WNBA legend Lisa Leslie was spotted in Springfield, Massachusetts, last Sunday, not to add another trophy to her legendary shelf (which we imagine needs its own zip code), but to celebrate the induction of her former LA Sparks coach, the one and only Michael “Coop” Cooper, into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Yeah, that’s right. She wasn’t there to bask in her own well-deserved glory this time; she was busy being the ultimate cheerleader for her mentor. Talk about role reversal!
Leslie, who helped the Sparks capture back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002 under Cooper’s guidance, was more than happy to give her old coach the spotlight. When asked by Dennis Scott about why she showed up to support Coop, her response was heartwarming and hilarious:
“Coop’s meant so much to me and to the LA Sparks program and to the WNBA as a coach. I wouldn’t have had my jersey retired, I wouldn’t be a Hall of Famer without Michael Cooper. I’m so happy for him,” Leslie gushed. Now, that’s some serious coach love! If you thought your high school basketball coach was cool because he let you shoot threes, Leslie just put him to shame.
Coop’s Journey From Showtime to Sparks Showdown
Cooper’s journey to WNBA greatness kicked off in 1999 when he joined the Sparks as an assistant to Orlando Woolridge. Apparently, Coop was too good at assisting (not shocking considering he played for the Showtime Lakers), and he soon found himself steering the ship after Woolridge’s departure. While the Sparks initially got their collective hearts broken by the Houston Comets in 2000, Coop’s defensive wizardry—and Leslie’s unstoppable force of nature on the court—took them all the way to the top in 2001 and 2002. Not only did they win championships, but Leslie walked away with Finals MVP honors both times. Cooper and Leslie? Absolute dynasty. And if there were ever a tag-team wrestling match between WNBA coach-player duos, we’d bet our last dollar on these two.
Lisa Leslie’s Bold Claim: No Lakers Rings Without Coop?
Now, just when you thought Leslie’s love for Coop was limited to their Sparks run, she went ahead and made jaws drop again by throwing some major shade on the Lakers’ famed Showtime era. In true Leslie fashion, she gave Cooper more than just a shoutout:
“He is an essential piece to the LA Lakers. Magic [Johnson] is Magic. James Worthy is James Worthy and the Captain [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] is Cap, but let me tell you this—there’s no championship without Michael Cooper.”
Hold on. Did she just say that? Yep. Leslie, an LA legend herself, essentially claimed that the Lakers’ five NBA championships in the ’80s don’t happen without the defensive grit of Cooper. Forget flash and showmanship—apparently, Coop was the glue holding the team together. Can we get this woman on a sports debate show stat?
As for Cooper, he’s no stranger to stealing the show in his own quiet way. He was the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year, and Pat Riley—aka the slick-haired Godfather of basketball—had no problem calling him the “GOAT of perimeter defenders.” While Magic was busy dazzling fans with no-look passes, Coop was over there locking down the league’s best scorers like a bank vault.
So, in case you thought this Hall of Fame induction was just another “yay, another great player-coach enters the halls of basketball heaven,” think again. This was more of a reunion of dynasties—the Showtime Lakers and the Sparks of the early 2000s—both of which Michael Cooper played a major hand in molding.
And Lisa Leslie? Well, she just reminded us all that even legends have their unsung heroes. So next time you hear someone raving about the Showtime Lakers or the Sparks’ dominance in the WNBA, just casually throw in: “Yeah, but it was really Coop holding it all together.” You might just start a whole new sports debate. You’re welcome.
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