LOS ANGELES - Bill Laimbeer and Michael Cooper still irritate each other. Only now it's as opposing coaches in the WNBA Finals.
Their prickly connection dates to the late 1980s when Laimbeer was one of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" and Cooper was a defensive standout for the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers.
Cooper helped the Lakers beat Laimbeer and the Pistons for the NBA title in 1988. The next year, Detroit and Laimbeer beat Cooper and the Lakers for the first of its two straight titles.
"I like Laimbeer in his uniform rather than his suits because he still looks a little scruffy in his suits," Cooper said Wednesday.
Laimbeer, of course, remembers the NBA Finals a bit differently.
"The hardest part for us as the Pistons was to get past the Celtics," he said, comparing the Shock to the Pistons of the late '80s.
"We had a bunch of young players who were very focused and confident going up against the two-time champions. Unfortunately, we lost in seven. The next year, once we figured them out, we swept them."
Laimbeer isn't going so far as to predict a sweep of the two-time champion Los Angeles Sparks by the Shock when the best-of-three series opens Friday night at Staples Center.
But he isn't shy, either.
"We believe we're going to win," he said of the team that went from the worst record in the league last season to this year's best. "I've been talking about playing for the championship since the beginning of training camp."
Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star who scored nearly 14,000 points and grabbed more than 10,000 rebounds in his 14-year career. Outside Detroit, he was reviled as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA.
"One of the most hated, I would say," Cooper recalled.
Cooper won five titles - three more than Laimbeer - with the Lakers and was the NBA defensive player of the year in 1987.
Until Laimbeer became coach of the Shock last season, Cooper hadn't seen his old nemesis since he was doing commentary at a Lakers game five years ago and Laimbeer walked by.
"I almost punched him then and I'm pretty sure he was about to punch me, that's why I turned around," Cooper said.
The competitiveness between the still beefy Laimbeer and the slender Cooper figures to come out during the WNBA Finals.
"He tries to get under your skin like a tick," Cooper said.
In June, Laimbeer said publicly the Shock would beat the Sparks and Detroit won 87-78 in overtime.
"I thought they exchanged some words when we lost in overtime in Detroit," Sparks guard Tamecka Dixon said. "It wasn't a nice handshaking after the game."
Recently, Laimbeer predicted Sacramento would beat the Sparks in the Western Conference finals. Los Angeles won in three games.
"That hurt Coop a little bit, too," Dixon said. "The battle between the two, it's incredible. I think it's going to trickle down into the players."
Laimbeer was named WNBA coach of the year this season, an honor Cooper earned in 2000.
Cooper compared 6-foot-5 Ruth Riley of the Shock to Laimbeer in his heyday. And he sees some of Laimbeer's toughness in WNBA rookie of the year Cheryl Ford, daughter of current Laker Karl Malone.
"Laimbeer probably sat her down and showed her some old film of Rick Mahorn pushing people around and she's getting away with it now," Cooper said.
Television ratings for the finals on ESPN and ABC figure to be helped by the presence of Laimbeer and Cooper.
"There will be people who tune in just to see the two of us," Laimbeer said. "Once they tune in, they'll see we're fun to watch. We're big, strong and fast. Hopefully, they'll enjoy the product and show we'll put on."
But Cooper doesn't want the personal rivalry to overshadow what happens on the court.
"People should always remember this is about women's professional basketball and trying to keep this league and take it to where the NBA is at now," he said.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6739474.htm
Their prickly connection dates to the late 1980s when Laimbeer was one of the Detroit Pistons' "Bad Boys" and Cooper was a defensive standout for the "Showtime" Los Angeles Lakers.
Cooper helped the Lakers beat Laimbeer and the Pistons for the NBA title in 1988. The next year, Detroit and Laimbeer beat Cooper and the Lakers for the first of its two straight titles.
"I like Laimbeer in his uniform rather than his suits because he still looks a little scruffy in his suits," Cooper said Wednesday.
Laimbeer, of course, remembers the NBA Finals a bit differently.
"The hardest part for us as the Pistons was to get past the Celtics," he said, comparing the Shock to the Pistons of the late '80s.
"We had a bunch of young players who were very focused and confident going up against the two-time champions. Unfortunately, we lost in seven. The next year, once we figured them out, we swept them."
Laimbeer isn't going so far as to predict a sweep of the two-time champion Los Angeles Sparks by the Shock when the best-of-three series opens Friday night at Staples Center.
But he isn't shy, either.
"We believe we're going to win," he said of the team that went from the worst record in the league last season to this year's best. "I've been talking about playing for the championship since the beginning of training camp."
Laimbeer was a four-time All-Star who scored nearly 14,000 points and grabbed more than 10,000 rebounds in his 14-year career. Outside Detroit, he was reviled as one of the dirtiest players in the NBA.
"One of the most hated, I would say," Cooper recalled.
Cooper won five titles - three more than Laimbeer - with the Lakers and was the NBA defensive player of the year in 1987.
Until Laimbeer became coach of the Shock last season, Cooper hadn't seen his old nemesis since he was doing commentary at a Lakers game five years ago and Laimbeer walked by.
"I almost punched him then and I'm pretty sure he was about to punch me, that's why I turned around," Cooper said.
The competitiveness between the still beefy Laimbeer and the slender Cooper figures to come out during the WNBA Finals.
"He tries to get under your skin like a tick," Cooper said.
In June, Laimbeer said publicly the Shock would beat the Sparks and Detroit won 87-78 in overtime.
"I thought they exchanged some words when we lost in overtime in Detroit," Sparks guard Tamecka Dixon said. "It wasn't a nice handshaking after the game."
Recently, Laimbeer predicted Sacramento would beat the Sparks in the Western Conference finals. Los Angeles won in three games.
"That hurt Coop a little bit, too," Dixon said. "The battle between the two, it's incredible. I think it's going to trickle down into the players."
Laimbeer was named WNBA coach of the year this season, an honor Cooper earned in 2000.
Cooper compared 6-foot-5 Ruth Riley of the Shock to Laimbeer in his heyday. And he sees some of Laimbeer's toughness in WNBA rookie of the year Cheryl Ford, daughter of current Laker Karl Malone.
"Laimbeer probably sat her down and showed her some old film of Rick Mahorn pushing people around and she's getting away with it now," Cooper said.
Television ratings for the finals on ESPN and ABC figure to be helped by the presence of Laimbeer and Cooper.
"There will be people who tune in just to see the two of us," Laimbeer said. "Once they tune in, they'll see we're fun to watch. We're big, strong and fast. Hopefully, they'll enjoy the product and show we'll put on."
But Cooper doesn't want the personal rivalry to overshadow what happens on the court.
"People should always remember this is about women's professional basketball and trying to keep this league and take it to where the NBA is at now," he said.
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/6739474.htm
