Magic Johnson & James Worthy Reveal Michael Cooper Was Elected To 2024 Basketball Hall Of Fame Class

Johnson and Cooper were drafted a year apart by the Lakers and played their entire careers together, so the former is certainly a trustable source when it comes to this information. James Worthy also provided confirmation on his social media as well:

If Cooper is indeed elected into the Hall of Fame, it will be a well-deserved and long-overdue honor for the Los Angeles native.

The Lakers originally drafted Cooper with the 60th pick in the third round out of the University of New Mexico. He would go on to spend his entire 12-year NBA career with the Lakers, becoming one of the best defenders in the league.

Cooper was selected to eight All-NBA Defensive Teams, with five of those being in the first team. He also won the 1986-87 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award and was a big part of the Lakers winning five NBA championships in the 1980s.

After finishing his playing career, Cooper transitioned to coaching, where he has spent nearly two decades coaching for the Lakers, Los Angeles Sparks, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Dream, among others. He has since coached at the high school and college level as he continues to give back to the community he has spent so many years in.

Former Lakers executive Jerry West named to Hall of Fame for third time

Also joining the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame class with Cooper is the first head coach he had in the NBA, Jerry West. This marks a record third Hall of Fame election for West, who is going in as an executive.