Lakers to Retire Michael Cooper’s No. 21 on Jan. 13 Against Spurs

The Los Angeles Lakers will be honoring Michael Cooper during the 2024-25 NBA season. The Lakers announced Thursday that the team will be retiring Cooper’s No. 21 jersey on Jan. 13, 2025, against the San Antonio Spurs.

Cooper, 68, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2024. As a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, he spent his entire 12-year career with the Lakers after the team selected him 60th overall in the 1978 draft.

In 873 career NBA regular-season games (94 starts), he averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 27.1 minutes per contest. He also shot 46.9% from the floor, 34% from 3-point range, and 83.3% at the free throw line.

5x Champion. Defensive specialist. Showtime Coooooop.

1/13/25 – We raise Michael Cooper’s jersey into the rafters amongst the Laker greats. pic.twitter.com/KbSwza9pHu

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) August 15, 2024

Moreover, Cooper was named NBA All-Defensive eight times: five First-Team selections (1982, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) and three Second-Team nods (1981, 1983, 1986). Plus, he helped Los Angeles win five NBA championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988).

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 participated in the 1984 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as well.

Michael Cooper is slated to become the 13th Los Angeles Lakers player to have his number retired

Cooper ranks fifth in assists (3,666) and steals (1,033) in Lakers’ franchise history. While he did not make the top 10 in blocks or points, he was almost always healthy. Cooper appeared in every game in the 1979-80, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1985-86, and 1986-87 seasons.

Additionally, in Los Angeles’ 119-113 win over the Boston Celtics on Feb. 7, 1982, he recorded a career-high 31 points on 13-of-20 (65%) shooting from the field and 5-of-6 (83.3%) at the foul line. Larry Bird said in the past that Cooper was the best defender he ever faced.

In the 1986-87 season, Cooper won NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 10.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steal, and 27.5 minutes per contest in 82 games (two starts).

The California native joins Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Pau Gasol, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, James Worthy, Jerry West, Jamaal Wilkes, and George Mikan as players who have had their numbers retired by the Lakers.

Cooper’s jersey will be retired a month before NBA All-Star Weekend. The event is scheduled from Feb. 14-16 in San Francisco at Chase Center. Next season’s All-Star Game will be the 74th edition. However, the game will be televised nationally by TNT for the 23rd and final consecutive year.