The Los Angeles Lakers have added another jersey to the rafters as they officially retired Michael Cooper’s No. 21 in a halftime ceremony during their game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Cooper was teary-eyed as the Lakers faithful and important people from his tenure with the franchise celebrated his achievements with the team.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1879028977354031203
Multiple members of the ‘Showtime’ Lakers, including Magic Johnson and current Miami Heat President Pat Riley showed up to felicitate Cooper for his incredible career.
What an incredible moment for Michael Cooper with his Showtime Lakers teammates 💜💛 pic.twitter.com/4IQvPRps2B
— NBA (@NBA) January 14, 2025
Cooper commented on how his jersey being retired for the Lakers was a bigger accomplishment than making it into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“This event here is about the people that played with, worked with, fought with, prepared for, and you have love for. I have love for all the people in the Hall of Fame, but this is a certain kind of love. This one came out of nowhere. The Hall of Fame I heard about it for a bit, if I had got on the ballot, eventually, and then on. I knew there was a good possibility down the road that I would make that.”
“This one here, for the criteria that’s set as far as being an All-Star once or twice and other things. For this to happen with me never accomplishing being an All-Star or being a top 10 or 15 scorer, this one is really really special. It’s about the people who loved us, enjoyed us, and cheered for us.”
Michael Cooper on why he considers his Lakers’ jersey retirement ceremony a bigger deal than his Hall of Fame induction pic.twitter.com/QITDZibYLY
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 14, 2025
Cooper averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over a 12-season career with the Lakers. He never played for any other franchise, winning five championships over his career and the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year award. He was an eight-time All-Defense selection, still considered among the greatest wing defenders in the NBA’s history.
He might be the best player ever to never make an All-Star game, serving as an early example of a gritty role-player being crucial for enduring team success. He wasn’t a star scorer but he was a star in his role and is being rewarded for his selfless play in one of the greatest eras of Laker basketball with a jersey retirement.
This is the 14th number retired by the Lakers.
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