Lakers Called Out for Massive Mistake During Michael Cooper Jersey Retirement
The Los Angeles Lakers honored their most recent Hall of Famer, former five-time "Showtime"-era champion Michael Cooper, with a special jersey retirement ceremony during their 126-102 blowout defeat to the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night.
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Unfortunately, the special moment was marred somewhat by a bungled fan giveaway.
All fans were supposed to be delivered complimentary Michael Cooper No. 21 jerseys in their seats. But the gifted jerseys featured an off-center, diagonal Lakers logo on the front, and per Mike Gunzelman of Outkick their lettering was falling off.
"Tonight the Lakers honor Michael Cooper and raise his number 21 jersey in the rafters. As part of the celebration, the Lakers planned a replica jersey giveaway for fans, which was unfortunately produced and distributed with imperfections," the Lakers wrote in an apologetic press statement. "The jerseys will be reproduced and every fan attending tonight can receive a new one in the coming weeks."
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Cooper's is just the latest in a long and starry lineage of Lakers player jerseys to be retired and hung up for eternity at Crypto.com Arena. Cooper is the 13th Laker to see his jersey retired. He joins Kobe Bryant's Nos. 8 and 24 jerseys, Wilt Chamberlain's No. 13 jersey, Pau Gasol's No. 16 jersey, Elgin Baylor's No. 22 jersey, Gail Goodrich's No. 25 jersey, Magic Johnson's No. 32 jersey, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's No. 33 jersey, Shaquille O'Neal's No. 34 jersey, James Worthy's No. 42 jersey, Jerry West's No. 44 jersey, Jamaal Wilkes' No. 52 jersey, and George Mikan's No. 99 jersey.
Mikan was a member of the Minneapolis Lakers, of course, but L.A. retained his five championships when it relocated in 1960-61.
Presumably, LeBron James' No. 23 jersey and Anthony Davis' No. 3 jersey are contenders to join this group when they do retire, as the two Hall of Fame-caliber stars on L.A.'s most recent championship squad, its 2019-20 club.
Several of Cooper's superstar teammates — including Johnson, Worthy and Wilkes — were on hand for his big moment.
Drafted by Los Angeles with the No. 60 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft out of New Mexico, the 6-foot-7 swingman was an eight-time All-Defensive Team honoree as well as the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year. In a rarity for a Hall of Famer, the Pasadena native played most of his career as a reserve and was never an All-Star.
Cooper spent all 12 of his NBA seasons with the Lakers, from 1978-90.
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