Michael Cooper

A California native, Michael Cooper is one of those rare athletes who was fortunate enough to spend almost his entire professional playing career close to the city that raised him. Cooper joined the Los Angeles Lakers in 1978 after earning All-America honors at the University of New Mexico. Slender, versatile, and tough, Cooper gave the offensive-minded Showtime Lakers a real presence on the defensive end. Eight times Cooper earned All-Defensive honors and in 1987 he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The Lakers won the fourth of Cooper’s five NBA championships that season as night after night the shooting guard was asked to check the opponent’s best offensive weapon. Weapons like Alex English, Andrew Toney, Julius Erving, and the legend Larry Bird. Cooper was one of the NBA’s original 3-and-D matchup nightmares, assuredly knocking down shots from beyond the arc while creating havoc by disrupting the passing lanes, suffocating dribblers, and fighting through screens to challenge would-be shotmakers.