Il Messaggero Signs Cooper for Two Years
Michael Cooper signed a two-year contract with Il Messaggero Roma of the Italian League on Saturday, one day after he cleared NBA waivers following his release by the Lakers.
Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but Cooper should be making more than his 1989-90 NBA salary of about $600,000.
Cooper is expected to join the team in the next few days. The Italian season opens in September.
Cooper, 34, played 12 seasons for the Lakers and helped the team win five NBA titles in the 1980s.
Il Messaggero’s other foreign player is Yugoslav star Dino Radja. He and Cooper will replace Americans Danny Ferry and Brian Shaw, who returned to the NBA after one season in Italy.
Team President Carlo Sama said Cooper’s experience will be valuable for the newly-revamped squad.
“We believe that Cooper, thanks to his long and prestigious career in the NBA, can be an ideal reference point for this team, helping to instill an authentic winning attitude,” Sama said.
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