The Los Angeles Lakers have made legends by wearing purple and gold throughout their historic time, but none may have been more impactful and filled their role than former Defensive Player of the Year, Michael Cooper.
Copper was a pivotal player for the Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s. While the Lakers were known for their flashy play, fast-paced style, and elite playmaking, it was Cooper who brought the tenacity night in and night out and guarded the other team’s best player.
The Hall of Famer knows a thing or two about the game of basketball and isn’t afraid to tell it how it is. In his latest podcast, “Showtime with Coop,” he did a Start, Bench, Cut segment that featured Luka Dončić, Damian Lillard, and Kyrie Irving.
Surprisingly, he started Lillard, Benched Dončić, and cut Irving. Cooper said his reason for benching Dončić was because he believes he is lazy, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“Luka [Dončić] gives you that triple-double almost about every night, but he’s too slow for me. If he wasn’t a scorer, I would cut him. I give him credit for that, but to me, he’s lazy,” Cooper said. “Doesn’t hustle back on defense.”
Although Dončić is already one of the best players in the league, there has been some fair criticism regarding his hustle and effort on the defensive side of the ball. Everyone who has watched Dončić consistently knows that is not his strong suit, but that is the opposite regarding his offensive prowess.
Dončić is arguably the most skilled offensive player in the league today, and the numbers back it up. He may never have cracked an All-Defensive team, but he has already been named to the All-NBA team five times, is a five-time All-Star, and won the 2023-24 scoring title.
At best, Dončić is an average defender who can hold his own when he puts effort into it. However, he often pouts and complains to referrers instead of running back on defense. That was his biggest issue in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, and Copper isn’t a big fan of that.
As for the Laker champion, he is a Hall of Famer, a five-time NBA champion, and an eight-time All-Defense member for eight consecutive seasons from 1980-88. If Cooper is talking anything about defense and hustle, you listen.
