Michael Cooper Names His Toughest Defensive Assignments

The perfect video for NBA history fans: one of the best defenders of all time talks about the toughest offensive players he ever faced on defense.

Do you have any Showtime Lakers complete game that is not on YouTube already? Feel free to contact me, so I would be glad to edit it with Coop highlights and upload to the channel.

About me: I'm just a dedicated Michael Cooper fan paying tribute to his legacy. I create and share videos with his best moments, some pictures and my collection.

[jas]

Someone asked Bird, when he practiced in the off season, who was it that he imagined was guarding him. He said, "Michael Cooper. It's ALWAYS Michael Cooper."

[mojavedesertsonorandesert]

Coop & Bird one of the greatest matchups b-ball- history! 🏀🏀🏀 Glad I got to see it all the way through...🏀🏀🏀🏀

[jeremyhemp]

And Bird has always said that Coop was the best defender he ever had to play against. These guys went at it hard! No off nights with either one.

[qAtuBiFa]

Man you gotta love the 80s NBA, the best era of basketball.

[BasketballJones]

What he said about Bird... very well put, very well said, great assessment.

[lar]

Larry Legend...the stories keep getting better. Thank you to YOUTUBE and to the person whouploaded this clip. Much appreciation here.

[scott.moresh]

How is Michael Cooper not in the HOF. He was a monster defender!!!

[musicandmagic]

:36 - pile of bodies under the basket, who knows what got them there, little bruised up, play is over, game is moving on - and Mr. Cooper gives hands to help his opponent and teammates up before running down the court.

Instantly gained my respect because THAT'S HOW REAL MEN ACT.

[willharper]

See this is what a lot of people don't UNDERSTAND about basketball...COOP just explained how POWERFUL having a VERY HIGH IQ is in basketball and sports in general...and Larry Bird had one of the HIGHEST in league history. He and Magic were way ahead of anyone else in that department, that's why they won so quickly and so often...most can shoot...jump high..run fast...etc..but can you THINK?? Make the right decisions at the right times etc...that's what separates Larry and Magic from the rest..in my HUMBLE opinion 😗...#think 👌✌

[natashatomlinson]

The Coop-a-loop was a thing of infinite beauty

[tortillasarenotbiceps]

I watched Larry for years being a Boston boy myself. Man was unstoppable.

[sfan]

I love Gervin mention, thanks for this video!

[princeprince]

Idk why I got chills listening to these og's talk

[lar]

Celtics fans here...Toney was super dangerous...when he was hot...which seemed like forever, you needed a gun to stop him. His long bombs were incredible . It seemed like The Celtics vs. Toney.

[rustydaboyrobot]

It's pretty awesome when Michael Cooper brings up names of players that are all but forgotten. I was a Gervin fan....and a Larry Bird fan.

Guess i picked pretty well. 😄

[xpat]

People forget about Toney but he was a killer.

[Fornax]

Kevin McHale said it best I think. He said Bird and Magic could control the game yet only take 12 shots, they’d have 20 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists, couple of steals and blocks. If Jordan was held to only 12 shots you would probably win the game. That’s what Coop was getting at too.
It’s nice the mutual respect Coop and Bird have for one another, both phenomenal players and would of made excellent teammates too.

[jamesspencer]

Birdie always say Coop .That guy like a fast spider

[michaelforbes]

Love this and he was on point. I totally forgot about Mike Mitchell. Wow, he was a flat out scorer, Andrew Toney was dead on. I grew up in Boston, and he was unstoppable offensively. The "Boston Strangler" moniker is not a nickname. That's a fact and he killed the Celtics. Bird of course was a machine and Cooper had to acknowledge that.. :) But yes Cooper defensively was a monster. Admittingly, Bird had the most trouble against him.

[mikeonthemccomedy]

LOVED THIS!! FROM A REAL ERA WHERE BASKETBALL WAS A MANS SPORT! NOT LIKE TODAY'S AAU FRIENDLY LEAGUE AND EUROPEAN STYLE BASKETBALL!!