Missiles and Slams Due Today : Contests a Prelude to NBA All-Star Game

When Laker guard Michael Cooper was chosen to compete in the NBA’s slam-dunk contest three years ago, Wanda Cooper suggested that it might be a good idea for her husband to practice his best high-flying routines.

No need to, Cooper assured her. He would just go out and do what comes naturally.

He then went out and missed all three of his jams.

“A big zero,” said Cooper, who was miserable afterward.

How miserable? Well, he would have kicked a hole in his hotel wall, he said with a laugh Friday, “But I didn’t have any extra money.”

Cooper didn’t say whether he brought any extra cash here, but he is coming prepared to this weekend’s All-Star side shows, when the league’s most skilled creators of French pastry get to display their specialties--slam-dunks or three-point shots--in contests this afternoon, before East meets West in Sunday’s All-Star Game.

Cooper left his dunks at home, but he will be competing in the Long-Distance Shootout, the first player to have taken part in both events. And he and teammate Byron Scott, who also was picked to be one of the eight players in the event, have been practicing their long-distance dialing.

“I’m taking this one a little more seriously,” said Cooper, who has joined Scott in a pledge to divide whatever prize money they may win.

First place is worth $12,500, a pot that Boston’s Larry Bird claimed before last season’s contest, when he walked into the locker room and brashly asked who was planning to finish second.

Bird was as good as his boast, making 11 three-pointers in a row. And what if the Celtic star tries a similar mind game this afternoon?

“I hope he does because it won’t have any effect on me,” Scott said. “If he comes in there and says, ‘Who’s going to finish second?’ My reply will be, ‘I guess it will be you.’

“As much pride as I take in my shooting, there’s no way I’m going to get psyched out in the locker room. (Bird) is going to have to prove he can do it on the court.”

There are no Lakers involved in this afternoon’s slam-dunk competition, and the field of eight will also be missing the winners in each of the previous two years--Atlanta’s Spud Webb and Dominique Wilkins, both of whom are injured. Webb has missed the last couple of months after having knee surgery, and Wilkins reportedly was advised by his doctor not to take part after recently injuring his back.

The Celtics wish Wilkins’ doctor had given him the same advice about playing them before his 54-point performance last Tuesday night.

But the field does include Chicago’s Michael Jordan, who unveiled a new sweat suit ensemble from his personal line of clothing at Friday afternoon’s media gathering, and hinted he might show off some new moves today.

First, about the black, white and red outfit: “I try to pick the most eye-catching thing I can think of,” he said. “I always try to start a trend. These are basketball nets going down the sides, and these are wings on the shirt.

“Really attractive, don’t you think?”

And the dunks?

“I don’t know yet,” he said. “You get eight dunks, and if I last through eight dunks, I’m going to show all styles of dunking creativity--thunder dunks, gliding dunks, timing dunks and maybe some people haven’t had a chance to see yet.”

And what might they be?

“I don’t know,” he said with a giggle. “I haven’t seen them yet myself.”

Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy of the Lakers will all be playing Sunday for the West All-Stars, who will be coached by Pat Riley. The Laker coach said he was sorely tempted to name Abdul-Jabbar--who will be making his 16th All-Star appearance--as a starter when Houston’s Ralph Sampson scratched because of a knee injury, but instead gave the nod to hometown star Tom Chambers of the SuperSonics.

“I would have been accused of favoritism,” Riley said.

There also will be an “NBA Legends” game this afternoon. Abdul-Jabbar is older than seven of the so-called old-timers.