Michael Cooper spent his whole career with the Los Angeles Lakers . But while he was a Laker for life, the five-time champion admitted that his biggest insecurity was the fear of getting traded. Coop said he never feared for his Laker life as much as he did after they won the NBA title in 1987. That year, the 6’7″ guard was also named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Two days after the team’s championship parade, Cooper received a call telling him that Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss wanted to meet him in his office. Because all player trades back then had to go through Dr. Buss first, Coop thought it was the day he always dreaded. So when he got there, he wanted to get to the bottom of things right away.
“I said, ‘Doc, what team am I going to?’ He goes, ‘What are you talking about?’ I go, ‘Doc, what team am I going to? Am I being traded?’ He says, ‘We’re not trading you; what are you talking about?’ So we start chitchatting and talking about other things, and finally, he says, ‘Coop, you know what, I got some other meetings I have to have, but I just want to let you know there’s something for you at the tunnel,'” said Cooper.
Coop didn’t know what Buss had for him
California native didn’t understand what Dr. Buss was saying. The team owner had just told him that he wasn’t going to be traded, but now he tells him to give an envelope to someone who will meet him on his way out. He wonders who is there…