Key Takeaways
- Michael Cooper says the Lakers should retire LeBron James’ jersey when he retires, citing his 2020 championship: “Bron won a championship, so you have to honor him like that.”
- Cooper also believes James deserves a statue outside Crypto.com Arena alongside Lakers icons like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, though he acknowledges that recognition could take time.
- The five-time champion, whose own No. 21 now hangs in the Lakers’ rafters, called his jersey retirement “the ultimate honor.”
LeBron James may be wearing a Philadelphia 76ers uniform these days, but Michael Cooper believes the Lakers still owe him a permanent place in Los Angeles. The five-time NBA champion says James deserves to have his jersey retired when his playing career ends—and he's not ruling out a statue outside Crypto.com Arena, either.
Speaking with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson for #WORDSWITHSCOOP, Cooper weighed in on whether James' eight seasons in Los Angeles were enough to earn him the same recognition as some of the franchise's biggest legends. For Cooper, who recently experienced having his own No. 21 jersey retired, the answer was straightforward.
"Well, I think when he retires, yeah," Cooper said. "Like a lot of people, Wilt Chamberlain's jersey is retired in different places—Philadelphia and Los Angeles. So, of course. Bron won a championship, so you have to honor him like that."
The statue question, however, comes with a little more nuance. The Lakers have immortalized franchise icons including Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal outside their home arena, and Cooper believes James belongs in that conversation. He acknowledged that such recognition wouldn't necessarily happen immediately.
"I think that's going to take time if that were to happen," Cooper said. "But anybody that has won a championship in Los Angeles for the Lakers and the player that LeBron James is, deserves a statue out there."
During his eight seasons in Los Angeles, James helped deliver the franchise's 17th NBA title in 2020 and became the NBA's all-time leading scorer in 2023, surpassing fellow Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Cooper knows firsthand what that level of recognition means. A cornerstone of the Lakers' "Showtime" dynasty, he won five championships alongside Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar before earning induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. His No. 21 now hangs among the franchise's other retired numbers.
"The ultimate honor came for me when the Lakers retired my jersey," Cooper said. "That kind of sent me over the top, and anything else after that is just a blessing."
The former Defensive Player of the Year also reflected on his unlikely journey from Pasadena to becoming one of the most celebrated players in Lakers history.
"So many great Laker players have come through this organization, and I'm considered one of them," he said. "I'm a little kid from Pasadena, never expected anything, and now here I am among the best in the game."
Cooper even found time to revisit one of his less-discussed contributions to basketball culture: the high-sock look. When Robinson brought up former NBA forward Keith Van Horn, Cooper quickly claimed seniority.
"He followed me!" Cooper joked before adding that the style "didn't look good on him." Cooper credited former teammate Bob McAdoo with pulling off the look, explaining that longer shorts ruined Van Horn's proportions.
