After a rough Game 1 that had Magic Johnson and plenty of others shaking their heads at the Lakers, things finally took a turn. In Game 2, the Purple and Gold bounced back with a strong win. And right when the vibes were high, former Lakers champ Michael Cooper dropped a bold prediction that instantly got fans buzzing during a podcast appearance.

Naturally, Cooper’s confidence in the Lakers came from experience. After all, he’s a five-time champion with the franchise and knows a thing or two about winning under pressure. On the ‘NBA History and Storytellers on CLNS’ podcast, Cooper shared, “I think LeBron’s about to start playing, they will get their rhythm, go back to the drawing board, look at what you did do well, what you didn’t do well.” He didn’t stop there either, boldly adding, “I think the Lakers gonna take both games up there [in Minnesota].” 

However, reality had other plans. As the Lakers stumbled through Games 3 and 4, Cooper’s playoff dreams came crashing down. But while his basketball hopes took a hit, something way sweeter came his way. Cooper celebrated becoming a grandfather to twins, Michael III and Madison!

Sharing the joy on Instagram, Coop posted a heartwarming photo, proudly rocking a Lakers tee while cradling one of the babies, with his wife Yvonne Cooper and their son right beside him.

Moreover, in a second photo, the family revealed the twins’ names, and the proud grandpa couldn’t hide his emotions. Posting even more adorable snaps of him playing with the babies, Coop sweetly captioned, “Amazing to be a grandpa to miracles—Michael III and Madison💕.” 

Still, while Cooper’s living the dream as a grandpa, it’s a different story when it comes to his Lakers fandom. Unfortunately, the team’s latest stumble means his bold prediction just didn’t pan out.

Lakers failed Michael Cooper and fans

On Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers fell short to the Minnesota Timberwolves, losing 116-113 in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series. With that defeat, the Lakers are now facing elimination, trailing 3-1. Despite LeBron James’ impressive 27 points and 12 rebounds, it wasn’t enough to overcome a red-hot Timberwolves squad led by Anthony Edwards, who dropped 43 points to carry his team to victory.

And just like that, Michael Cooper’s prediction for the Lakers’ playoff run is really fading fast. And as a result, his former Showtime Lakers teammate, Magic Johnson, had a lot to say after the loss.

The Lakers’ undoing in Minnesota stemmed from a combination of factors. Defensively, they struggled to contain Anthony Edwards’ explosive scoring and the Timberwolves’ overall offensive execution. Offensively, inconsistencies plagued them, with stretches of stagnant play and a reliance on jump shots that proved unreliable. They failed to consistently generate easy baskets in the paint and struggled to match the Timberwolves’ energy and physicality on their home court.

“I’m just sick to my stomach that the Lakers lost this game after being in control most of the 2nd half🤦🏿‍♂,” Magic shared on X. He also pointed out the Lakers’ missed opportunities in another post: “What it came down to is this–the Lakers didn’t get enough 2-point shots in this game.”

However, Magic also couldn’t ignore the incredible performance from Edwards. “Just a brilliant performance and masterful 43 points by Anthony Edwards tonight in the Timberwolves win over the Lakers. As the old saying goes, live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot,” Johnson wrote in another post.

Now, with the Lakers down 3-1, they face a daunting challenge: winning three straight games to advance to the conference semifinals. Historically, teams in this position have only come back to win 13 out of 288 times (just 4%). Can the Lakers pull off the unthinkable? We’ll find out in Game 5, Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET.