For 12 seasons, he was the defensive soul of Showtime Lakers.

The guy Pat Roddy sent to shut down the other team's best player, night after night.

He's won championships as a coach in WMBA and the G League.

And just last year helped lead Cal State, L.A. to the best season in their history. More importantly, he's a cancer survivor. One of the most

respected minds in the game. It is an absolute honor to welcome the one and only. Cooper

Luke, Michael Cooper. He's a five-time NBA champ, defensive player of the year, and as of last year,

Nate Smith Basketball Hall of Famer, no other.

Mr. Cooper loop, Michael Cooper, but also, you know, got W&B Championship talked about that.

But my man, my man dropped a book.

I need an autograph copy, of course.

How you doing?

Thank you for joining us.

Hope all as well.

But I wanted to dive into this really quick.

What was the impetus behind the book and what made you really want to do it?

First of all, thank you, Jimmy, for having me on the show, man.

You know what I've been, as basketball players or athletes, you just kind of go through

your career.

And I had been thinking about doing it like 10 years ago, but then when everything just

started evolving and especially when the Hall of Fame came calling and I finally got into there and then with the Lakers retiring in my jersey, I felt that I had something to say.

But it's been a, the book has been in the work for, in my mind, for the last 10 years, but for the last five years, things that started coming around and then, I mean, it exploded in 24.

So what was the, but behind it? Because a lot of people want to write books. A lot of people want to put things out there. But you have a unique story, too.

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