program discussions is the clear awareness and appreciation of the diversity of the population that we are striving to support through an earned pathway to success. It is important to me that any corporate entities with whom I work also have a commitment to doing good in the world. I like that Rushmore Essentials commits a portion of their annual proceeds to charity, as well as donating product in support of various charitable causes, events and organizations throughout the year.
 
Health E-Insights: Have you always been an advocate of dietary supplements, even during your playing days?
 
Mr. Worthy: Absolutely and always. Even though I came from a low-income poverty neighborhood in Gastonia, NC, we were always raised on fresh fruits and vegetables that each family grew in their family gardens, and the community shared using the barter system. However, even within my close-knit community, there were still a lot of nutrition insecure families that were on government assistance programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (food stamps) that forced them to make some poor nutritional decisions in order to feed themselves. Late in her career, my mother went back to school and became a nurse and provided pro bono health and nutritional services to the elderly and uninsured in the Highland Community. She instilled in me an understanding of the need for nutritional enhancement required to be a champion of the game. My mother gave me a clear understanding that good nutrition would be the foundation or engine that I would need to be successful in all aspects of my life. Therefore, I have always made nutrition enhancement through natural, fresh, foods and value-added dietary supplements a major stamina factor for me throughout my grueling professional basketball career. I have always been very conscious of making sure my body gets what it needs in order to perform at my absolute best.
 
Health E-Insights: Do you have a daily health ritual?
 
Mr. Worthy: Well, I do always make sure that I eat well and exercise. The good news is, I have interwoven REvive and REvitalize into the nutritional fabric supporting the quality of the rest of my life. However, like most seasoned professional sports athletes that had long, grueling and high energy on-court careers, Mother Nature and Father Time do not allow me to perform the same intense daily health ritual I had as a player. Instead, I realize that every day starts the rest of my life, so I focus on the physical and nutritional for my health, as well as the family time that I need each day to ensure my quality of life.
 
Health E-Insights: Are you still recognized when moving around the LA area?
 
Mr. Worthy: I consider myself to be one of the most fortunate legends of basketball. I get the opportunity to enjoy the great sports fans of Los Angeles, the quality of life of California and an opportunity to be a champion for all of the charitable and philanthropic good works. When I travel throughout the Los Angeles area, I constantly get shout outs on the street, and autograph or photo requests from basketball fans of all ages. It is my hope that this recognition is the fruits of my entire body of work—both on and off the court. My mother once told me that “you always have 30 seconds for everyone.” I love interacting with my fans. I consider myself a person who is privileged to have the platform to encourage, uplift and just brighten someone’s day by giving them those 30 seconds, or just shouting back.
 
Sheldon Baker is well known for creating nutraceutical brand marketing and public relations campaigns. For Health E-Insights interview consideration, contact him at [email protected]. And follow him on Twitter @NutraInk.