Exclusive: Michael Cooper Talks Lakers Offseason, LeBron's Future, Luka and BIG3 Title Defense

The Los Angeles Lakers legend also weighed in on Austin Reaves’ future, Luka Doncic’s supporting cast and the biggest offseason priorities facing the storied NBA franchise.

Jan 13, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Former Los Angeles Laker Michael Cooper speaks during his jersey retirement at halftime between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Ahead of the ninth season of Ice Cube’s BIG3 league, which gets underway on June 20, Los Angeles Lakers legend Michael Cooper and Miami 305 head coach spoke with Lakers On SI about several topics.

Cooper opened up about defending the BIG3 title in 2026, with former Lakers Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson leading the way, along with his thoughts on LeBron James’ immediate future, Austin Reaves’ contract situation and how the Lakers should build around Luka Doncic moving forward.

You led Miami 305 to a BIG3 championship, and you're back coaching the team this season. What's been the biggest challenge in keeping the championship standard?

“Well, it's not really been a challenge. I think the guys are very focused. Our team is focused. We just came back from last week. We had a training camp in Miami. And everybody's ready to go,

“These guys are very, very focused. They felt prior to last year, the year before, they felt we should have had a championship. We lost to Bivouac back then. So our focus is the same. They're trying to run it back. We got the championship, and I don't think we dropped a level at all.”

What have you learned about coaching former NBA players in the BIG3 that's kind of surprised you?

“Well, it's a little different because you don't have those other two players to make it five-on-five. And again, with it being half-court, I think our main focus, as far as coaching former NBA players in the BIG3, is just watching for fatigue. One, obviously, the foul trouble, but just watching and trying to keep the matchup.

“The matchup's in our favor out on the court. I think that's the biggest thing with the BIG3 is keeping the matchup in your favor. You've got to have two out of the three matchups working for you.

The BIG3 continues to grow every year. What do you think makes the league special for former players and fans?

“I think it's a unique basketball. It takes you back to your old school growth. When you didn't have five players, you went around to the neighborhood, and you'd say, ‘I got my two boys and me, and I think we're the best three-on-three.’ So I think that's a unique aspect in itself. I think the growth of it is the players. I think every year we're getting players that are a little bit more exciting, a little younger, more entertaining. I think another concept we have is the unique, I call them triggers, in the game. If there's a jump ball or discrepancy, a guy goes and gets fouled or somebody fouls somebody, and you don't think that that was the right call, well, we have what we call bring the fire. Those two players get to go one-on-one.

“Now if he scores, the offense gets it. If he gets a good defensive stop, the defense gets it. And I think that concept in its own is very, very unique because it takes you back to out on the school when you're playing one-on-one, and there's a foul, you didn't think it, what did the guy say? ‘Okay, shoot for it. And you shoot at the three-point line.’ You don't just shoot it. So those little unique things right there bring a different aspect to the game. Basketball, especially three-on-three, I think the fans really love it.”

So you've got Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Lance Stevenson. How do you balance those personalities?

“Well, you don't (laughs). You just kind of corral them and make sure they don't go outside the line, and for sure, definitely don't turn on each other. But again, that's the fun part about it, and I think that's the aspect that I have being a five-time champion with the Lakers.

“I get the respect from those players, but you know what? I let them be them. And I think we all have, the one thing is it's not about my way, it's about our way. And I think the guys, when we're going over pick and roll coverage or we're looking at a certain play that we want to run, I kind of give them first, okay, what you guys want to do. And if they don't come to a final conclusion, then I say, ‘Okay, this is what I see us doing.’ And I think it worked extremely well last year, and it's off to a good start this year.

“So it's kind of like just, everybody has a say-so in that huddle because they're out there on the floor. But again, with me sitting and watching, along with my coach Mark, I think we all kind of make it work out.”

Is there a current NBA player who you think would be perfect for the BIG3 once his NBA career is over?

“Klay Thompson would light this league up. I mean, excellent, excellent three-point shooter. Another one I thought that would be good, and I've talked to him several times, is Carmelo Anthony. I think he would be ideal for this. 

