Last year, Lakers legend Michael Cooper was nominated for the the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the first time. And while he didn’t make it in the loaded 2021 class, it’s not out of the question that the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year — who was so dynamic that he won the award despite coming off the bench — and five-time champion with the Showtime Lakers could make it into the Hall in the future.
A few weeks ago, Cooper told our own Sabreena Merchant that he got “very, very emotional” about ending up on the doorstep on the Hall of Fame, and that being on the precipice leaves him wanting to get in more than ever.