Michael Cooper

Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the third round of the 1978 NBA draft, 60th overall, Michael Cooper quickly established himself as a critical component of the Lakers’ legendary ‘Showtime’ teams throughout the 1980s. Known for his exceptional defensive prowess, Cooper earned eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections, including five first-team nods in 1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988, alongside second-team honors in 1981, 1983, and 1986. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. Cooper was instrumental in securing five NBA Championships for the Lakers in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988, playing alongside Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

His leadership led to him being named WNBA Coach of the Year in 2000, and he subsequently coached the Sparks to consecutive WNBA Championships in 2001 and 2002. Cooper continued his championship-winning coaching trajectory by leading the Albuquerque Thunderbirds to an NBA D-League Championship in 2006. He held various other significant coaching roles, including serving as an Interim Head Coach for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets from 2004 to 2005. He later took the helm as Head Coach for the USC Trojans’ women’s basketball team from 2009 to 2013, and subsequently as Head Coach for the Atlanta Dream from 2014 to 2017.

Most recently, Cooper returned to high school coaching, leading the Chadwick School Boys Varsity team from 2019 to 2021 and the Culver City High School team from 2021 to 2023. In 2023, he joined Cal State L.A. as an Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach. His unparalleled career achievements were further recognized with his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024, and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to retire his iconic No.

21 jersey in 2025, solidifying his legacy in professional basketball.