Why Michael Cooper viewed his Lakers jersey retirement ceremony ‘more special’ than Hall-of-Fame induction

The smile widened on Michael Cooper’s face. Then, the tears flowed.

He just saw the Los Angeles Lakers retire his No. 21 jersey at halftime of the Lakers’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at Crypto.com Arena. Nearly three months after earning an induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Cooper’s outward emotions reflected what this moment meant for him.

“Tonight is, to me, more special than the Hall-of-Fame,” Cooper said beforehand. “But both of them are equally important.”

Initially, Cooper’s words seemed startling.

Only a select few ever earn a Hall-of-Fame nod. Even some players who have won multiple NBA championships or appeared in All-Star games don’t make it to the Hall. As for Cooper, he received one despite never becoming an All-Star.

No matter. Cooper won five NBA championships with the “Showtime Lakers” for reasons beyond just playing with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Cooper also became one of the league’s best defenders, which coincided with winning a Defensive Player of the Year award (1987) and landing on five NBA All-Defensive First Teams (1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988).

“It’s the Lakers. This is my hometown,” said Cooper, who grew up in Pasadena, Calif. “The Hall-of-Fame is something unique in and of itself. And there’s a big cast of characters there. But this in here is about the people I played with, went to work with, you fought with, you prepared with 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.”

Cooper contends this honor came “out of nowhere” and left him “speechless.” Cooper had plenty to say, however, when he addressed the sell-out crowd. After Johnson and former Lakers coach Pat Riley gushed about him, Cooper ceded the spotlight again. He thanked Jamaal Wilkes, Byron Scott, Worthy, Johnson and Riley as well as the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, current Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, former Lakers executives Jerry West and Bill Sharman and current general manager Rob Pelinka.

“The Lakers have almost taken over as your own blood family,” Cooper said. “I’ve been with the Lakers for over 45 years.”

The Lakers treated Cooper like family during his jersey retirement ceremony.

The Lakers played various Cooper tribute videos throughout Monday’s game against the Spurs. Johnson, Riley, Worthy, Wilkes, Scott, Kurt Rambis, Norm Nixon and A.C. Green were all the “Showtime Lakers” luminaries that stood with him at halfcourt. Johnson and Riley all gave speeches that touted Cooper’s defensive credentials and selfless play.

“All the players that I had the opportunity to play with have stayed connected,” Cooper said. “So for us, it’s really special to have all the guys come out and support. Anything we all do, we try to be there for one another.”

Therefore, Cooper did not seem surprised with the strong turnout Cooper experienced similar support at his Hall-of-Fame induction in Springfield, Mass nearly four months ago. Before the 2022-23 season, “the Showtime Lakers” held a reunion in Hawaii. There, they completed walk-through practices at far less intensity than during the NBA career. They also enjoyed various tourist sites with their spouses.

“Dr. Buss wanted the Lakers to be a family atmosphere,” Cooper said. “That’s what he developed. Not only the family through the players, but that includes our fans.”

No wonder the fans greeted Cooper with warm applause during his tribute videos, his jersey retirement ceremony and his subsequent speech. When Cooper grabbed the microphone, a large section of Lakers fans shouted his familiar nickname. ‘COOOOOP,” Lakers fans yelled with a lengthy drawl.

Once Cooper finished a speech mostly filled with efforts to express gratitude and to deflect the spotlight, fans continuously clapped and cheered for him with the same enthusiasm for more familiar icons in Johnson, Worthy and Riley.

Cooper does not have the same credentials as Johnson, Worthy, Wilkes, West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Pau Gasol and Gail Goodrich. But on Monday and beyond, Coopers’ No. 21 jersey will sit right next to the jerseys that bear those respective names.

“For this to happen with me neve being an All-Star or a top 10 or 15 scorer, this is really, really special,” Cooper said. “Because it’s about the people that loved us, enjoyed us and cheered for us.”

Michael Cooper's Most cherished memory

Former Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird often called Cooper the best defender he ever faced.

Cooper’s reasoning: “Iron sharpens iron.”

Cooper easily could have bragged on what he did to limit Bird. Instead, he turned a question on that matchup into what it meant to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals for the first time in 1985.

“That’s the one we cherish the most,” Cooper said. “The Celtics were a team that you had to put yourself on that level. We finally achieved that. It was very gratifying.”

Lakers defensive stalwart recalls favorite trash-talking moment

Shortly after the Lakers selected Cooper with the No. 60th pick in the third round of 1978 NBA Draft, West shared blunt feedback on his position on the depth chart.

“He said, ‘Coop I got Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not enough shots. So you got to play defense,’’ Cooper recalled West’s feedback. “And that’s what I tried to do. I did it to the best of my ability and kindly became the defensive captain of the team.”

That didn’t mean Cooper couldn’t score. The late Lakers announcer Chick Hearn coined the term ‘Coop-A-Loop’ for Cooper’s high-flying lobs. In Game 2 of the 1987 NBA Finals against Boston, Cooper scored 21 points while shooting 6-for-7 from 3-point range along with nine assists and three steals.

Before Cooper eventually developed into a respectable 3-point shooter, Bird disrespected Cooper with how he defended him.

“They put Larry on me because I was supposed to be the weakest offensive player,” Cooper said. “As soon as I touched the ball, he dropped five feet off of me.”

Bird then goaded Cooper and said, “Shoot it! Shoot it! Shoot it!”

“I took that as a slap in the face,” Cooper said. “So I started hitting shots.”

That prompted Cooper to yell out to Bird, “You better get your ass out here. I’m hot!”

Mark Medina is an NBA insider for Sportskeeda. Follow him on X, Blue Sky, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.