3. He will have some added motivation and might have a little help from a Lakers fan from above
Every kid that dreams to play in the NBA one day most commonly depicts themselves playing for their favorite home town team during that dream. This season, Cook’s dreams will become his reality as he suits up for the Lakers, his childhood favorite team.
The only person who might have been a bigger Lakers fan in the Cook family while Quinn was growing up was his father, Ted Cook. When Cook initially signed with the Lakers this summer he took to social media to make the announcement, and he posted a picture of himself as a kid with his father in a Lakers jacket.
https://twitter.com/espn/status/1148372264632627205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1148372264632627205&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwarriorswire.usatoday.com%2F2019%2F07%2F08%2Fhonor-thy-father-quinn-cook-signed-with-lakers-for-good-reason%2F
Just by looking at Cook’s Twitter bio, you can tell he wants to honor his father who passed away any chance he gets. It reads,
“Dreams Come True! Hard Work Always Pays Off. RiP DAD!”
Cook even puts his signature RiP DAD on every one of his twitter posts, and the moment he signed with the Lakers, was definitely one that he had to include it on.
Ever since his fathers passing from a colon procedure gone wrong at the early age of 14, Cook has always tried to honor his dad through basketball. He even put up shots in the gym in the days after the tragedy, and that laser focus helped lead him to the NBA.
Sports has brought out some of the most unbelievable occurrences after the passing of a teammate or a loved one that translated into big moments in recent memory. Dee Gordon famously hit a home run on the first pitch he saw after the passing of teammate of José Fernández, and this season the Los Angeles Angels pitching staff combined for a no-hitter after the passing of their teammate Tyler Skaggs.
This situation with Cook, might not be on the level of those two instances, but it would be no surprise to Cook have some sort of magical year with the Lakers. It would be the best tribute possible for his dad if Cook could win a championship in the purple and gold and bring the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Los Angeles.