Michael developed late as a player at Pasadena High School, and transferred to play at Pasadena City College from 1974-76 where he excelled (In 2001 he made the PCC Athletics Hall of Fame). He then went to New Mexico and became a Division I standout. The 6-5 guard averaged 20 ppg. as an All-American guard that led the Lobos to the Western Athletic Conference title in his senior season (he was inducted in 1992 into the New Mexico Athletics HOF).

He was chosen by the Lakers as the 60th overall pick in the third round of the 1978 NBA Draft. He had a highly successful 12-year professional career as he played on five LA Lakers World Championship teams. Eight times he made the NBA’s All-Defensive Team, and he was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1987. After retiring as a player, Cooper became the WNBA head coach of the LA Sparks, guiding them to five conference and two league championships. He went back to college and spent four seasons as head coach with the USC women, including leading the Trojans to the WNIT finals. In recent years he has moved to coaching high school basketball, first at Chadwick, and is currently the boys’ coach at Culver City HS.