Wayne Cooper’s NBA Career

Wayne Cooper was a professional basketball player in the NBA for over 10 years. He began his career with the Indiana Pacers and then went on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls

Wayne Cooper’s NBA Career

Wayne Cooper’s NBA Career was a short one, lasting only four seasons. He was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the 1981 NBA draft He played two seasons for the Pacers, averaging 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game He was then traded to the Houston Rockets where he played one season before being traded again, this time to the Chicago Bulls He played his final season with the Bulls, averaging 3.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game He retired from the NBA in 1985.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Lakers

Wayne Cooper played six seasons in the NBA, from 1988 to 1994. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 1988 NBA Draft He played three seasons with the Lakers, winning back-to-back NBA championships in 1991 and 1992.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Clippers

During his time with the Clippers, Wayne Cooper was one of the most dominant players in the NBA. He was a 6’9″ Power Forward who could score, rebound, and block shots with the best of them. He was named to the All-NBA First Team in both 1992 and 1993, and he helped lead the Clippers to the playoffs in both those seasons.

Cooper’s career with the Clippers came to an abrupt end in 1994 when he was involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He would never play in the NBA again.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Suns

Wayne Cooper played three seasons with the Suns, averaging 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 282 games. He was a member of the 1974-75 Suns team that reached the NBA Finals

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Kings

Wayne Cooper was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 1984. He played three seasons with the Kings, averaging 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Cooper was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 1987.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Jazz

Wayne Cooper was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 1984 NBA Draft He played four seasons with the Jazz, averaged 5.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in his career.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Rockets

Wayne Cooper’s time with the Houston Rockets was short but impactful. He was drafted by the team in the second round of the 1968 NBA draft and quickly became a key contributor off the bench. In his rookie season, Cooper averaged 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in just under 18 minutes per game. He was a key member of the Rockets’ run to the NBA Finals that year, averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in the playoffs.

The following season, Cooper became a starter for the Rockets and had a breakout year, averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. He was named to the All-Star team that year and helped lead the Rockets back to the NBA Finals In the 1970 Finals, Cooper averaged 18 points and 9 rebounds per game, but the Rockets ultimately lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.

Cooper remained with the Rockets for two more seasons before being traded to the New York Knicks in 1972. He averaged a career-high 18.8 points per game in his final season with Houston, but his time with the Knicks was less successful. He appeared in just 17 games for New York before being traded back to Houston in 1973. He finished his NBA career with one final season with the Rockets, averaging 8.7 points and 4 rebounds per game off the bench.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Mavericks

Wayne Cooper played for the Dallas Mavericks for two seasons from 1989 to 1991. In his first season with the team, he averaged 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. He improved those numbers in his second season, averaging 11.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, Cooper’s time with the Mavericks was cut short when he was traded to the Orlando Magic in 1991.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Nuggets

Wayne Cooper played four seasons with the Nuggets, averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He was part of the team that went to the Western Conference Finals in 2009, but was traded to the Timberwolves in 2010.

Wayne Cooper’s Time with the Trail Blazers

The 6-foot-10 center was drafted by the Trail Blazers with the 12th pick in the 1979 NBA draft He was traded to the Indiana Pacers midway through his rookie season. After three seasons with the Pacers, he was traded back to the Blazers. He played in Portland for five more seasons, averaging a career-high 18.7 points per game in 1984-85. He was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 1988-89 season and finished his career with brief stops in Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia.