The Los Angeles Lakers franchise and its fans received some concerning news on Monday with one of their own being diagnosed with tongue cancer.
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With Michael Cooper being a beloved member of the Showtime Lakers back in the ’80s, the former Defensive Player of the Year received a considerable amount of support from his former teammates after his diagnosis was announced to the public.
Magic Johnson showed his support for his former Showtime teammate saying the following via Twitter:
I want wish the best of luck and a speedy recovery to my former “Showtime” teammate Michael Cooper! @ShowtimeCooper
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 21, 2014
Former teammate James Worthy also showed some love for Cooper responding to a tweet:
@HMartinez470 You are so correct! We got you Coop, get well & see you soon!
— James Worthy (@James_Worthy42) July 22, 2014
The five-time NBA champion played a pivotal role in the Lakers championship runs during the ’80s being the anchor of the team’s defense along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer also expressed concern for his former teammate tweeting out the following:
To my friend & former teammate #MichaelCooper – hang in there Coop we know you will beat this thing & I’m here for whatever you need- Cap
Along with helping lead the Lakers to five NBA titles during his playing days, Cooper is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in NBA history. Cooper earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987 while battling the likes of Larry Bird and an up-and-coming Michael Jordan.
Not only was Cooper an incredible addition to one of the greatest Lakers squads of all time, but he’s also been a successful coach. Cooper led the Los Angeles Sparks to consecutive WNBA titles back in 2001 and 2002 while the Lakers also won back-to-back titles at the Staples Center.
Cooper is currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, but has taken a leave of absence to deal with his illness.
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