Michael Cooper
Michael Jerome Cooper (born April 15, 1956) is an American basketball coach and former player who is the boys varsity coach at Culver City High School. He played for the Los Angeles Lakers during his entire career in the National Basketball Association, 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 at Camp Lemonnier in 2023 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 15, 1956 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Pasadena (Pasadena, California) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1978: 3rd round, 60th overall pick |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Playing career | 1978–1991 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 21 |
| Coaching career | 1994–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1978–1990 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990–1991 | Virtus Roma |
| As coach: | |
| 1994–1996 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 1999 | Los Angeles Sparks (assistant) |
| 2000–2004 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2004 | Denver Nuggets (assistant) |
| 2004–2005 | Denver Nuggets (interim) |
| 2005–2007 | Albuquerque Thunderbirds |
| 2007–2009 | Los Angeles Sparks |
| 2009–2013 | USC (women) |
| 2014–2017 | Atlanta Dream |
| 2019–2021 | Chadwick School |
| 2021–present | Culver City High School |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As coach:
| |
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 7,729 (8.9 ppg) |
| Assists | 3,666 (4.2 apg) |
| Steals | 1,033 (1.2 spg) |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Cooper's previous coaching jobs include leading 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.