Michael Cooper spent the better part of a decade as the man assigned to slow down Larry Bird- and did it well enough that Bird himself once called Cooper the toughest defender he ever faced. Now, the same Lakers great who spent his career chasing Bird around screens sees that game living in someone new: Lakers star Luka Doncic.

Cooper isn’t an outside observer of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry of the 1980s- he was in the middle of it. The Hall of Famer won five championships (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988), standing alongside Magic Johnson during the Showtime era, facing Bird’s Celtics on the league’s biggest stages throughout that stretch. Ahead of his ninth season as head coach of Miami 305, the BIG3’s defending champions, Cooper sat down with Sports Illustrated and discussed several topics surrounding the Lakers and their future. The conversation eventually turned to Doncic, and Cooper was asked which former player the Slovenian reminds him of most.

“I think a Larry Bird type of player,” he said. “Not going to jump real high, not going to be real fast, but knows how to play the game and knows how to score.”

The 70-year-old then expanded on the comparison, pointing out a glaring similarity. 

“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,” He continued.

Coming from the one player Bird himself singled out as his toughest cover, the comparison carries a weight few other former players could offer.

Cooper’s comparison may sound surprising at first, but the two stars share a few similarities. Neither player built his game around fast movement or explosiveness. Instead, both relied on ball IQ, shot creation, rebounding, and playmaking.

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The numbers support the claim as well. Doncic does hold a slight edge over Bird in points and assists. Meanwhile, given the Celtics legend’s 6 ‘9 tall frame, he remains ahead on the glass with 10.0 rebounds compared to Luka’s 8.5.

However, the comparison becomes more complicated on the defensive end. 

Bird had earned three All-Defensive Team selections in his 13-season-long career, carrying an average of 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. On the other hand, Doncic, who is criticized for his defensive abilities, has shown improvement. Last season, he recorded a career best 105 steals in 64 games.

Ironically, a few months back in November 2025, Cooper himself acknowledged that the two are not identical players. He noted that Bird possessed a more competitive offensive bag, highlighting his post-up plays. 

“Luka relies… well, he doesn’t rely, but he shoots a lot of threes. Larry didn’t shoot a lot of threes; he would post-up, drive to the basket,” Cooper told in a podcast on CLNS.

As a result, Cooper’s comparison appears less about achievements and more about style. Both players thrive as playmakers, stacking numbers on the sheet and also influencing the surrounding teammates.

However, Cooper believes the Lakers must still address one major issue around Luka Doncic.

Michael Cooper outlines what the Lakers still need around Luka Doncic

Ahead of the Lakers’ offseason with Doncic now signed through a three-year, $165 million extension inked last August, Cooper pointed to work the franchise still needs to do around its cornerstone.

The 5x Champ singled out the team’s defense and urged an immediate rectification. Although he acknowledged that defense has never been Doncic’s greatest strength, Cooper credited the star PG with clearly understanding his role. 

“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,” Cooper said. “He does a good job in that, and that allows him to be a better rebounder.”

Rather than asking Doncic to become a lockdown defender- he believes the Lakers should focus on surrounding him with the right pieces. Moreover, he stressed the importance of having sharpshooters who can capitalize on the attention he receives.

“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,” Cooper explained.

That diagnosis isn’t just an outside read from a 70-year-old legend watching from the BIG3 sidelines. Luka has been saying almost the exact same thing about himself.

During a Madrid stop on his Jordan Brand European tour earlier this month, Doncic told local outlets he needs “shooters and a big man who can run the pick-and-roll and jump,” explaining that floor spacing and a vertical lob threat are what keep defenses from loading up on him every possession.

The request mirrors what fueled his best stretches in Dallas alongside lob-catching bigs like Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

Apart from that, Cooper also highlighted the Lakers’ nagging issue of finding a defensive anchor in the paint. A legitimate rim protector.

Taken together, Cooper’s message stays consistent whether he’s talking about Bird or about Doncic’s supporting cast: feel for the game only travels as far as the infrastructure around it allows.

Build the right team around Luka Doncic, with real defensive pieces in place, and the Bird comparison stops being a compliment and starts being a blueprint.