After initially holding optimism that LeBron James would return to the Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Cooper hardly wanted to make another prediction on James’ future.
Still, Cooper at least maintained that he doesn’t think James will join a team already tailor-made to win an NBA title.
“I don’t believe he is chasing a ring,” Cooper told Fadeaway World. “I just think he wants a good position that puts him in to where he can fit in and possibly win a championship.”
Cooper, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 for helping the Showtime Lakers to five NBA titles as a valued defender, spoke to Fadeaway World about a number of topics. Cooper talked about the uncertain future that James and the Lakers face without each other, why he considers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar the GOAT and why he ranks Draymond Green as his favorite active defender. Cooper, who is also a coach of the BIG3’s Miami305, also shared a memorable story about former Lakers coach Pat Riley, whom the Lakers honored with a statue unveiling earlier this year.
Editor’s note: The following one-on-one interview has been edited and condensed.
What do you make of the Lakers’ offseason with LeBron’s departure and their moves since then?
Cooper: “It’s unfortunate. I thought, for sure, that LeBron was going to be coming back. But that was his decision to leave. He felt that was best for him. With that happening, the Lakers obviously had to do what’s best for them. They re-signed [Austin] Reaves. Luka [Dončić] is still there. So now they have to start building the team around those two players. The moves that they made are going to be made. But I still think they need something else that will help them get over the hump. But right now, I see us being very competitive.
The bottom line is for us to fight for a championship. I think the Lakers are in the mix. But I think the Western Conference is much tougher than the East. So the Lakers still have a couple of more players to go. The most important part of basketball is player development. So now the onus falls on the assistant coaches to get involved and develop these kids as well as send them to the summer league, where they have time with them. They have to spend time with the kids and really develop them. I love the G League being active. That helps players. But if you’re going to keep a player on the bench, you have to develop him. [Dalton] Knecht is going to be important. You have to get him going. I like the way the Lakers are heading. I’m still waiting to see if there will be more interesting moves they can make during the season, and if they happen. But the pieces that they have right now, I don’t think it puts them in a championship run, but it puts them in a playoff run.”
On D-Fish’s show, you said you thought the Lakers could get to the Western Conference Finals if LeBron was still on the team. What do you think now?
Cooper: (laughs) “Right now, the Lakers are a playoff team. As the season goes on, different aspects will pop up. You never hope this on anybody. But injuries will play a part on a team’s playoff run. But the Lakers are in the thick of things now. Their defense definitely has to get better. It seems like they are trying to do that with the bigs that they added. But it’s going to be about your perimeter defensive players. Reaves and Luka are going to have to get better. Coach [JJ] Redick is going to have to come up with a defensive game plan for every team, not necessarily just one that fits all. There will be different teams that you have to run different defenses against. With that being said, I think the Lakers are a playoff team. I don’t think they’re in a Play-In team. I think they’re a playoff team. But the rest will be up to them to determine how far they can go.”
What gave you the feeling that you thought LeBron would stay with the Lakers?
Cooper: “I just thought that way because of the way the team was heading and the way things were going. I knew they had some moves that they could make. But I thought that would be a great situation. But that’s our thoughts on the outside, looking in. Only LeBron knew what he was going to do, and he did that.”
Where do you think LeBron is headed?
Cooper: “I don’t know. I’m not even going to speculate on that. But wherever he lands, I’m sure it’ll be the best situation for him. I’m pretty sure he’s looking to try to win another championship. I don’t believe he is chasing a ring. I just think he wants a good position that puts him in a position where he can fit in and possibly win a championship. But I don’t think he’s just chasing that actively. LeBron has a year or two left to play. Now it’s about quality of basketball for him.”
Who is your top five?
Cooper: Top five would be Kareem. I’m a big fan of Kareem, even before I played with him. I always thought Kareem was a fantastic player. Obviously, Michael Jordan. I would put Kobe [Bryant] up there. Then it would be Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Those two changed basketball. I’m leaving out Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and a lot of other players. If I could put another player in there, it would definitely be LeBron. It’s not because he’s a former Laker, but because he’s a hell of a player.”
Who is your GOAT?
Cooper: “My GOAT is Kareem. He is an unstoppable player. You look at three things for a GOAT. One, can they score at any time at any point in the game? Kareem was unstoppable, even double- or triple-teamed. If you triple-team Kobe, LeBron or Magic when they come across the floor, they’re going to pass the ball. But with Kareem, you couldn’t double or triple team him. He had the Skyhook. Next, a GOAT makes others around him better. Kareem made others better. No one other than Magic made others around them better when they were double- or triple-teamed. For a GOAT, if you foul, will he make his free throws? Kareem shot in the 80s in crunch-time free-throw shooting. So that’s why Kareem is my GOAT.”
Which are the current defenders that you respect their defense the most, and why?
Cooper: “Draymond Green sits at the top of the list. The young kid in Atlanta (Dyson Daniels), I like him. He has good speed and length. He will also get to know the league better, too. The more years he puts in this, the better that he’ll be. But right now he has a great start. You just have to be tenacious and want to take on the challenge against all of these great offensive players that are in the league.
Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is also a really good defender. People look at him from an offensive standpoint. But he has the ability to block shots, to guard different people at different positions, and to use his speed, quickness, and length. That makes him a good defensive player. But Draymond Green would probably be my top defender. He is more like me. He has the ability, the tenacity, and the ‘F—you’ in him. Draymond’s got that, man. In order to be a good defensive player, you have to have a little bit of that.”
In light of Pat Riley getting his statue unveiling earlier this year, what’s your favorite Pat Riley memory?
Cooper: (laughs) “It was us being able to beat the Boston Celtics [in 1985]. He gave us a speech after the ‘Memorial Day Massacre’ in ’85 [The Lakers lost Game 1, 148-114]. With Coach Riley, I will always know him for that, among other things, as far as his hair and his dress. But it was that speech he gave us that day in Boston. Back then, we had those green chalkboards. He put his hands through that. That was probably the greatest moment. I always had respect for him. But I had a chance to see his passion with how badly he wants us to win. It wasn’t about him. It was about how we were a good team and good teams deserve to have good things happen to them. Pat Riley gave us that speech about his Dad walking and confronting the bully, planting your feet firmly and standing firm. That was the speech he gave us. It was fire and brimstone. That was one of the best that I’ve ever heard from any coach that I’ve been around.”
Do I understand this correctly: Pat broke the chalkboard?
Cooper: “He busted the chalkboard. He punched it. He said, ‘This will never happen to us again.’ We got beat by 34 [points]. We got disrespected. Scott Wedman had 18,000 3-point shots [11-for-11 overall, 4-for-4 from deep]. Pat was just really fed up. He knew we were better than what we were putting out there on the floor.”
Mark Medina is an NBA contributor to Fadeaway World. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
