Lisa Leslie attributes her Hall of Fame career to 5x NBA champion: "I wouldn't have had my jersey retired"

By Michael Macasero

Modified Oct 15, 2024 08:45 GMT

Lisa Leslie was in Springfield, Massachusetts on Sunday to support Michael Cooper's induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The LA Sparks legend came at Cooper’s request, as he was her coach during her back-to-back championship runs in 2001 and 2002. “Coop” was inducted into the Hall of Fame with 12 others, including Vince Carter and Chauncey Billups.

Leslie praised Cooper's impact on her and the WNBA when asked by host Dennis Scott about her presence at the enshrinement ceremonies:

“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.”

Cooper joined the Sparks in 1999 as an assistant coach to Orlando Wooldridge. The team reached the playoffs for the first time that year but lost to the Houston Comets in the conference finals. “Coop” took over Wooldridge after that campaign.

Led by Lisa Leslie, LA reached the 2000 conference finals but was beaten again by the Comets. The Sparks would eventually get over the hump, winning the championship in 2001 and 2002. Leslie won Finals MVP honors on both occasions.

Cooper continued to coach the team until 2004. During his head-coaching stint, the LA Sparks appeared in the finals three times and won twice. The LA Lakers legend jumped to the NBA to join the Denver Nuggets.

---

Lisa Leslie asserts the LA Lakers don’t win a championship without Michael Cooper

As the LA Sparks’ franchise player during her time, Lisa Leslie is well-versed in the history of the “Showtime Lakers.” With Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leading the way, the team won five championships in the 1980s.

Leslie wanted to put the spotlight on Michael Cooper for that dynasty. Here’s what she had to say about her former mentor’s contribution to those legendary Laker teams:

“He is an essential piece to the LA Lakers. Magic [Johnson] is Magic. James Worthy is James Worthy and the Captain [Abdul-Jabbar] is Cap, but let me tell you this, there’s no championship without Michael Cooper.”

Cooper was the 1986-87 Defensive Player of the Year. Pat Riley, one of the presenters at the ceremony, called him the “GOAT of perimeter defenders.” The 6-foot-7 defensive ace often played the role of unsung hero on a team that drew crowds because of its flash and run-and-gun style.