Michael Cooper REACTS to JJ REDICK on Larry Bird, Steph Curry

[Music] welcome to another edition of Showtime with poop insightful BS by Malika teammates and a whole lot of BS by NBA legends and uh today's show is a little special one I want to talk about uh Nick the one thing I want to talk about is I hate when players compare each generation or Each decade Each decade with a decade with a decade and we've come to the current position now to where you have uh great players LeBron Curry Durant just to name a few but it's so unfair well you know what I'm gonna say is JJ ready this kid here you know this kid here who's a journeyman played for six different teams all his accolades came in college played 15 years in the NBA was being shifted around from Team to team because all he could do was shoot and he wasn't that great of a shooter he was a poor man Danny Ainge because Steph is being played more physical they got his hands on in today's NBA I don't know what game he's looking at if you can't touch the guy anytime you touch anybody a three-point shooter come close to them when they're Landing it's a foul JJ Redick needs to be quiet and stop trying to compare I think he's gotten out of this what he wants to is that his name being thrown around and the attention and all that but you know what it's a tension that he's not gonna want because a lot of former players myself just as one along with Dominique talk about this guy who's a poor man Jeff hornacek uh a guy that uh uh you know why would he even say that and when all he got and when he's talking about that you got you can't say that by watching game film you have to talk to the players that lived it I lived that 80s air and Larry Bird was one of the greatest three-point Shooters that's ever played this game [ __ ] percentages it ain't about that it's about hitting big shots things that he couldn't do as a player without getting a pick set for him so uh you know when people compare each generation and I appreciate and love basketball I enjoy each decade you know I have so much respect going all the way back to the 60s and watching Bob Cousy that's where it started that's where it started with Reddick not to interrupt you but about six months ago or a year ago Reddick was calling Bob Cousy a plumber who couldn't dribble with his left hand but he got a lot of nerve to say that about Bob Cousy he could barely really trouble with his left hand with his right hand and that was the best hand he had JJ ready couldn't get open without a pick being set so you know that guy man it's sad because um you have to have respect from where this game comes from all these guys in today's game I'll say from Maybe five years ago up until where it's going to go are living playing breathing off the shoulders of Bob Cousy Will Chamberlain Bob Pettit players that came in then you just pulled through the decades as you come up with Jerry West Wilt chamber and Elgin Baylor these guys are making money making having Fame with the way that we used to play the game and for him to call out and you know what I hate Larry Bird but I respect the hell out of that man because I went against him in all those championships and during the year I I all we did is the Lakers just thought about the Boston Celtics when our season began yeah we had to play the Seattles the the phoenixes the all those teams but our main goal was to prepare uh sharpen ourselves up because the Celtics was a team that we had to be and I can honestly say knowing the late great Dennis Johnson we ate Dennis and I were very good friends grew up here in Los Angeles him playing for he used to say the same thing Cooper North we knew we had to go Cleveland and and Philadelphia but we knew to win the championship we have to play against the Lakers so the respect that we've had for one another is immense it's it's it's uh legendary and you know that's I live and breathe and gauge my career by my balance with Larry Bird and our battles with the Boston Celtics so you know for guys to kind of compare because basketball is the same the only thing about the basketball now is the Players change you know you go through the air and I I always say this Larry Bird and Magic Johnson you cannot say those guys names separately you have to say though when you say Larry Bird you got to say Magic Johnson when you say Magic Johnson you gotta say Larry Bird because they're the ones that set the NBA in the 60s and 70s basketball was just an America's game it was America's game and that's it from the east coast to the West Coast from the north to the South it was just America now you bring in Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and they popularized popular popularized the game and made it more popular and famous to be uh an American citizen American basketball player then you go from the middle 80s to late 80s and then you come into the 90s where Michael Jordan became the player and Michael Jordan took us Global he took us International the long pants you know the longer shorts the tongue sticking out the more athleticism and now as we see basketball basketball is a worldwide of a fun game to be played no matter where you are in this world and for people to compare it especially this guy JJ Reddick for players to cut for him to be saying things like that is just um you know you're supposed to be a lover of this game or or a student of the game how can you say that about one of the greatest players to ever play this game and not have played against Larry Bird to say that Steph is getting more contact man because that guy has no clue of how basketball was played in the 80s and I guarantee you this JJ read it if you had played in the 80s this is Michael Cooper talking how to lock your ass up you wouldn't have got a shout off you wouldn't have got nothing off you had spent more time on the bench than on the floor when I was on the floor you couldn't have played when I was on the court and I'm telling you that cool uh so the main I might I have been so outspoken on this you were overseas when it happened I felt the need to kind of rally