Michael Cooper spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, a defensive-minded guard who was always focused on helping his Showtime teammates become stars.
Cooper enjoyed a long-awaited moment in the spotlight Monday night when the Lakers hoisted his No. 21 jersey to the rafters.
The 17-time NBA champion Lakers honored Cooper during halftime of their game against the San Antonio Spurs and unveiled his No. 21 jersey next to Magic Johnson’s No. 32 on the Wall of Honor at the downtown arena. and James Worthy’s No. 42 jersey.
It’s a fitting position for Cooper, who served as the hard-working glue on the charming, exciting teams that won five NBA championships in the 1980s.
“It was overwhelming for me because I didn’t expect this to happen at all,” Cooper, 68, said. “I’ve always played for the love of the game, the love of the team and the love of winning championships. To me, tonight is more special than the Hall of Fame — but both are equally important.”
READ | Los Angeles wildfires: Los Angeles sports teams donate $8 million to relief efforts
Cooper remains popular in his native Los Angeles area, as evidenced by the standing ovations and serenade of “Cooooooooooop” throughout the night. The Lakers gave away a replica Cooper jersey to every fan at the downtown arena for their first game since wildfires ravaged the Los Angeles area.
Coincidentally, the number retirement came on an already emotional night for the Lakers and their fans, after two games were postponed due to catastrophic wildfires. Cooper, a Pasadena native, also lives next door in Altadena, an area that was devastated by the Eaton Canyon fire.
“This is a happy and sad moment for me,” Cooper said. “A lot of landmarks, a couple of the high schools I went to, are gone now. I’m going to enjoy tonight but it’s with a heavy heart because a lot of people have lost a lot.”
Last October, 33 years after Cooper played his last NBA game, he was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Lakers, who have retired only Hall of Fame players, were quick to announce that Cooper would join some of the most important players in basketball history as one of the team’s honorees.
Cooper was never an All-Star, but he was a 1980s 3-and-D specialist who was a vital part of any NBA team in the 21st century. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team five times and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.
“I always try to play the game the right way,” Cooper said. “It’s great that people recognize that. Even though I’ve been on a team with a lot of superstars, I’ve been overshadowed sometimes. But it doesn’t bother me because it’s always us working together and winning championships. matter.”
After leaving the Lakers, Cooper went on to a long coaching career, most notably leading the Los Angeles Sparks to two WNBA championships.
Cooper attended the halftime ceremony along with former Lakers head coach Pat Riley and several former Lakers teammates, including Johnson, Worthy, Byron Scott, Norm Nixon, Jamal Way Erkes, Kurt Rambis and Vlade Divac.
Johnson took the microphone first and called Cooper “one of the greatest players in the history of basketball.”
