In the latest episode of All The Smoke, Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper sat down with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson to discuss the origins of his tough defensive style and revealed the hardest player to guard from his era.
If Barnes and Jackson are known for anything from their playing days, it is their RELENTLESS defense. Despite the flash and glam that came with the Showtime Lakers, Cooper was an eight-time selection to the NBA’s all-defensive team. His knack for playing lights-out defense dates back to his time at the University of New Mexico, where his coach, Norm Ellenberger, preached defensive toughness. By the time he got drafted by the Lakers, Cooper says the late great Jerry West had told him with guys like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Norm Nixon on the floor, there were not enough shots for him, so he was going to have to play some defense. Cooper’s defense gave him an important role on the team, something Jackson could relate to thanks to his own experience playing on a star-studded San Antonio Spurs team where coach Gregg Popovich explained that if he wanted to get on the court, he had to play some defense.
Boston Celtics great Larry Bird has acknowledged Cooper as one of the best defenders EVER. Hearing that felt good for Cooper because he played for the respect of his peers. Cooper did not try to hurt Bird or trash talk him the way some other players and teams that often faced him did. His approach was to play Bird straight up and as honestly as he could because he shared the great ones are not distracted by antics. For him, Bird’s comments showed that Cooper was doing the right things on the court and further solidified his tough playing style.
Cooper said preparing to face a player like Bird is an entirely different animal. Cooper stressed the importance of keeping Bird off of his spots but admitted that as a defender, you wanted to alter their shot. He shared that Bird was his toughest matchup despite defending guys like Michael Jordan, Andrew Toney and George Gervin. What made Bird so hard to guard was that when he did not have the ball, he did not stop moving on the court. Bird would do the little things to impact every possession, whether setting a back screen or getting an offensive rebound.
Watch or listen to the full episode below and keep an eye on DraftKings Network for new episodes of All The Smoke every Thursday at 6 p.m. ET!
SHOW BREAKDOWN
Michael Cooper on Guarding Larry Bird, Kobe’s Draft Workout, 80’s Players Getting Disrespected
- Lakers legend Michael Cooper joins All The Smoke for a walk down memory lane that reveals untold stories behind one of basketball’s most celebrated defensive titans. The newly inducted Hall of Famer breaks down his incredible journey from junior college underdog to becoming the ultimate “Larry Bird stopper” during the iconic Showtime Lakers era. Cooper pulls back the curtain on his legendary defensive prowess—a career that earned him Defensive Player of the Year in 1987 and eight All-NBA Defensive team selections. Matt and Stak get Cooper to open up about his remarkable transformation from NBA player to successful WNBA coach, sharing intimate stories about basketball royalty like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lisa Leslie, Kobe Bryant, and more. From guarding the game’s most challenging opponents to navigating the competitive landscape of professional basketball, Cooper delivers raw, unfiltered insights that only a true basketball icon can provide.
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Check out the DraftKings YouTube page and the All The Smoke Productions YouTube page for more. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Instagram at @Matt_Barnes9 and @_Stak5_ as well as All The Smoke Productions.
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