not the bird needs my defense but you're my friend you don't need my defense either it speaks for itself but I felt the need to kind of pinpoint you because you're the guy Larry Bird said was the toughest man to ever defend him people could say oh they only saw each other twice a year no I'm sorry for like four years you saw each all you guys nine times a year plus all the preseason games you guys played and had fights in the preseason games but his argument is and in my opinion bird is probably a fringe top five three-point shooter right if you're bringing in today's players but it's his dismissive attitude and the way that he kind of looks at Mad Dog like what are you nuts so let me ask you this he says on pin Downs on curls which Larry Legend was and you know this better than anybody no he ran off picks like amazing Max always tells the story about him coming off a a curl or going into a curl and him saying screaming at Max pick Cooper because you were so draped all over him that there was no way they could get he could get open but he doesn't even recognize the fact that Bird's ball fakes pump fakes movement without the ball running people into picks that has to be accounted for and why maybe some of those shots were open but Coop the first thing that came to my face my mind when I heard this was you actually weren't in the play it was 87 worthy ripping his jersey off I mean he stuck to him like glue bird breaks free and who's he shoot it over Michael Thompson who that would have been called a foul today in today's rules Michael Thompson hit his arm and he hits that three-point shot that kind of sums it up now let me ask you this how much did you guys Pat Riley Coach Riley you know prepare you and this is going to sound like a stupid question but I think Young fans need to hear this prepare you for guys like for Larry Bird when you were in the finals you know what Nick the one thing about Coach Riley and I've always said this about him yeah he was a Taskmaster he ran the [ __ ] out of us he did all that but he was when the playoffs started and especially when we got to the finals and we saw the Boston Celtic his attention to detail was better than any well I've only played for him well a couple but Pat rise was my main coach for any coach I've ever been around I mean we knew what play when they called four down three out 33 C we whatever it was to get Larry open we knew zipper whatever we knew where the ball was going to go and that's what made Larry larger than life because he knew that we knew that he was going to get the basketball and when he came off a down pick and they picking me and Kareem or worthy we stepped out on him Larry always had let me see yeah please this is one thing this is one thing I I said you know Larry never really talked to me but one particular in 85 you know the 84 series we're playing in the in the Forum and this particular playdown is a timeout and they're coming down and Larry gets me at the top of the key and he's walking me underneath this basket he goes Cooper to wear your ass out what okay I get kind of my best defensive stance he goes down the lane he comes off the left side and Robert Parish sets a pick great picker great picker come off and we know the play we knew what was coming up and Kareem was ready and as Larry comes off the pick shoulder to shoulder repairs and I'm trailing behind him he catches the basketball right about the elbow and he gets the ball and he goes up and Kareem stops him from turning the corner Larry catches the ball he goes up in the air and here I come and I'm like I'm getting ready to smash this [ __ ] man so I jump up and I got my hand and I don't know how Larry got this ball between Kareem and I because Kareem had his hands up I'm coming with my right hand because and he did a great pass like I said I don't know how he got it from pitcher of a pair of shoes for a rose to the basket Robert dunks it and Larry looks over his shoulder at me and he laughs he said I told you [ __ ] that right there uh that that shows you the essence and who this guy was he was about team he's about winning he's about making plays and you know what if anybody in today's game Carmelo Anthony who's no longer in this game here maybe Kevin Durant maybe Steph Curry comes off that they forced that shot up there they try to get the shot off but that's the difference between Larry that play right there softens you up for the next time now Kareem's not gonna jump out now Larry's wide open and shoot the ball so people don't know and understand the Dynamics of basketball and when great players you know the game become so simple to us and the Layman's person that's sitting down the armchair guys sitting there and go wow what a great player they don't know the pro the process of what that play has developed now that play now has taken Kareem out of the action so Larry can really come off and hit that shot because I'm trailing behind him so you know and JJ Redick should know that kind of stuff you know that because you you've made a living that's how you got open with Orlando with guys and you coming off wide open because these damn show couldn't get open one-on-one and beat anybody and that was showing you with the Clippers that's why they traded you on to the next team so those kind of plays and those kind of instances is where I would expect former players to really understand that and not make judgment because this game is beautiful I enjoyed it I enjoyed the game today it's not as as fun it's not as artistic but it's still a good basketball game these guys are very good shooter Steph Curry uh uh I can't wait to uh see Durant get back and play with Phoenix because they don't show them that's a whole nother beast in the in the west now and there's another team that the Lakers have to contend with but these comparisons that are made let that be made by the fans that never played this game let them argue about that because you can always say oh they don't know they ain't never played this game they ain't been out of court but for a former player and we all make our