Michael Cooper is known as one of the greatest Los Angeles Lakers players of all time.
One of the key pillars of the “Showtime” Lakers of the 80s, Cooper’s role on those stacked teams was to be the go-to defender. That meant the 6-foot-7, lanky Cooper matched up against the very best scorers of each opposing team, meaning he frequently guarded the likes of Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and George Gervin, three of the best scorers of that decade.
Cooper is so revered in Lakers history that his No. 21 jersey was recently retired and he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame a couple years prior.
The 70-year-old Cooper currently serves as the head coach of the BIG3’s Miami 305 team, who are the defending champs. However, he still keeps close tabs on the Lakers, which means he’s well in tune with the LeBron James situation.
There are question marks as to whether or not James will return to Los Angeles and the two sides will be negotiating before free agency starts in July. The possibility of James leaving Los Angeles after eight years is a very realistic possibility.
However, Cooper ultimately believes that James will end up returning to the Lakers to finish out his career.
“I think he ends up resigning with the Lakers,” said Cooper in a one-on-one interview with Heavy Sports. “If you look at LeBron’s game, LeBron is better than 90-95% of the players in this league today, and the one thing that makes him different is what makes the great ones different. Michael Jordan, Kobe, Magic, as their skill level diminishes a little bit, they start moving closer to the basket, and if you notice Michael, Magic, Kobe, all of them started learning and doing things in the post, and that’s what LeBron is doing. I believe he’ll be back for 24 seasons.”
LeBron James is Still Playing at a High Level, but Will It Be With Lakers?
James will be 42 years old during the 2026-27 season and it’s obvious he’s planning to play at least one more year. The 23-year veteran is still one of the best players in the league, clinching his 22nd All-Star bid this past season. James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game on 51.5% from the field while showing he can play the third offensive role behind the likes of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The question is, will it be with the Lakers or will it be with another team that’s maybe willing to offer him more money?
Michael Cooper Ready to Lead BIG3’s Miami 305 to Repeat Championship
The Lakers great is getting ready for the 2026 BIG3 season with his team, the Miami 305, ready to defend their titles. The five-man roster includes the likes of former Heat players Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley alongside longtime NBA veterans such as Reggie Evans and Lance Stephenson. Chalmers — who won two titles with James as members of the Miami Heat — hit the game-winning shot in last season’s championship game.
“(Got) a championship mentality, we all are from the Pat Riley regime, him coaching all of us, or having his hands on all of us,” said Cooper. “We all kind of know each other and what to expect from one another. But Mario and Michael are on the court got good synergy working, they work well. Michael last year to win the championship, drove to the basket, kicked it over to Mario, our former Miami player, and he knocked his shot down. I got a plethora of talent on my team, not just those two, but we got Lance Stephenson, we got Reggie Evan and Sean Williams. I got a good group of former NBA players, and I think that’s one reason why we’re able to win it, and that gives us the heads up going into this season.”
The Miami 305 will open up their BIG3 schedule — along with the rest of the league — tomorrow on Saturday, June 20 at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. They’ll go up against the Los Angeles Riot, which is led by captain Dwight Howard, the former Lakers center and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer.
Cooper considers the Riot to be one of their top threats that could prevent a repeat championship. He said “consistency” will be key if the 305 are going to repeat as BIG3 champs.
“Consistency,” said Cooper of the key to repeating as BIG3 champs. “We will have to consistently play good solid defense and consistent in our offensive movement this year. Michael (Beasley) is probably the best one-on-one player in here since Joe Johnson was two years ago the best one-on-one player in the BIG3. Right now, he demands a double team, because if you guard him with a big, Mike goes by, and if you guard him with somebody his height, Mike shoots over him because he’s still strong enough, and still has that agile jumper. That word is going to be our key throughout the course of the season and as any NBA team can tell you, health is going to be our problem. Nobody gets injured, we got a good chance of repeating.”
Lakers Legend Reveals Where He Thinks LeBron James Will Play