Michael Cooper has a chance to join the long list of Los Angeles Lakers legends inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which includes his former teammates Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The No. 60 pick of the 1978 NBA Draft has been selected to the group of finalists for the Class of 2021. Cooper, who spent his 12-year career in L.A., could become the 32th Hall-of-Famer to have ever been associated with the organization.
And following his nomination, Johnson and Abdul-Jabbar made the case for the induction of the former guard and pinnacle of L.A.’s defense in the 1980s. The former brought up Cooper’s accolades including the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year title, becoming the only Laker in history to receive the recognition:
If anybody deserves to be in the NBA Hall of Fame it’s definitely Michael Cooper who had a 12-year playing career, was Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times, and eight All-Defensive Teams overall. @ShowtimeCooper
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 10, 2021
Johnson also didn’t forget to mention Cooper’s versatility and his record-setting 3-point shooting in the 1987 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics:
In 1987, Coop hit six straight NBA three pointers in NBA Finals against the Celtics, at that time the NBA record. He was one of the most versatile players in the NBA because he could play the one through four positions. That’s why he is an NBA Hall of Famer! @ShowtimeCooper
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 10, 2021
Abdul-Jabbar joined Johnson in vouching for the legitimacy of Cooper’s selection, calling it a “no brainer”:
In 1987, Coop hit six straight NBA three pointers in NBA Finals against the Celtics, at that time the NBA record. He was one of the most versatile players in the NBA because he could play the one through four positions. That’s why he is an NBA Hall of Famer! @ShowtimeCooper
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) March 10, 2021
Besides Cooper, other Hall of Fame finalists include Chris Bosh, Tim Hardaway, Marques Johnson, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Chris Webber. Among coaches, Rick Adelman and Bill Russell have the opportunity to receive the honor this year.
2021 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
The 2021 Hall of Fame induction announcement is set to come on May 16, so that is when Cooper will find out if he got in or not. The induction ceremony will then take place in September, and will include electees from both the 2020 and 2021 class after last year was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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