The Lakers will retire Michael Cooper‘s No. 21 jersey on January 13 when they host San Antonio, the team announced (via Twitter).
A Los Angeles native, Cooper was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in April. He won five championships while spending his entire NBA playing career with the Lakers. Cooper was primarily known for his excellent defense, earning eight All-Defensive nods and winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.
Cooper averaged 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 83.3% from the free throw line in 873 regular season games from 1978-90. He primarily came off the bench, only starting 94 contests, though he was certainly a valuable sixth man, averaging 27.1 MPG in his career.
Cooper has coached for several different organizations since his playing days ended, including as an assistant for the Lakers and Nuggets. He was briefly interim head coach of Denver as well. Cooper won back-to-back WNBA titles as head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002 and also won a D League title with the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in 2006 (the D League has since been rebranded as the NBA G League).
Now 68, Cooper is currently a men’s assistant coach at Cal State Los Angeles. The Division II school had its best-ever season in 2023/24, notes Paul Helms of the university’s website.
Coooooopppppp!
And thanks to Chick Hearn, the
COOP-A-LOOP.
18.1 career points,rebounds,assists,steals,and blocks wouldn’t ever sniff the HOF if he didn’t have rings. Basketball has the easiest HOF to make.
His stats may say otherwise but during his era Coop was arguably the best wing defender in the NBA. Someone who could guard 1-4 and he was routinely the guy LA used to defend Larry Bird. He was his DPOY award the season before Jordan did.
Sidenote: As an older Celtics fan,when he’s got former players from the Celtics/Lakers rivalry on as guests, I could sit and listen to his YT podcast all day.
I don’t have a problem with Cooper being in the Hall of Fame. Draymond will be in there one day as well and Cooper’s career numbers and accolades match up quite nicely to Green’s. Defensive players should get their honors as well.
I’m not sure about Cooper being in the Hall of fame. I guess it’s the five rings. If you look at a guy like Dennis Rodman who’s also a defensive player but he also did something else to Elite status. Rebounding.
Neither Draymond Green nor Michael Cooper do anything else to Elite status.
Draymond runs the offense and he’s pretty good at that but where does it show? Six or seven assists a game?
So it’s Four rings I guess. Maybe that’s why he and Cooper get in.., four and five rings get you in?
I’m all for the great defensive player getting in but there has to be something else that makes him great too. Something in addition to the defense.
Green has had multiple triple doubles and has started the entire time at least, he deserves to make the HOF way more than Cooper and he’s already in it now.
23.6 prasb for draymond is better than 18.1 for Cooper. It is nice to let him in the HOF before he’s on his deathbed like the nfl did for Steve McMichael. That was overdue and sad they waited so long.
I’ll agree Green’s has better career overall but it’s close and I said they’re numbers and accolades are similar not exactly the same. If Green belongs in the Hall of Fame and I think he should then Cooper should be in as well.
I couldn’t care less about triple doubles. Green’s a F/C so he should have more rebounds per game then Cooper. The assists are closer than I thought at Green’s 5.6 to 4.2 for Cooper. Cooper of course played next to the greatest PG of all time so he isn’t going to get a lot of assists but I expected a higher average for Green. .1 SPG is negligible. They’re both 8x All-Defense and both have won DPOY. Cooper has a higher FGP, 3P% and FT% while having one more championship. Green has a higher VORP and more WS. Green also has more All-NBA and All-Star appearances.
Both are locks for the nba HOF, but neither is viewed as a top 2 player on their team.
Does he get his no. Retired in Minny, too? Or are the Lakers only taking the chips from minny Lol.
Lol, good point. But the Lakers franchise used to be in Minnesota. Same team, same name, same entity.
The team currently in Minnesota is a totally different franchise and Michael Cooper never played for them. It’s not even the same building.
Maybe they can put Michael Cooper’s retired number up in the old arena that the Lakers played in? Hang it in the rafters there because that’s where the Lakers played?
I know you’re probably joking but think of it this way.
If I own a McDonald’s on Maple Street but move the franchise, all the employees, the McDonald’s name, and my equipment over to Peachtree Blvd and do business there, should I be allowed to hang my picture at the Burger King restaurant that is now occupying the building on Maple St?
So the new Burger King at that site has a picture of me, the McDonald’s owner, recognizing all the great things I did there?
I don’t think that would fly. I did nothing for Burger king.