The Los Angeles Lakers are adding a new name to the collection of all-time greats whose jerseys hang in the rafters at Crypto.com Arena later this season. They are honoring Showtime guard Michael Cooper by putting his No. 21 alongside some of the greatest to ever play basketball on January 13, 2025, against the San Antonio Spurs.
Cooper played for the Lakers for all 12 seasons of his career from 1978-1990. He won all five showtime era championships alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He won the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year award and was named to eight All-Defensive teams, five first-team and three second-team selections.
The Lakers have a long-standing rule that players must be inducted into the Hall of Fame and have won a championship in L.A. to get their jersey retired, and Cooper — starting October 13th of this year — will have officially met both requirements. He spoke about what this means for him and his family, via the Showtime podcast:
“I’m 68 years old, had a wonderful NBA career, my after basketball career has been fabulous, but I’m experiencing something very fantastic. I’ve always played this game, and everybody knows that, for the love of the game. But some magnificent individual accolades have been bestowed upon me. First being named into the Hall of Fame, which would be October 12th and 13th and I thought the dream had ended right there. But the Lakers yesterday had bestowed upon me probably one of the most prestigious award any NBA player, any athlete, can get playing for an organization. And I’ve always said the Lakers are a great organization, I’m not saying it now because of what they’ve done for me. And what they’ve done is they’re going to retire my jersey on January 13th. If we weren’t on camera I would start crying, but I did my crying last night. I got a chance to talk about it like an adult. That there is the ultimate award, because what that means is that every time you walk into the arena where the Lakers play, that jersey is going to be up there with some of the best that’s ever played this game. You have Wilt Chamberlain, Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe twice just to name a few. And now the No. 21. And the thing I like about that is because we would all like to live forever but that’s not going to happen. But my kids, grandkids and my great great grandkids, any time they go to a Lakers event, they’ll see the No. 21 hanging up there with the insignia Cooper on it. That’s who they are and that’s where it all began. So like I said, it’s the year of me. I’m going to revel in it a little bit because I do appreciate the Lakers for that. Like I said, I just played for the love of the game and for heart and for winning championships. There was a point where I could have left, but loyalty means something, and yeah you can be a great player. But the first franchise you ever get to be with is where you play your heart and soul. I always tell people I never played in Crypto.com Arena, but I left a lot of skin and a lot of blood, I left a piece of my hair stuck in a scaffold at the Forum and the greatest memories I ever had were playing this game at the Forum.”
Cooper is one of the most beloved players in Lakers history, and his work in the radio broadcast booth for L.A. in the years since his retirement has affirmed that. Cooper is known as one of the best defensive guards ever to play the game and is finally being honored for his significant contributions to one of the sport’s greatest dynasties.
Michael Cooper calls Luka Doncic lazy
Cooper also entered headlines recently for comments calling Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic lazy for not getting back on defense. He said that Doncic’s scoring ability is the main reason to like the superstar, but that his physical attributes and hustle leave something to be desired.
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