What good news for Michael Cooper lately! We already knew, thanks to Magic Johnson who had let the cat out of the bag, that the former Lakers player would enter the Hall of Fame this year, along with Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups.
We now learn that his jersey will be retired by the Lakers. It is the Los Angeles franchise that announces it itself. The ceremony is scheduled for January 13, 2025, and that evening, LeBron James and his gang will face Victor Wembanyama's Spurs.
Michael Cooper's career spans 873 games played, all in Los Angeles with the Lakers, for modest averages (8.9 points and 4.2 assists on average) but a thick list of achievements: five NBA championship titles (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), a trophy for best defender of the year in 1987 and eight All-Defensive Teams.
The one Magic Johnson describes as ” the best defender » The player he met in the NBA will become the 13th player to have his jersey retired by Los Angeles, following Elgin Baylor (#22), George Mikan (#99), Jerry West (#44), Wilt Chamberlain (#13), Gail Goodrich (#25), Magic Johnson (#32), Jamaal Wilkes (#52), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (#33), James Worthy (#42), Shaquille O'Neal (#34), Kobe Bryant (#8 + #24) and Pau Gasol (#16).
5x Champion. Defensive specialist. Showtime Coooooop.
1/13/25 – We raise Michael Cooper's jersey into the rafters among the Laker greats. pic.twitter.com/KbSwza9pHu
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 15, 2024
| Michael Cooper | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 1978-79 | LAL | 3 | 2 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 2.0 | |
| 1979-80 | LAL | 82 | 24 | 52.4 | 25.0 | 77.6 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 8.8 |
| 1980-81 | LAL | 81 | 32 | 49.1 | 21.1 | 78.5 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 9.4 |
| 1981-82 | LAL | 76 | 29 | 51.7 | 11.8 | 81.3 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 11.9 |
| 1982-83 | LAL | 82 | 26 | 53.5 | 23.8 | 78.5 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 7.8 |
| 1983-84 | LAL | 82 | 29 | 49.7 | 31.4 | 83.8 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 9.0 |
| 1984-85 | LAL | 82 | 27 | 46.5 | 28.5 | 86.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 5.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 8.6 |
| 1985-86 | LAL | 82 | 28 | 45.2 | 38.7 | 86.5 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 9.2 |
| 1986-87 | LAL | 82 | 28 | 43.8 | 38.5 | 85.7 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 10.5 |
| 1987-88 | LAL | 61 | 29 | 39.2 | 32.0 | 85.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.4 | 8.7 |
| 1988-89 | LAL | 80 | 24 | 43.1 | 38.1 | 87.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 7.3 |
| 1989-90 | LAL | 80 | 23 | 38.7 | 31.8 | 88.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 6.4 |
| Total | 873 | 27 | 46.9 | 34.0 | 83.3 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 8.9 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
