When Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan created basketball magic in Chicago or when Gregg Popovich molded Tony Parker from a raw talent into an NBA Finals MVP, the basketball world witnessed the profound impact of coach-player relationships. These bonds forged through trust, understanding and mutual respect often reveal the most authentic insights into a player’s character and playing style. Recently, another such revelation emerged when a former coach shared his candid thoughts on coaching a young Carmelo Anthony.

In the recent episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break, the 68-year-old coach, Michael Cooper, was asked to name the top players he has coached. The former shooting guard didn’t spare any time to name the players but took an unconventional approach for a particular player. “My other player, I enjoyed him and it was a blink of the eye of my stint in Denver. Carmelo Anthony. I love Carmelo. Carmelo probably one of the most competitive guys that I’ve ever watched play the game of basketball. Competitive. Little selfish, but still very, very competitive, but to score. And to score big time too,” said Cooper during the podcast.

As a five-time NBA champion and the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year, Cooper knew what it took to stop elite scorers. Yet, even with his defensive mindset, he couldn’t help but admire Anthony’s offensive prowess. During his stint with the Denver Nuggets, Melo scored an average of 24.8 points per game, and in his whole career, he has scored a total of 28,289 points. Now it’s quite understandable why Cooper termed him as a good scorer.

The competitive fire that burned within Anthony was another aspect Cooper highlighted. This competitiveness that was combined with his scoring ability had helped transform the Nuggets from just a lottery team into a playoff contender. And also under Anthony’s leadership, Denver reached the postseason in each of his full seasons, which included the memorable run to the Western Conference Finals in 2009.

As the NBA continues to evolve, with increased emphasis on efficiency and team-oriented play, Cooper’s reflections serve as a valuable reminder of a different era. However, Melo wasn’t the only good player that Cooper considered to coach.

Another NBA player that Michael Cooper considered a good student

As mentioned before, Cooper has been coaching players for over 30 years. Over these years, he has often shared insights into his experiences mentoring young players. And this time, in addition to Carmelo Anthony, another player whom Cooper considered a good student was Kenyon Martin.

In the latest podcast with Byron Scott, as soon as Cooper had finished speaking about Anthony, he started stating the similarities between him and the other Nuggets power forward. “I’m going to take this before he [Byron Scott] probably takes it. Kenyon Martin. I love Kenyon Martin. Kenyon Martin, that dude reminded me of me, just a light-skinned version of me… and Kenyon had a little crazy in him. You got to have that in order to be very very successful,” said Cooper during the podcast.

However, these weren’t the only players that Cooper had named during the podcast. The 68-year-old also named some of the WNBA players, including Mwadi Mabika and Lisa Leslie. It can be said that Cooper’s mentorship played a crucial role in all these players’ development, helping them to reach their full potential.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.