Read an excerpt from “Coop,” the upcoming memoir penned by Hall-of-Famer, five-time champion, and Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper.
Over the past few years, Coop’s stoop has raised even higher.
Michael Cooper was perhaps forever destined to leave a mark on SoCal hoops: born in Los Angeles, Cooper originally starred at Pasadena High School before spending two years at Pasadena Community College prior to his transferring to New Mexico. He was then chosen in the third round of the 1978 draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, beginning a 12-year NBA playing career (1978-90) spent exclusively in purple-and-gold.
Eight All-Defense Team nominations and five championships later, Cooper returned to the Laker bench as an assistant coach under Del Harris. He then headed up the Los Angeles Sparks’ WNBA endeavors, guiding that group to the first couple of three championships. In two stints with the Sparks (2000-04, 2007-09), Cooper amassed 165 victories, which still paces the franchise to this day.
Though he has held other head coaching jobs (such as another headlining WNBA gig with the Atlanta Dream), he has continued to guide current California groups: he led the Chadwick School and Culver City High School boys programs, as well as the University of Southern California’s women’s group. Cooper earned a long-sought invitation to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 and the No. 21 he wore with the Lakers was raised to their dwelling’s rafters in January, immortalized alongside the digits of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West, and more.
These tales of SoCal and more will now be documented in Cooper’s upcoming book “Coop: The Making of a Showtime Lakers Legend,” which will be co-penned by Jake Uitti, who previously penned Michael Ray Richardson’s “
“More than anything when describing Michael Cooper, the conclusion is a player who was the ultimate teammate and winner, always willing to sacrifice for the greater good to make sure Showtime was the biggest hit on the hardwood,” the description on Amazon reads in part. In ‘COOP: The Making of a Showtime Lakers Legend,’ take a journey with newly minted Hall of Famer Michael Cooper back to the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles in the 1980s when Magic, Kareem, Big Game James, and Coop made the Forum the epicenter of the NBA and Hollywood nights alike, and put together one of the most dominant runs in the history of the sport. Yet while the Showtime Lakers made the fun, sun, and their epic run look easy, this conversational, candid, and joyous memoir delves deep into the hard work it took to get to the top, and the unbreakable bond they formed along the way.”
OFF THE COURT during my rookie season(s) while recuperating from surgery, I had to carry the stinky gym bags for guys such as Adrian Dantley. In my rookie year at training camp in Palm Desert, I did the dirty work for Dantley (who was later traded to Utah for Spencer Haywood ahead of the 1979–80 year), Ron Boone, and Lou Hudson. My job was to get their laundry after practice and make sure it was cleaned. Rookie Ron Carter was subjected to the same. The Lakers had eight or nine veterans on the team and few rookies. So we youngsters had our share of jobs. During the breaks in practice, I also had to get all the veterans full cups of Gatorade.
I couldn’t spill a single drop—that was the rule. When Ron was cut from the team (I beat him out!), I became Kareem’s rookie. He was one of the hardest to work for due to his morning requests. Cap wanted a copy of the Wall Street Journal at his doorstep by 5:00 am each morning. So I had to go out and find one. Luckily, there was an IHOP near where we stayed for camp. So I’d run there at dawn, put my quarter (my money, not Kareem’s) in, and get the paper. He liked it folded, and so I did all that and placed it by his door before the sun rose. If I didn’t have it done, he’d take it to me in practice.
The thing was, I had to do all this both my rookie year and the following year! Because I hadn’t played in 1978–79 due to my injury, I wasn’t allowed to skip my duties in 1979–80. Along with me in 1979–80, Magic wasn’t spared either. Not even the No. 1 pick—well, especially not the No. 1 pick—got out of it. Magic, who the vets called Buck, became Kareem’s rookie during his rookie year too. He also did things for Kenny Carr, such as like washing his laundry after practices at the College of the Desert. That went on for the entire two weeks of camp—both years for me. While it was nothing severe, in the end the vets did test your spirit, playfully degrading you.
I had never done anything like that before, especially for a man. My mother and grandmother had always done my laundry! (God bless them) Despite these tasks, I was still becoming more and more of a valuable part of the Lakers roster. Jerry West liked me for my aggression, long arms, and competitive nature. He also saw I complemented my teammates, not trying to take over in spots where they were more equipped. As for Jerry Buss, he was a great new owner just starting to build his sports empire, which included the revamped Forum Club, celebrities, and beautiful lady friends galore. But Buss was a genius in how he listened.
