Monday’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena was one the Lakers would like to forget. After taking a 62-53 lead at halftime, they fell completely apart starting late in the third quarter, and they were destroyed 37-13 in the fourth quarter, leading to an inexcusable 126-102 loss.
But for former Laker Michael Cooper, it was a night he will remember for the rest of his life. At halftime, the recently enshrined member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame had his No. 21 jersey retired on the wall of Crypto.com Arena.
A number of his former teammates were at center court for the ceremony, and Magic Johnson counted down to the moment that his retired jersey was unveiled.
Cooper played 12 seasons for the Purple and Gold starting with the 1978-79 campaign, and he was an integral part of the five NBA championships they won during the Showtime era. While he never made an All-Star team, he was a fixture on the NBA’s All-Defensive team, and he was named the Defensive Player of the Year in 1987.
-He was one of the greatest defensive players ever, as well as a great 3-point shooter, but overall, he was a Swiss Army knife for those Lakers squads of the 1980s. Now, his jersey will hang alongside those of the franchise’s other legends for eternity.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Watch: Michael Cooper’s retired jersey is unveiled at Crypto.com Arena
