There was no love lost when the Boston Celtics faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. The rivalry was fierce and intense.
Michael Cooper, a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers and a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, is well-acquainted with this heated rivalry. He still harbors a dislike for the Celtics, who claimed their record 18th NBA championship in 2024. However, Cooper showed some appreciation for the Celtics by selecting three of their players for his all-time Olympic squad.
Larry Bird Tops Cooper’s List of Celtics Picks
During an episode of his “Showtime With Coop” podcast, Cooper and co-host Nick Gelso discussed Olympic basketball. With the 2024 Summer Games approaching, it was an opportune moment for some nostalgic basketball talk.
Gelso asked Cooper to assemble his all-time U.S. Olympic team, featuring players from both the past and present. Cooper quickly began, “OK, my number one player, (Michael) Jordan,” Cooper stated. “Number two player, Larry Bird. Number three player is going to be Magic Johnson, and number four is LeBron James. At number five, I gotta go with Charles Barkley.
“Number six, I gotta go with Kobe (Bryant). Number seven, I’m going with (Jayson) Tatum. At number eight, I’m selecting Bill Russell. Number nine, John Stockton. Number 10, Anthony Edwards. At number 11, it’s Karl Malone because Karl scares people, man. My 12th player is going to be Steph Curry.”
With only 12 slots, notable players were inevitably left out. Gelso promptly asked Cooper about excluding his former teammate, center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“Kareem doesn’t fit with international basketball,” Cooper explained. “I had to leave off many greats. It was tough because I wanted to blend dominance with a dynamic style.”
Cooper Wants Mike Krzyzewski as the Team’s Coach
Acknowledging he omitted stars like Shaq and Kevin Durant, Cooper emphasized that the international style didn’t suit several players.
“I couldn’t include Wilt (Chamberlain) either,” Cooper added.
While Cooper believed any coach could lead this star-studded team, he chose former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as his preferred coach.
“I’d choose Coach K to lead this team,” Cooper said. “Olympic basketball is somewhat like college ball. Coach K knows how to manage that system.
“Pat Riley and Phil Jackson might be too stern. Olympic basketball needs to be a bit fun. I think Riley and Jackson would be too serious.” Cooper confidently stated that his team would surpass the 1992 Dream Team.
“This team would win by 70 points. Bill Russell would dominate the paint, securing every rebound, and just look at our wing players,” Cooper said.