Chapter 90 A Bad Feeling

Gan Guoyang took to the court, and Johnson and Worthy also re-entered the fray.

The Lakers' backcourt featured Johnson and Cooper as partners, with Cooper starting to become the main force in helping defend against Guoyang.

Cooper had always been one of the league's best defensive swingmen, often tasked with guarding Bird when facing the Celtics.

His arms were long, his speed fast, his hands aggressive, and his ability to steal was first-class, with a strong sense of how and when to double-team.

Most important though, was his character—he was a paranoid skeptic, constantly torturing himself.

He often suffered from delusions, such as once during an away game trip, when due to an ankle injury, Riley decided to bench him for a few games.

Before one game, Cooper told the traveling reporter Springer, "You've been good to me, and I want to let you in on something—I'm going to be traded."