“So this is a league where guys, sometimes you're forced out, sometimes you're not ready to leave the game. Well, why not come over to the BIG3? And you still get that competitive edge. I think it helps you that you don't have to run to the other end. And the BIG3 is an offensive league. And if you can score, you'll do extremely well here. But, in the same respect, and this is coming from a defensive player, it's also a defensive league. And it's one where you've got to be able to, you know, you've got to be able to have tough, tough defense because everything is kind of played a little bit closer to the basket. But it's a great league. But those two players, I think, would flourish extremely well.

Apr 27, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford (11) scores a three-point basket against Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second quarter of game four of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

“Oh, another one, I'm going to throw Jamal Crawford. I think he would be great. If you get tired of calling the game, come on. Because I know they still have a little juice left in them. So it would be great to come out over here and get rid of that juice. You don't have to, again, you don't have to run to the other end to do anything. Everything happens at one end of the floor.”

I'll pivot to the Lakers a little bit here. Do you think it is time for the Lakers to move on from LeBron James?

“No, no, no. I think both parties are working this excellently. I think give LeBron the chance. I don't see LeBron going anywhere. I think he comes back to the Lakers. I think the only problem would be the money-wise because, again, if you come back as a max player, you don't have any wiggle room to go out and attain another good player. So, again, that would be the biggest issue I think they're going to have with that. But I think LeBron's here. LeBron James is better than 95 percent of the players in the league today. Here he is, what, he's 41, and he carried that team through the whole first round against Houston [Rockets]. So, no, it's not time to move on. I just think you need to add pieces to the Lakers. We need some younger players.

“We need some defensive players. We need a taller player. We need people who can play. We need a little bit of youth. I think we need some younger players who can come in. And, yeah, they're going to make their mistakes, but you can see the improvement, and you can see them getting better as the season goes on.”

Who do you think would be the ideal guy to go after? I mean, there's options, but there's a lot of complicated options like restricted free agents and all that. But is there one guy in particular?

“Well, I think that's where your scouting is going to be very, very crucial to the Lakers this year. You have a lot of young talent overseas. You have a lot of former talent that's been in the league that's overseas.

“You have some young talent locally around. And then look at the G League, at some of these other G League teams, and spot those players. So I think that's where adding another assistant general manager to help Rob Pelinka in that area, I think will definitely go a long way. The Lakers scouting crew, whoever that is, all those coaches that are back there.

“Now is the time that everybody has to do their job now. And you got to get out there and identify talent, spot talent. And some of those kids you can get for free because they're just out there. But you have to do a good job, and you got to get those pieces that are going to fit what Coach JJ Redick needs and wants.”

As someone who played alongside Magic Johnson, do you see similarities between Magic and LeBron in how they elevated teammates?

“Oh, for sure. I mean, both of them are 6'9", in their own right. Magic's a little bit better ball handler, a little bit better passer. LeBron's a better shooter, better scorer. Both of them worked on, as they got older in age, and those post-up days became phenomenal. When Magic first came into the league, he wasn't a post-up player, and neither was LeBron.

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Magic Johnson is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

“But now, as you lose a little bit of speed, you start using your basketball IQ, which is the strength that both of those players have, and start moving closer to the basket. So yeah, there's a great similarity in both of them.”

Do you think elite NBA players know, in their hearts, when the time comes to retire? Or is it a decision that's just harder than fans realize?

“I think it's a little bit of both. I think the elite players, when the time comes, and most of the time it's from an injury. So the good thing about that is that LeBron doesn't have an injury, so he knows in his head.

“And again, as you get older, and all of them, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], as you get older, you start losing that skill level, that high, high skill level. You slow down a little bit, can't jump as high. So now you start using your basketball IQ, great like Michael Jordan.

“When they got older, they start moving their game closer to the basket, and still are able to play at a high level. And you know what, that's probably the gift that so many of us wish we had, to become an elite player, that these guys haven't possessed. So that's what they rely on as they get older.”

In terms of Luka Doncic, if you had to build a team around Luka, what would be your top priority?

“My top priority would be, I would have to get some defensive players. Luka, that's not his strength, but again, he does a good job in the areas that he's supposed to be in when they go to that little zone. He does a good job in that, and that allows him to be a better rebounder. You have to surround him with shooters, because again, with Luka scoring, how do teams stop scores? You start double-teaming him, and Luka's a very willing passer. So you've got to have people that can put the ball in the basket when they're open, a la OKC, a la the [New York] Knicks, a la San Antonio [Spurs].

