When in Rome, Cooper Intends to Hoop It Up

Michael Cooper is ready to prove himself all over again.

After 11 productive years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 34-year-old Cooper spent his first day with his new team--Il Messaggero Roma of the Italian League.

“Don’t let the age fool you,” Cooper said Wednesday. “Physically I feel like I’m 24 or 25 years old.”

Cooper and 23-year-old Yugoslav center Dino Radja are the latest additions to the team that last year featured Danny Ferry and Brian Shaw, both back in the United States and set to play in the NBA this season.

Il Messaggero club President Carlo Sama said the average age of his team is 23 years old. He added that Cooper’s experience--and five NBA titles--could help instill a winning attitude.

When the question about age was translated for Cooper, he quickly added: “That’s the problem with the NBA. They have a tendency to think that when you’re past 30 your playing days are over. But being 34 and playing with the Lakers, that’s not the case with me. I really haven’t played that much since I was always the sixth man.”

The Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, which sponsors the team, already has a nickname for Cooper--”Papa Cooper.”

“My main role is to be a leader,” Cooper said. “It’s a young ballclub and my age and experience could be a key factor.”

Aware that Ferry and Shaw did not bring Messaggero a league title, Cooper sought to keep fans’ expectations in check.

“Michael Cooper cannot win a championship by himself,” he said. “But with Dino and the other fine players, I think we definitely can win a championship.”

Cooper reportedly will earn more than the $600,000 per year he made with the Lakers. “Dollars and cents are not a priority for me,” he said.

“The main thing was that Messaggero was interested in me as a basketball player. After that the financial reasons came into play.”

Although he weighs only 176 pounds, the 6-foot-7 Cooper looks forward to the extremely physical play in the Italian league.

“The style of play is a lot rougher than the NBA,” he said. “But I like bump and grind. Hopefully I can enjoy that part.”

Cooper’s eyes lit up when reminded that the 3-point line in Italy is closer than in the NBA, where he holds the career mark for 3-point baskets in playoff games, with 124 in 316 attempts.

“I’m definitely very excited about that,” he said. “Hopefully a lot more shots will go in.”