Lakers retire Michael Cooper’s No. 21 jersey in emotional-halftime ceremony

It is not always common that a basketball player ends up playing his entire career with a single franchise, as was the case with Michael Cooper’s time in Los Angeles. This is why the Lakers decided to raise his No. 21 jersey to the rafters on Monday night, and celebrate the defence-minded guard’s contribution to the club. 

Well remembered for his time during the Showtime era, the 68-year-old couldn’t hide his excitement during the halftime ceremony that occurred during this week’s clash against the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena. The franchise that has earned 17 titles in total, unveiled his jersey between Magic Johnson’s No. 32 and James Worthy’s No. 42.

This was certainly an appropriate position for the Hall of Famer, who earned five NBA championships in the 1980s. “This is so overwhelming to me, because I never expected this at all,” Cooper said. “I always played for the love of the game, and the team, and winning championships. Tonight is, to me, more special than the Hall of Fame — but both of them are equally important.”

After Michael Cooper's jersey retirement, Magic Johnson told @Sportskeeda he ranks Cooper, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen & Dennis Johnson as the best defenders. Magic: "Michael Cooper made me a better basketball player." https://t.co/4qtZZOAl4q pic.twitter.com/i8O7cuPwdo

— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 15, 2025

Despite his retirement, Michael has continued to be wildly popular in Los Angeles, as he was born in the area. Throughout the night, he was celebrated with standing ovations, while the Lakers organization decided to give every single fan a replica of his No. 21 jersey, a gift that the city needed after being devastated by wildfires.

Unfortunately, his number retirement coincided with an already emotional evening for the fans, after two of their previous matches had been postponed due to the wildfire crisis, which even consumed coach JJ Redick’s home last week. Cooper is a Pasadena native who lived very close to one of the most devastated zones.

“It’s kind of a happy-sad moment for me,” he admitted on Monday. “A lot of the landmarks, a couple of the middle schools I went to, those are all gone now. Tonight I’m going to enjoy it, but with a heavy heart because so many people lost so many things.”

Not too long ago in October, the purple and gold icon was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Even though his addition to this important honor happened nearly 33 years after his last NBA contest, he was convinced that Monday’s ceremony proved to be even more special for him.