It was a long time coming, and now the 14th number is going up to the Purple and Gold rafters. The highlight of Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 season is going to be when they retire #21 on January 13. That puts Michael Cooper, one of the finest athletes LA has ever had, where he belongs in a storied legacy. He played a role in putting five of those 17 championship banners up there. Only right his number is among those too.

Coop grew up in California and spent the majority of his career in the city where he collected all his accolades, including his five championships and 1987 DPOY. And he piled more as a coach. The latest news demands a little refresher on the ever-smiling Michael Cooper.

Michael Cooper against the odds

When LA-born and bred, Michael Cooper was three, he had the most toddler-grade accident that resulted in a hundred stitches on his knee. The doctor told his parents, Marshall and Jean, he would never be able to walk. Hopefully, that doctor saw his former patient walk to the NBA court and bring the city five championships. This year, he’s entering the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame and will have his number retired.

After excelling as a teen athlete at Pasadena High School, he attended Pasadena City College and transferred to the University of New Mexico. Averaging 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, Coop led the Lobos to a WAC title. With multiple honors in his collegiate career, Cooper headed into the 1978 NBA draft, but not as a top prospect.

The Lakers picked him in the third round not knowing the 60th overall pick would become an integral part of the Showtime Lakers. One of the best defenders ever in the paint, he protected Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, and the entire squad in his entire 12-year NBA career with the franchise. He was vital enough to play more than 80 games a season. That’s a lot of opportunities for home crowds to roar, “Cooooop.”

And he had a special bond with his teammates. His lesser-known nickname was ‘Buttercup’ because he was apparently a softie. He said that when they lost to Boston in 1984, Cooper and Magic cried in the shower.

The biggest acknowledgment of his defensive prowess was winning DPOY in 1987. He looked unassuming in his skinny 6’7″ frame and knee-high socks but even Larry Bird stated Coop was the most difficult player to get past. The Lakers maximized his impact by devising the ‘Coop-a-loop,’ an alley-oop play centered on its namesake. Until recently, he was one of the two players to have the most All-Defensive selections in NBA history.

He played two years in Italy before calling it a pro-ball career. But, Coop was not done.

Coach Coop for the books

Player-turned-GM, Jerry West brought Coop back as his special assistant in 1994. When his best friend, Magic, tried coaching, Cooper joined his staff. It was a quick transition to the Sparks coaching staff from there in 1999. He helped the team reach the WNBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history and earned a quick promotion to head coach in 1999.

The Sparks saw tremendous growth under Coach Cooper. He’d lead them to the WNBA championship in 2001 and 2002, was named WNBA Coach of the Year, and came close to another title.

Cooper returned to the NBA soon after but as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets. His subsequent coaching stints were in the D-League, return to Sparks, the USC Trojans women’s team, Ice Cube’s Big3, on the youth level, and in Cal State. He’s stayed coaching until 2023 at least, through some major setbacks too.

Coop-a-loop the unstoppable

Michael Cooper spent one WNBA season coaching the Atlanta Dream while also battling tongue cancer. He was diagnosed at an early stage in 2014 and got surgery to remove 55 lymph nodes and needed 35-40 stitches. He went through it mostly alone with support from his teammates because his wife, Yvonne, and four kids – Michael 11, Simone, Miles, and Nils – were in LA at that time.

Under his facial hair, he has a six-inch scar that goes from his left ear and curves to the front of his neck. Did he stop coaching? No. While he had 10 days to recuperate, he returned and kept coaching Dream till 2017. He got a slur because of it but he jokes it made him very imposing when arguing with refs.

The goofball thought no one cared about Michael Cooper until then. But, he realized it wasn’t the case until Magic, Kareem, and Pat Riley all checked in on him. It’s silly to think Los Angeles could forget Cooooop. And soon they’ll have the #21 in the arena to remind anyone who dares forget.

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.