Lakers Season Countdown: 21 days, Michael Cooper

We're getting ready for a brand new season of Los Angeles Lakers basketball, so to count down the days we'll be looking at the best Lakers to wear the number. We'll continue at 21 days until the regular season begins, with the man simply known as "Coop".

Who wore it the best: Michael Cooper

(Credit: Rick Stewart, Getty Images)

Michael Cooper was drafted by the LA Lakers in the 3rd round of the 1978 NBA draft. Simply known as "Coop", he became an important member of the 'Showtime' Lakers. He was known for his defensive ability and always guarded the opposing teams best player at either guard or small forward position. In his 12 year NBA career, all with the Lakers, he was a 5-time All-NBA Defensive 1st team selection, and earned 2nd or 3rd place selections another 3 years. He won Defensive Player of the Year in 1987, and became a 5-time Champion with the Lakers.

Coop was known for his thin stature and his knee-high socks. He became a fan favorite with the home crowd chanting "Coooooooooooop" whenever he got the ball, and the Lakers occasionally running an alley-oop play for him that was called "coop-a-loop". Coop left the team after the 1989-90 season to play overseas.

Who wore it last: Ed Davis

Ed Davis declared for the NBA draft in 2010 and left the University of North Carolina after just two seasons in college. Davis was drafted by the Toronto Raptors with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. After several seasons in Toronto and a short stint in Memphis, Davis signed with the Los Angeles Lakers for a cheap, 1 year deal. Due to some disinterest throughout the league, it seemed he wanted a chance to prove himself and earn himself a bigger paycheck the following season.

In his one season with the Lakers, Davis averaged a career best 8.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists & 1.2 blocks in 23 minutes per game. He started in 24 of the 79 games that he played in. Subsequently, his gamble on himself paid off. The Lakers had expressed interest in resigning him for the 2015-16 season, but Davis signed a 3 year, 20 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.

#21 - Who has worn it:

Jim Krebs (1957-1961)

Bobby Smith (1962)

Jim King (1964-1966)

Archie Clark (1967-1968)

Johnny Egan (1969-1970)

Flynn Robinson (1972-1973)

Walt Wesley (1976)

Cliff Meely (1976)

Mack Calvin (1977)

Johnny Neumann (1977)

Michael Cooper (1979-1990)

Ruben Patterson (1999)

Kareem Rush (2003-2005)

Ronny Turiaf (2006-2008)

Josh Powell (2009-2010)

Chris Duhon (2013)

Ed Davis (2015)