Michael Cooper brought defense to LA; Where is he now?
LOS ANGELES (BVM) – When the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s are brought up in conversation, the first names mentioned will be Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.
While the offense of that team is what stands out decades later, Michael Cooper became a fan favorite because of his defense.
The five-time NBA champion may not be the biggest household name from those teams, but Lakers fans will always remember his impact.
Before the NBA
Cooper was always very familiar with the Lakers and their fanbase, growing up in Pasadena.
After finishing high school, he stayed local, attending Pasadena City College. He would then transfer to the University of New Mexico, helping lead the Lobos to a WAC championship in 1978. Cooper averaged 16.3 points that season.
NBA career
The 6-foot-7 guard was selected 60th overall by the Lakers in the 1978 draft and quickly became a vital part of what they were doing in Los Angeles.
NBA Vault: Michael Cooper was a defensive stopper and igniter for the Showtime @Lakers pic.twitter.com/G5Wc6VfZj2
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) December 8, 2016
Over the course of a 12-year career, entirely spent with the Lakers, he averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds. While these numbers are not eye-popping, Cooper was not there to score or make plays. He was there to be a lockdown defender. And he did just that.
He racked up over 1,000 career steals with the Lakers and was well-respected around the league as being elite on the defensive side of the ball.
Cooper made the NBA All-Defensive First Team five times and the second team three times. This was highlighted by his 1987 season, winning Defensive Player of the Year.
He finished out his basketball career in Italy, playing one season for Pallacanestro Virtus Roma.
Coaching career
Cooper started off his coaching career in 1994 as an assistant with the Lakers. In 1999, he stayed in Los Angeles but moved on to the WNBA with the Sparks.
He was promoted to head coach in 2000 and won the WNBA Coach of the Year. The Sparks took home WNBA championships in the next two seasons.
For the next decade, Cooper bounced around across various coaching gigs in the NBA and WNBA. He also served as the head coach for the women’s team at USC.
Where is he now?
Cooper has transitioned to coaching at the high school level over the last few years.
He is still in California at Culver City High School after spending a couple of seasons at Chadwick School.
