Coop said there was no way one defender could stop Michael Jordan.
Michael Cooper was one of the best defensive guards of the 1980s, and he solidified his reputation by winning the Defensive Player of the Year trophy in 1987. A 6-foot-7 wingman with long arms, quick hands, and nimble feet, Coop regularly drew the task of trying to stop the opposing team's best perimeter player.
Unfortunately for the former New Mexico star, that meant he had to face off against Michael Jordan on multiple occasions. Cooper himself admitted that no individual defender in the league could stop "His Airness."
One player can't slow down MJ
History has shown how unstoppable Jordan was, especially during his early days in the league, when he regularly took on multiple defenders and still scored at will. And while Cooper may have been one of the best defensive players in the league, he wasn't hesitant to admit he needed help to keep the former Tar Heer from putting up astronomical numbers.
"When people say I do a good job on Michael, or that so-and-so did the job, that's wrong," Coop shared. "There's no way I stop him. I need the whole team."
Being an intense competitor, Cooper never backed down from the challenge of defending "Air Jordan," saying being on an island with the all-time great also brought something out of him.
"As soon as he touches the ball, he electrifies the intensity inside you. The alarm goes off because you don't know what he's going to do," the eight-time All-Defensive Team member asserted.
At that point, defenders are at MJ's mercy. Michael could easily blow by them with his lightning-quick first step or pull up for a mid-range jumper, which was nearly impossible to defend. And if those weren't available, he could also go down to the post and use his strength to overpower opponents.
"He goes right, left, over you, around and under you. He twists, he turns. And you know he's going to get the shot off. You just don't know when and how. That's the most devastating thing psychologically to a defender," Coop disclosed.
MJ had his fair share of success against Coop, averaging 31.2 points in the nine times they faced off against one another.
The fear of Jordan searing your defense
Former Sacramento Kings assistant coach Jerry Reynolds also addressed the matter, saying defenders must have appropriate fear when guarding someone like MJ. It can be easy to get deflated when the best in the game is just doing his thing, but Reynolds insisted that defenders must maintain focus, keep trying to make things difficult for Jordan, and hope for the best. And for someone as gifted and talented as the five-time MVP, hope is as good as it gets when it comes to guarding Jordan.
"As an opponent, you just try and contain him. If Jordan gets 40, O.K. You can hold the rest of the team to 65. But you're really afraid he's just going to go nuts. Jordan's the only player in the league you can say that about," Reynolds expressed.