comparison I tried not to but I never ever discount another player at any decade you know Bob Cousy was a hell of a player for his decade and he was a player that now that I think the way they call the game now Bob Cousy would be a great point guard in our league our game today so don't uh you know yeah we haven't JJ I still have respect for him because 15 years in this league has some kind of Merit to it you know anybody that plays one or two for 15 years but you know what watch your mouth man when you're talking about former players and who can do this and who can do that because this game the game changed in the 80s because it was so physical they had to stop that remember I was watching uh a tape the other day with Dr J and Larry Bird I'm trying to come out of the East and Doc founded bird how about red coming out on the court red was out on the court red hour back comes down Doc is the most mild mannered person man and to see him get robbed but you know what we were fighting for championships they knew they had to beat yourself to come out the East and two times they did they lost one time and they came back the next year and beat us so it was a dog fight man and you know what Dominique you know guys that probably never got a good opportunity to play for a championship is because you had to go through so much but the Atlanta Hawks was Berkeley reckoned well uh coming in so you know um I'm not gonna give him too much of a pass because but I'll give him a pass because I think he got out of this JJ read it it's people talking saying out his name and you know this is a big deal you know hey we give it to you but you know what dude watch your mouth man one more minute so let me ask you this now those because he used the phrase I Larry Bird took most of his distance threes with no one within five feet now I first of all think that's a silly comment but it did happen but wasn't that a product of the fact that if you played up behind bird there it was like the lesser of two evils if you played up tight on him behind the three he's gonna pump fake you not you necessarily but an average defender of that in that era pump fake you drive either get a mid-range jumper or a great pass I mean this man was one of the greatest passing forwards ever so like I would think it's a lesser of two evils like the Celtics back then and no one knows this better than you but they used to always establish post game to open up their perimeter game right like they'd start hammering into Mikhail and Parish and Max so that way they can be open from the outside yes there was less spacing but that does not mean it was less physical like that's I think that's what it all comes down to in order to get to the point where you're open for a three oh um you're usually going through a gamut of of physicality back then I mean taking all the because this is what the young people love to say taking all the fighting including the Dr J everything pretend that the NBA was as stringent today with fighting not physicality with fighting as it is now right back then so take all the fighting away was the game still more physical without you know the occasional brawl oh for sure I think you you know uh what was a finesse team for Phoenix Alvin Adams uh Danny Ames when he was there Dennis Johnson was there they weren't considered a physical team I mean a a roughhouse team but they were still very physical there was a lot of uh more activeness on the pick and roll play uh our our goal in the 80s and this is one thing Pat Riley used to say and I tell today's players that you know the kids I'm around and I coached AAU and my high school team championships are one in the paint because that's a high percentage shot down there so you couldn't let Robert Parish Larry Bird Kevin McHale get in the low post we were you know Magic Johnson was not a good one he wasn't he wasn't a good one-on-one defensive player defensive player but he was a great double teamer we used to have him double team magic was a big one long and whoever so those guys had to pass it out so you have to look at our three-point shooting as opposed to now now it's a little bit more of a weapon back then it was a weapon to open up the back the paint so you have to so they can go back down inside me so it wasn't necessarily a weapon because we wanted to beat you inside we wanted to shoot in today's games guys have no problem with their team field goal percentage being 41 40 38 back in back in our days 80 we wanted to shoot 55 from the field so that was getting the ball inside for the sky hook the Magic Johnson baby hook Kevin McHale Fall Away Cedric Maxwell doing putting in work down there because nobody was on Guardians guys 101. they were going to score so you have to double team them which made the three-point shot become a little bit more of a weapon that's where Danny Ames Kyle Mayfield yeah uh uh uh uh kid by come on Mark Price Mark Price you what yeah you know that made us better uh that really opened up our offense so it's um um really amazing to see and that's the one thing I love about the game the transformation of the game from there and uh from our error to it is now I watched the game yesterday Philly and Boston that was a good game and you know what again I don't like the Boston Celtics I hate them but you've got to give them guys respect man because they [ __ ] bringing every you know what that's Tatum and brown and the other players that they surround themselves with they made themselves a force to be reckoned with and the one thing that you got to realize why Boston is such a good team this year Caitlyn was having a terrible game and they were still in that game they were still in the game you had a smart and all these guys and then for uh what's the coach's name the new coach uh Joe Missoula yeah not call timeout people talk about that guy being 34 years old coaching that was a veteran yes it was Papa [ __ ] uh read our back of Pat Riley that last play he threw up that was a mess for it I kept saying why does he have Tatum all the way into the back court like how's he gonna