Michael Cooper’s 5 Toughest Defensive Assignments Ever (Larry Bird Excluded)

Basketball Hall of Famer and 1987 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper names the 5 toughest players he ever had to guard — and he leaves Larry Bird off the list because Bird is “hands down” No. 1.

In this episode of Showtime with Coop, Michael Cooper breaks down the five defensive assignments that gave him the most problems during his NBA career: Andrew Toney, George Gervin, Julius Erving (Dr. J), Vinnie Johnson, and Alex English.

Coop explains what made each scorer so difficult to defend, from Andrew Toney getting to his spots, to George Gervin’s angles and touch, to Dr. J’s evolution as a complete player, to Vinnie Johnson’s microwave scoring, to Alex English’s effortless offense in Denver.

If you love NBA history, Showtime Lakers stories, Michael Cooper analysis, 1980s basketball, Hall of Fame guards, defensive strategy, and old-school NBA legends, this is the episode for you.

Players discussed:
Andrew Toney
George Gervin
Dr. J / Julius Erving
Vinnie Johnson
Alex English
Honorable mentions: Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Dale Ellis, Dominique Wilkins, Bernard King, David Thompson, Lou Hudson, Ron Boone

Watch more NBA History & Storytellers on CLNS for Michael Cooper stories, Lakers vs Celtics history, Bob Ryan, Jeff Goodman, Cedric Maxwell, and NBA legends content.

—

—

0:00 Michael Cooper’s Top 5 Defensive Assignments
0:26 Andrew Toney
3:07 George Gervin
5:42 PrizePicks
7:30 Dr. J / Julius Erving
9:53 Rocket Money
10:54 Vinnie Johnson
13:07 Awaken 180
14:12 Alex English
16:34 Honorable Mentions
18:30 Ron Boone “Welcome to the NBA” Story
19:35 Outro