1. Michael Cooper
Cooper was one of the main pillars of the Showtime regime. At 6-foot-5, he could play three positions and was one of the greatest defensive players of all-time. Larry Bird has said that Cooper guarded him better than anyone else.
But Cooper was much more than a defensive specialist. He had mad hops and was a frequent recipient of alley-oop passes. The Lakers would sometimes run a play where Cooper would cut to the hoop off a back pick and throw down a sick dunk off a lob pass.
This play became known as the “Coop-a-loop.”
Cooper also became one of the league’s best 3-point shooters. In Game 2 of the 1987 NBA Finals, he hit a then-NBA record six 3-pointers against the Boston Celtics.
It’s no surprise then that he was a fan favorite in his 12 seasons with the Purple and Gold. Fans would often holler “Coooooooop!” when he entered the game or made a highlight play.
The current Lakers could use an elite 3-and-D player. Well, Cooper was the NBA’s first-such player, and his athleticism and ability to throw it down would’ve made him an outstanding fit on this year’s squad.
He could’ve started at the 2, then slid over to the 3 when James either went to the bench or played the 4 in a small-ball lineup.
Cooper could also play the point in a pinch, and he was an intense player who loved to get down and dirty. He was not afraid to talk trash to guys like Bird and Michael Jordan, two of the greatest trash-talkers in their own right.