He let you talk, and he’d ask you questions. For him, Earvin was that missing ingredient to the Lakers’ success, the proverbial straw that stirred our drink. Magic provided leadership, scoring, and easy buckets on the hardwood. He was no-nonsense. We could have fun, but Magic made it clear we better always be ready to play—if you weren’t, he might get your ass traded. And Buss provided stability, business acumen, and guidance—a match made in heaven. I was just glad to be along for the ride, filling in wherever I could.
After we started winning rings, Buss flew us out to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu for training camp. But for now, in 1979–80 and 1980–81, we stayed closer to home. Later, he started to spring for finer things. Buss always wanted the best in life, no matter what. He was also very active with our team. Today, I consider him the greatest owner in sports history. While I can only judge by my experience, and I technically didn’t play for any others, it’s clear how smart he was. He was a man of both his word and vision. He always told us that our job was to “entertain the entertainers.” That’s what Showtime was all about.
Just as we might go home after a tough day and watch a movie, it was our job to put on a big-time show when people such as Jack Nicholson came to the Forum. That’s how the Laker Girls came about around 1979 and 1980—that and Buss seeing the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. Buss loved what Jerry Jones did with the NFL.
Dr. Buss would always come in before every game, and he’d walk around the Forum. He’d have 13 or 14 girls with him at a time, a femme entourage, and they’d walk the arena, as if blessing it with their sexy energy. Then he’d walk up to his seat high above in the rafters, by the jerseys with the iconic Lakers retired numbers, and the girls would keep walking the Forum’s hallways, maintaining that sexy energy. I bit my lip—they were some beautiful young ladies. While I don’t want to say there was a carnival atmosphere on game day, it was something like that.
Buss made the Forum the place to be. He wanted it to be the spot where you might meet a new friend or girlfriend. He wanted that kind of vibe. It was enticing to fans. He wanted the people to come back to the games over and over. He was very savvy about things like that. And along the way, he taught his favorite players a little bit about it—I like to think I was one of them. Furthermore, whenever it was time for me to negotiate a new contract, it was always with Dr. Buss, one-on-one. I only dealt with him. We’d sit down, hash it out, and finish with a handshake.
He’d always ask, “Coop, are you okay with this?” And I’d reply, “Yes, Dr. Buss.” And when you walked out, it was final. The lawyers on each side would then finalize the deal. Buss made the game about more than basketball, taking the sport to the next level. And he was beloved for it; even the discerning Jerry West called him a “fantastic man.” What’s more, with Magic on the team, we had substance behind the glitz. He was perfect for the fans that Buss cultivated at the Fabulous Forum. The place became a hub for celebrities and American culture itself. We had to make a lot of shots with flashbulbs going off in our faces.
ANYONE WHO’S EVER seen me on a basketball court has likely noticed my unusual attire. Every game as a pro, I wore my socks up high, my short shorts’ drawstrings out, and sweatbands on each arm. That trend started for me way back in high school. A varsity player my senior season back then, I was getting pretty good. Reporters were writing about me in the paper, and as I got better, I garnered more attention. I even began to score more.
Around this time, L.A. hoops officials brought back the local high school game of the week. It was 1974, and my grandmother was still alive then (though, sadly, not for much longer). She had glaucoma and wasn’t doing well health-wise. Pasadena High School was invited to play in the game of the week. We were matched up against El Rancho High School from Pico River, and it was the first game of the week since 1968.
It was also the first time I’d be on TV. When I told my grandmother the good news, she said, “Michael, you have to do something to separate yourself from the other kids!” She didn’t necessarily mean in terms of my overall performance on the court. She just meant so that she could tell me apart from the others on her little black-and-white TV. My idea was to play the game with my high white socks (to hide my skinny legs), sweatbands, and strings pulled out of my red uniform shorts—really different.
And it worked! She could tell who I was on her TV. Ever since, that’s been how I stood out to fans in L.A. It was how I built my identity and how I’m remembered even now. It’s how the legend of Coop began! Oh, and in that game, I scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds along with a handful of blocked shots and big dunks. After that, I quietly began to think about playing in the NBA. Little did I know what would be in store for me—the journey it would take to get there.
Geoff Magliochetti is on X @GeoffJMags
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