Defense is not the most popular aspect of basketball, but some players have strong reputations as rock-solid defenders. One of those names is Michael Cooper , a vital piece in the Los Angeles Lakers ' 1980s Showtime era.
Coop had a unique physical profile, standing 6’7" but rail-thin at only 174 pounds. Amidst the physical deficiencies, Cooper was one of the league’s best defenders. He embraced the task of guarding the top perimeter players from opposing teams, making him well-acquainted with legends such as Larry Bird, Clyde Drexler, and Michael Jordan.
Fellow Lakers player Brian Shaw saw many positives in how Coop approached defense, making him one of the most challenging players to go up against.
“Coop would actually develop while the game is going on a hatred for the person he was guarding. He wanted to pump fear into their heart. He has a fearless look on his face, that fearless look like a dog,” Shaw said on Vintage NBA.
Coop took on any defensive challenge
A sign of an elite defender is the willingness to defend anyone the coach assigns. That made the Lakers legend one of the best defenders in the league because the Purple and Gold had no problem sticking him on any player.
Some people might have thought he would get thrown around due to his thin frame, but that did hinder his impact on that side of the ball. He relentlessly kept in step with his opponents, making him one of the most annoying defenders to go up against.
He had a laundry list of stellar players he defended, which led to him speaking about which players were the hardest to guard. Bird and Jordan were there, but he also wanted to discuss other underrated names.
"Some of the top ones were George Gervin, the late great Mike Mitchell, he could score, man, people forget how good that guy was, mid-range and close to the basket,” Cooper said on his Showtime with Coop podcast.
“Obviously a young Michael Jordan, but the hardest one would have to be Larry Bird, and the only reason I say this is because Larry was dangerous with the basketball, but he became more dangerous when he didn't have the basketball."
Coop deserved his defensive accolades
Cooper retired in 1990 as one of the most successful players of the past decade. He was a five-time champion with the Lakers, named to seven All-Defensive Teams, and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1987, even if Jordan got peeved about it .
He won that individual award by coming off the bench, one of the most unique award victories in the NBA's history. It was a testament to how good Coop was on defense. Players dreaded playing the Lakers because they got suffocated on offense and had to run back almost every possession due to the Showtime play style.
Michael was one of the most impressive defenders of the ‘80s, and those accolades were all deserved. Thankfully, Coop has received all kinds of praise from past legends who got a taste of his mastery.
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