“And I think that is the biggest piece, because again, you're going to need, I think, a legitimate defensive center. Somebody who can kind of block shots, somebody that can alter shots, somebody that creates a little chaos in the paint. And I don't think the Lakers had that, because again, the teams just took it to us and went right at us.

“But those are a couple of cases or a couple of areas that I would like to see them show up.”

Which former player does Luka remind you of, if any?

Larry Bird waves at the crowd gathered Thursday, May 30, 2024, for the grand opening ceremony of the Larry Bird Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think a Larry Bird type of player. Not going to jump real high, not going to be real fast, but knows how to play the game and knows how to score. And I think those are probably a good similarity. I think Larry, well, they're both pretty good rebounders, and they both make others around. Yeah, I would say Larry Bird.”

Do you think Luka has what it takes to bring another championship to LA?

“I do, but he can't do it alone. He's going to need some help. And again, in the same way he took that [Dallas] Mavericks team to the NBA Finals, Luka can do that here, but you're going to need some extra pieces and other players that's going to step up in the big time.

“And you know what, those lights are bright when you get there, but I think Luka can do it. And with the addition of some other great players around him, I don't say great players, other good players, good solid players around him, good shooters, good defenders, good people with basketball IQ, yes, we can get a championship from Luka.”

Do you think that the Lakers should sign Austin Reeves to a max contract if it comes down to that?

“In order to keep him, that's what you're going to have to do. Again, but again, if Luka is about winning, I mean, if Reeves is about winning, then he has to accept a little less money to get another player. But if you think that you're a max player, you don't play with the same team you had last year, you're going to get the same results. You're going to come up a little short. 

“So again, in our era, players used to take a little less money so that they could help the organization achieve that maximum player. So that, you know, because if you don't, you've got to look at San Antonio. It's a team you are going to have to go through in order to win a championship. And can you go through, can you beat them with the players that you had last year? I don't think so. 

“Those are some of the things that you have to evaluate. And I think the Lakers are looking at that, and they got a couple of A, B and C plans ready and they'll be ready for it. But again, it all depends on AR. You want the whole thing or you want a little bit to help and get that most important prize that you probably, your best opportunity to get is going to be the next year or two. And that's winning a championship.”

Should they prioritize like a rim-protecting center, more athletic wings or like just additional shooting? Which one do you think should be No. 1?

“I think you should prioritize wings that can shoot the ball. You want that big, that get in there and create chaos. But again, the whole game of basketball is putting the ball in the basket. And you got Luka, Austin and LeBron on any given night. Those players, two of those three players can go get you 30. And, but what happens is when those two players aren't on, and every now and then they're not on as a group and then they start double-teaming them up and then they're leaving that four or five guy open.

"And if those guys are that, especially that fourth guy, if he's a three-point shooter, then we'll open threes. And you also have that big guys are big. Then you get to go drive and throw lobs to them. And that works well for Luka, AR and LeBron.”

If you could add one former Showtime Lakers teammate to the current roster in his prime, who would it be?

Jun 1988; Detroit, MI, USA; FILE PHOTO; Los Angeles Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) shoots over Detroit Pistons center Bill Lambier (40) during the 1988 NBA Finals at the Silverdome. Mandatory Credit: MPS-Imagn Images | MPS-Imagn Images

“Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. That would be great. Kareem playing with those guys and the way they is and the way that everybody's stretched out and leaving him under the basket one on one. That's unstoppable. That's another 30 points. So you got 30, 60, 120 points out of four players on any given night. 120 points a game. You're winning like 65-70 games.”

Which current player in the NBA right now would have fit the best with the Showtime Lakers? It doesn't have to be a current Laker. It could be anybody in the league.

“Current player now that would fit with us would be Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, LeBron. Any one of those could play with Showtime. Because they get up and down the floor.”

Looking back at your Hall of Fame career, what advice would you give Luka as he tries to handle the pressure that comes with being the new face of the Lakers?

“Be open to criticism. I think a lot of players in today's game, it's like you can't say anything bad about them. And I think Luka is one of the ones. You can't take it personally because people have their opinions about it. But I think any player, and it's not just Luka, but any NBA player, you have to be open to criticism. Take it for what it's worth and then move on.”

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