We’re looking back at the dominant Force players in Nike history. This week: Michael Cooper.

The 80s were a time of great change in the game of basketball. High-flying players and updated rules introduced a new array of offensive weapons. And then there was Michael Cooper, the one man who could step up and shut them all down.

With his merciless handling of the league’s top ballers and his trademark knee-high socks, “Coop” received all-defensive team honors an incredible eight years in a row. He also helped lead Los Angeles to five championships in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988. His style was so effective that Boston’s best player of the era praised Cooper as the toughest defender he’d ever faced.

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