Lakers Set to Retire Legend's Jersey During 2024-25 Season

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the top franchises in all of sports. The City of Angels are taken over by Lakers fandom but they have earned that right.

They've won 17 NBA Championships, only trailing the Boston Celtics. Even though the Lakers haven't made any splashy moves this offseason to improve the team, the excitement is still there. And they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis to thank for that.

Even though they have a mountain to climb to become serious championship contenders, the Lakers still have reasons to celebrate.

Lakers to Retire Michael Cooper's Jersey During 2024-25 Season

One reason why is that they are honoring former Laker Michael Cooper. During the 2024-25 season, the Lakers are set to hang Cooper's No. 21 jersey in the rafters.

Los Angeles revealed they will be retiring Cooper's jersey on January 13, 2025. That is going to be a home game against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.

Cooper was selected by the Lakers in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft. Once he stepped foot in Los Angeles, the California native became a glue guy for the team.

He was an instinctive and disruptive lockdown defender on the perimeter. Cooper played with the Lakers for 12 seasons, where he won five NBA championships with the Showtime squad and was named to the All-Defensive team eight times.

He averaged 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 873 games in the purple and gold. Cooper was also inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024.

The 68-year-old will join Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Pau Gasol, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, James Worthy, Jerry West, Jamaal Wilkes, and George Mikan as players with their jersey numbers retired by the Lakers.

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