Michael Cooper reacts to Lakers jersey retirement: ‘Hard work pays off’
After the Lakers announced the retirement of his jersey, Michael Cooper had a heartwarming reaction to the news.
The Showtime Lakers are an era that not only defines the franchise but also the league in many respects. While Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy are typically associated with that time period, they weren’t alone.
Michael Cooper was one of those teams' often unsung key pieces, but his praises are now being rightfully sung now. After being elected to the Hall of Fame earlier this year, the Lakers announced that Cooper’s jersey would be lifted to the rafters.
The announcement came with the release of the 2024-25 schedule and will take place on Jan. 13 when the team hosts the Spurs. While Cooper was certainly aware of the announcement coming, it didn’t take away from his genuine reaction to the news, which he shared on Twitter recently.
My reflections on the personal accolades being bestowed upon me this year.
— Michael Cooper (@ShowtimeCooper) August 18, 2024
✅ Hall of Fame Induction
✅ @Lakers retiring my jersey
A very heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s supported me throughout my NBA career and in my post-playing career
⚡️by @Gametime @PrizePicks pic.twitter.com/l1L0LBJtY6
It’s hard not to come away from that video and not feel anything but joy for Coop. The part of him talking about how his kids and grandkids and great-grandkids will get to see his jersey in the rafters now with the other Lakers greats was touching.
Cooper has discussed the possibility of having his jersey retired in the past, saying he would be speechless if it were to happen. While he wasn’t quite speechless, as you can tell, you can still tell it means a ton to him.
I’m all in on calling it the Year of Coop as he rightfully gets his flowers over the coming months. He’s long deserved to be remembered for his part in the Showtime era and now he assuredly will be.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.