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Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Michael Cooper won five NBA championships during his 12-year career. He played a key role in helping the Lakers become the most dominant franchise in the 1980s. While it was Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy claiming much of the headline space, Cooper simply went about his business.
The 6-foot-7, second-round pick out of New Mexico didn’t care about stats. He was all about sacrifice when transition into the NBA. He filled a perfect role with the Lakers and filled his hand with championship rings. Nearly 35 years after playing his last NBA game, Cooper is finally getting his individual accolades. He became emotional when discussing life in 2024, calling it the “Year of the Coop.”
Michael Cooper Getting His Jersey Retired By the Lakers in January 2025
Cooper never basked in the spotlight. Early in his career, he was simply a player looking to find his way on an NBA roster full of stars. At New Mexico, he averaged better than 16 points in his final season. With the Lakers, he knew with all the star power they had, he had to change his game a bit and find a different path to make the team.
He made his living in the NBA as one of the best defenders in the game.
“This is what people don’t realize,” Cooper told former NBA star Rick Barry on “The Rick Barry Show.” “They look at me as a defensive player, but I averaged 27 points a game in (junior) college, my sophomore year.
“When I first got to the Lakers, they told me, ‘We got Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar), Norm Nixon, Jamaal Wilkes,” Cooper told former Lakers teammate Byron Scott on Scott’s “Off the Dribble podcast.” “‘I don’t need nobody else shooting the ball.’ That’s kind of how I got into the forte of being a good defensive player.”
While the “Showtime” Lakers of the ’80s were typically labeled Magic’s team or Kareem’s team, Cooper went out and guarded the opponent’s top player. He did it with little fanfare. Now, he’s getting the recognition he deserves.
The Lakers will retire Cooper’s jersey on January 13 at Crypto.com Arena.
Cooper Gets Emotional When Speaking About His Upcoming Honor
Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird once paid Cooper the ultimate compliment, saying that Cooper was the only player who could slow him down. During the 1986 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, Bird mentioned Cooper, even though he wasn’t playing in the series.
“Michael Cooper’s not in this series, and he’s the only one who can really shut me down,” Bird said of Cooper, according to Sports Illustrated.
Now, Cooper’s time has come. Earlier in 2024, Cooper was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. In August 2024, Cooper found out the Lakers were retiring his No. 21.
“My grandmother used to tell me, ‘Michael, keep on living, and you’re going to experience some things,'” Cooper said on his “Showtime With Coop” podcast. “I’m 68 years old and had a wonderful NBA career. My after-basketball career has been fabulous, but I’m experiencing something very fantastic, and I’m going to call it the Year of the Coop.
“I’ve always played this game for the love of the game, but some magnificent individual accolades have been bestowed upon me, first being named into the Hall of Fame. I thought the dream had ended right there, but the Lakers have bestowed upon me probably the most prestigious awards any NBA player, any athlete, can get. They’re going to retire my jersey January 13.
“If we weren’t on camera, I’d be crying, but I did my crying last night, so I’ve got a chance to talk about it like an adult. You know what, man, that, there, is the ultimate award. What that means is that every time you walk into Crypto.com, an arena where the Lakers play, that jersey is going to be up there with some of the best that’s ever played this game.”
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