The Los Angeles Lakers have plenty of retired jerseys on the wall of Crypto.com Arena, and some fans have argued that they should retire the jerseys of some additional players.
One such player is Michael Cooper. He was perhaps the NBA’s first-ever 3-and-D player, and he was an integral part of the Lakers’ Showtime dynasty in the 1980s. Cooper was a member of all five world championship Lakers teams during that era and played 12 seasons in all for the franchise.
He was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and thus, the Lakers franchise has announced it will retire his No. 21 jersey during a Jan. 13 game versus the San Antonio Spurs.
5x Champion. Defensive specialist. Showtime Coooooop.
1/13/25 – We raise Michael Cooper’s jersey into the rafters amongst the Laker greats. pic.twitter.com/KbSwza9pHu
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 15, 2024
In addition to being a 3-point shooting threat and a favorite alley-oop target of Magic Johnson, Cooper was an outstanding, relentless defender. He guarded stars who played multiple positions, from little Isiah Thomas to the 6-foot-9 Larry Bird, and he made eight All-Defensive teams while winning the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 1986-87 season.
Cooper has always been a lovable figure in the Lakers community, and now he will receive the highest honor possible from the storied franchise.