Michael Cooper

Five-time NBA champion and Hall of Fame defender Michael Cooper, known as 'Coop,' now leads the Cal State LA Golden Eagles.

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Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956), nicknamed "Coop", is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles men's basketball team. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), winning five NBA championships with the Lakers during their Showtime era. He was an eight-time selection to the NBA All-Defensive Team, including five times on the first team. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. Cooper was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. The Lakers retired his 21 jersey in 2025.

Quick Facts

Team: Cal State Los Angeles Golden Eagles
Position: Head coach
League: CCAA
Born: 15 April 1956
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
High school: Pasadena (Pasadena, California)
College: Pasadena CC (1974–1976); New Mexico (1976–1978)
Draft round: 3

Lore & Background

Michael Jerome Cooper was born on April 15, 1956, in Los Angeles, California. When he was three years old, he cut one of his knees severely, requiring 100 stitches to close. At the time the doctor said that he would never be able to walk. Cooper attended Pasadena High School, where he excelled in basketball.

He graduated in 1974. He attended Pasadena City College before transferring to the University of New Mexico. He played for the New Mexico Lobos for two seasons, 1976–78, and was named first team All-Western Athletic Conference. In Cooper's senior season, he was named a first-team All-American by the United States Basketball Writers Association.

The Lobos won the WAC title, with Cooper averaging 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the third round of the 1978 NBA draft with the 60th overall pick, Cooper became an integral part of their Showtime teams of the 1980s with his defensive skills. In a twelve-year career, he was named to the NBA All Defensive Team eight times, including five first-team selections. Until 2024, Cooper and Norm Van Lier had the most defensive selections of any player to not be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

He was named a finalist in 2022 and was selected for induction into the Hall of Fame in 2024. He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. He, along with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, was a member of five Lakers championship teams in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988. At 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), 174 lb (77 kg), the rail-thin Cooper known for his knee-high socks, played shooting guard, small forward, and point guard, although his defensive assignment was usually the other team's best shooter at the 2 or 3 position.

Larry Bird has said that Cooper was the best defender he faced. For his career, Cooper averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.

Reader's Guide

As a coach, Cooper led the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) to two championships and the Albuquerque Thunderbirds to one NBA G League title. He has also coached in the NBA, WNBA, and the NBA Development League. He was the head coach for boys basketball at Culver City High School in California from 2021 to 2023. He then took an assistant coaching job for men's basketball at California State University, Los Angeles. Cooper was elevated to head coach in 2026.