Samuel Duane Cooper (born June 25, 1969) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

player.

College career

Born in

Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County, Michigan, Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 2 ...

, Cooper graduated from the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

Pro career

Cooper was selected by the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...

in the 2nd round (36th overall) of the

1992 NBA draft The 1992 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1992, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The draft is considered to be one of the deepest in NBA history. The top three picks (Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner) were conside ...

. A 6'1"

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

, Cooper played two years in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

for the Lakers and

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

. In his NBA career, Cooper appeared in a total of 88 games and averaged 2.3

ppg PPG may stand for: Science and technology * Pacific Proving Grounds, a former US-operated nuclear test site * Photoplethysmograph, an optically obtained volumetric measurement of an organ * Pterygopalatine ganglion, one of the four Parasympathet ...

. He also played in pre-season games (but not in any regular season games) for

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...

(1995) and

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...

(1996). Cooper won a Continental Basketball Association (CBA) championship with the

Yakima Sun Kings The Yakima SunKings were a basketball team located in Yakima, Washington, covering the central Washington sports market of Yakima, Tri-Cities, and Ellensburg and plays at the Yakima SunDome. The team competed in the Continental Basketball Assoc ...

in 2000.

References

External links

Bio
1969 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in France American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Poland American men's basketball players Arka Gdynia (basketball) players Basketball players from Michigan Fort Wayne Fury players Harlem Globetrotters players Lakewood High School (California) alumni Los Angeles Lakers draft picks Los Angeles Lakers players Oklahoma City Cavalry players Omaha Racers players Phoenix Suns players Point guards Sportspeople from Benton Harbor, Michigan Basketball players from Lakewood, California USC Trojans men's basketball players Yakima Sun Kings players 20th-century American sportsmen {{1960s-US-basketball-bio-stub