Lakers Send Off Cooper : Pro basketball: As he requested, the guard is waived, opening the door for him to go to the Italian League.

By STEVE SPRINGER

Aug. 16, 1990 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Those who played with him will never forget the gravity-defying Coop-a-Loops.

Those who played against him will be haunted by the in-your-face, deny-your-space defense.

Those who sat courtside will always remember his diving over their heads in pursuit of a loose ball. And all who watched him will recall the trademark high socks, the long strings dangling from his shorts and his affectionate pointing into the stands at wife Wanda after scoring a big basket.

Memories all. And memories are all that are left now.

Wednesday, after 12 years, five championships and more than 1,000 games, Michael Cooper was put on waivers by the Lakers at his own request.

That’s just the first step in what Cooper hopes will be an overseas career move. If none of the other 26 NBA clubs claim him by Friday, Cooper will be free to accept a three-year, $5-million offer from Il Messaggero Roma of the Italian League.

“This is hard,” Cooper, 34, told a Forum news conference Wednesday, tears in his eyes, his voice quavering. “I want to thank the media and the fans of Los Angeles for the love and respect they have given me. It’s a sad moment, but it’s also a new beginning.”

Cooper began planning that new beginning in earnest when it became obvious that the Lakers would neither extend him beyond the remaining year on his five-year contract nor add to his annual salary of $612,000.

The team made it easier for Cooper to hurdle the waiver process by waiting until Wednesday. He he been moved earlier, clubs would have had 10 days to put in a claim. Now, the claiming deadline is cut back to 48 hours.

Cooper might still seem like a bargain to a team in need of defensive help and outside shooting, but he has made it clear to any and all interested parties that he won’t look kindly on any move to claim him with his current contract.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed,” Cooper said. “The word has been put out (on) what a team would have to go through to get me.”

Wednesday’s Forum farewell was as emotional as any ever held there. It wasn’t the vast public display shown when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left. No flashy gifts, but a lot of genuine feeling.

Abdul-Jabbar was bigger, Magic Johnson more talented, Jamaal Wilkes smoother, James Worthy quicker and Kurt Rambis stronger, but none seemed to embody the spirit of the NBA’s dominant team of the 1980s as much as Cooper.

“There’s going to be something that’s missing that can’t be replaced,” assistant general manager Mitch Kupchak said. “That’s a special guy over there. There’s an awful lot of heart over there that doesn’t show up in the box score.”

Kupchak kept his eyes down while reading a statement, afraid he would break down. Announcer Chick Hearn, a three-decade man with the team, did break down, tears streaming down his face as he said his farewell.

“Thank you, Michael, for . . . the greatest memories anyone could ask for. It’s the end of an era,” said Hearn, who first named Cooper’s slam dunk off lob passes from Norm Nixon and Johnson the Coop-a-Loop.

At 6 feet 7 and 176 pounds, Cooper was not an imposing figure--until he launched a Coop-a-Loop or challenged a defender driving the lane or took a confrontation between a teammate and an opponent as a personal affront.

“Michael Cooper has been so much more than a teammate of mine,” said Johnson, who was not present, in a prepared statement. “He’s like a brother. Coop and I go back so far. He’s the last link to my rookie season. I’ll miss all the good times, the laughs, sitting next to him on the bus rides and the plane trips. Going to the movies and just spending time together. He is such a big part of me and it is certainly not going to be the same. . . . One thing I won’t miss though is getting smacked by Coop in practice. . . . Everyone here in Los Angles will miss him, but the memories will always live in our hearts. I wish Michael the best of luck and, if he ends up in Italy, I’ll be checking for the Coop-a-Loop.”

If indeed his NBA career has ended, Cooper finishes with 873 regular-season games, a 46.9 field-goal percentage, an 83.3 free-throw percentage and averages of 8.9 points, 4.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals a game.

Eight times named to the NBA’s all-defensive team, five times on the first team, Cooper leaves first in league history in both three-point attempts (316) and successes (124) in postseason play. He is also fourth in playoff appearances (168).

In the Laker record book, he is second in steals (1,033), third in blocked shots (523) and fourth in assists.

Perhaps Cooper accomplished so much because he spent most of his career on the Laker fast break running scared--since this was a career that had seemed as if it would never happen:

--Not after a childhood accident left him with 100 stitches in one leg and a prediction by doctors that he might never walk again.

--Not after he came into the league as a little-heralded, third-round draft choice and the 60th pick overall.

--Not after his knee was injured during a pickup game before he had even signed his first pro contract.

--Not after it came down to him and Ron Carter for the last cut before the start of the 1979-80 season. Coach Jack McKinney went with Cooper, and seven months later, he was standing on the free-throw line, glassy-eyed and unsure of his surroundings.

He had just been decked by Darryl Dawkins in the sixth and deciding game of the NBA finals. The Lakers needed both of his free throws to win.

Cooper smiled and sank them both.

He knew where he was, and was planning on staying.

And stay he did.

MICHAEL COOPER WITH THE LAKERS STATISTICS BY SEASON

Min FG% 3PT% FT% REB AST STL PTS ‘78-79 2.3 .500 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 .33 2.0 ‘79-80 24.0 .524 .250 .778 2.7 2.6 1.0 8.8 ‘80-81 32.4 .490 .210 .785 4.1 4.0 1.6 9.4 ‘81-82 28.9 .516 .117 .812 3.5 3.0 1.5 11.9 ‘82-83 26.1 .535 .238 .785 3.3 3.8 1.4 7.8 ‘83-84 29.1 .497 .314 .838 3.1 5.8 1.3 9.0 ‘84-85 26.6 .465 .284 .865 3.1 5.2 1.1 8.6 ‘85-86 27.6 .452 .386 .865 2.9 5.6 1.0 9.2 ‘86-87 27.4 .438 .385 .851 3.0 4.5 0.9 10.5 ‘87-88 29.3 .392 .320 .858 3.7 4.7 1.0 8.7 ‘88-89 24.2 .431 .380 .871 2.3 3.9 0.9 7.3 ‘89-90 23.1 .387 .318 .883 2.8 2.7 0.8 6.4 12 Yrs 27.1 .469 .342 .833 3.1 4.2 1.1 8.9

NOTE: Figures for minutes, rebounds, assists, steals and points are per game.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

* 3rd in Lakers’ all-time games played 873

* 5th in Lakers’ all-time minutes played 23,635

* 6th in Lakers’ all-time free throw percentage .833

* 2nd in Lakers’ all-time steals 1,033

* 8th in Lakers’ all-time assist average 4.2

* 3rd in Lakers’ all-time blocked shots 523

* 4th in Lakers’ all-time assists 3,666

* 5th in Lakers’ all-time defensive reb. 2,028

* 7th in Lakers’ all-time offensive rebounds 741

* 8th in NBA all-time 3-point field goals 428