EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – Former NBA star Michael Cooper hosted an autograph session at Sun City Collectables on Saturday.
“I [was] “I was raised to give back to the community,” Cooper said, “and that’s one of the reasons I’m here with Sun City Collectables – to give the fans an opportunity to meet the people who watched me grow up from college to the pros. It’s always fun to come back and have fun and interact with the kids.”
The five-time NBA champion guard played his entire professional career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Most recently, Cooper was named a 2024 inductee into the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Cooper was drafted in 1978 out of the University of New Mexico after playing two seasons with the Lobos from 1976-1978.
The 6-foot-5, strong defender was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team eight times.
After retiring from professional baseball in 1990, Cooper coached at various levels, including coaching the LA Sparks to their first playoff appearance in franchise history and two championships.
Cooper later returned to the Albuquerque area to coach the Thunderbirds of the NBA D-League in 2005.
The multi-decorated athlete still coaches, but now focuses on giving back to the community and inspiring young people.
“I live about two minutes from here, so it’s awesome to have this coming to El Paso,” Lakers fan Oscar Vasquez said. “My dad got me into basketball, and I love basketball. I grew up playing basketball as a kid and watching the Lakers, so I’ve always been a Lakers fan and I think that will always be the case.”