get him the ball and next thing you know Tatum got the ball he's knocking down a three so this game is beautiful gorgeous it has evolved and it not only has it involved from the players but has involved from coaches anywhere else this guy is uh a video assistant sitting sitting somewhere behind the other guy here he is leading the team but you know what I guarantee he'll say this I've watched all the video and I guarantee that guy is watching games from the 80s 70s with the Celtics because he knows the Legacy that he's trying to guide now that he has to keep that going and uh while I'm talking about to Boston let me mention my Lakers out here they made but man Lakers are getting ready to do stuff I really do believe this has gotten uh spectacular because they had three and a half three and a half behind the sixth spot they're on a three-game road trip starting the game they got Dallas OKC and somebody else down the line Lakers getting ready to get it I really wish they could get into the sixth spot to be in the playoffs but they're gonna get into that playing spot and if the Lakers get into the players okay help me they got to be healthy because they got that boy Michael Beasley Vanderbilt they got some young kids now that can score without LeBron being on the floor and they showed that against the Golden State Warriors the other night where LeBron went and sat down this team kept rolling kept playing D'Angelo Russell not a big fan of his but I love him now uh like only because he's a left-hand player I don't like I'm not big online but he'd come in and the kid has shown when the Lakers drafted and Byron Scott then back in the day is that he could score and he's a hell of a passer obviously our key for the Lakers is gonna have to be a.d's Health but I can see if 80 goes down for a game or two and not the long stress Lakers will be able to hold up the ship so we're helping people because you might see a Laker Celtic Championship this year and I can we are praying for that in Boston and I can tell you this there will be no disparaging of the Legends amongst Celtics and Lakers players there never is because we know that Jason Tatum is now on Jalen brown or on a list that is they are probably at the bottom of that list because they've not won a title yet and you know what LeBron even Kobe those guys celebrated the past I don't know where this happened I think it happened with Charles Barkley and Shaq and I love them I love when they are out spoken about it but I think that's what's gotten the young younger generation pissed off I can understand that but there's no reason to be disrespectful right I mean Dominique didn't call uh Reddick an idiot he said the statement was idiotic right no one no one ever really disrespected except for to say as a preference I enjoyed it better when they shot less threes things like that right so you know at the end of the day I think Coop your your resume certainly speaks for itself Larry Bird certainly speaks for itself and you had to guard him and the man who rarely dishes out a compliment to an opponent and even in retirement at that during that interview said the hardest Defender now keep in mind you're four inches shorter about 40 pounds lighter 20. I don't know about 60. yeah Larry was big 60 pounds lighter you're not so you're not nearly as as uh physically big as him and he calls you and I went back after yesterday because I was obsessed because you know you hit me up and I'm looking at plays where you're guarding him and Mike Gorman or Johnny most are saying he can't breathe Larry Bird red our back almost beat the officiating crew up in 87 because of the way you guys were guarding him in game four or game yeah when they lost game four I mean it's on tape you know so I think that to say that the defense with all this switching now and and zones and all this other stuff the defense comparative it can't be compared it can't be compared I just don't think so and look at the scoring today I mean the other night two teams scored 175 to 174. that was like absolutely for somebody a defensive player of the year to see the you don't know whether that was poor defense or great offense I mean it was one another I mean from a Fan's perspective and you like scoring I mean that had to be good but I say this about that one game yeah I think is that the uh uh the the public and Sacramento I watched the first half of that game there was some good defense it wasn't like guys didn't have their hand up and they were just standing there I mean you have running a great defender and quiet and then out there on the court so he had his hand up that was just some fantastic shots hit but uh yeah that that was uh that hurt my heart because I said people as a player you want to see the All-Star game like the All-Star game was terrible I hate it I've watched the first two two minutes and the last two minutes I turned it off and watch something else but uh again to close this out uh JJ Redick yeah just just uh appreciate the game uh don't talk about the game too much and again quit trying to compare because everybody's gonna do that when I do that I don't try to compare too much because I appreciate this game and basketball is involved it's going to change the game is still the same it's the players that are involving and making it bigger and better Sports and with that Nick Michael Cooper is out of here because I gotta go get my team up to practice I love you fast thank you so much uh stay tuned hopefully you enjoyed this episode and I'm sorry I got a little rough from JJ but again I tell you if I had to see him out on the court he would feel this roughness instead of just hear about it foreign [Applause]

Channel: NBA History & Storytellers on CLNS

Views: 318,463

Keywords: Larry bird reaction, Larry bird, Steph curry, JJ redick, Larry bird steph curry JJ redick, Michael cooper, Lakers Michael cooper, Michael cooper vs Larry bird, Larry bird vs Michael cooper, Lakers coop, Boston celtics, La lakers, Espn first take

Id: 2FmMfFuyHiI

Length: 25min 14sec (1514 seconds)

Published: Mon Feb 27 2023