by Iman Milner
November 21, 2023
The brother of Lakers nice Michael Cooper was gunned down in a Pasadena park the place the 2 as soon as performed basketball.
The brother of NBA champion and Lakers nice Michael Cooper was shot and killed on Saturday, Nov. 18, at a Pasadena park the place the 2 honed their basketball abilities as kids, The Los Angeles Occasions reported. A 24-year-old suspect has been arrested within the loss of life of the sufferer, 64-year-old Mickey Cooper.
Aaron Miguel Connell was detained for an unrelated crime by regulation enforcement, who felt he posed a risk to the general public and suspected he was concerned with Cooper’s loss of life.
“Believing this individual posed a right away risk to the general public, detectives coordinated an arrest operation with members of the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Taskforce, PPD SWAT, and PPD Okay-9 Unit,” the Pasadena Police Division stated. Connel was subsequently charged with homicide on Monday, Nov. 20. Police haven’t established the motive for Cooper’s loss of life, TMZ reported; nevertheless, they’re asking for anybody with data to achieve out to the division.
Regulation enforcement responded to photographs fired at 4 a.m. within the 700 block of East Washington Boulevard, and upon arrival, discovered the 64-year-old unresponsive and riddled with gunshot wounds.
Cooper, who performed with the Lakers throughout their storied “Showtime” period and received 5 championships, confirmed the loss of life of his brother to KABC-TV Channel 7 Eyewitness Information in addition to the park’s significance to their shared historical past. Since leaving the NBA, the 67-year-old basketball icon has loved each a profitable teaching and sports activities analyst profession.
Cooper led the Los Angeles Sparks to 2 WNBA championships and completed with a 72-57 file because the College of Southern California’s Ladies of Troy Basketball Workforce’s head coach. He additionally acted as an assistant coach for the NBA’s Denver Nuggets in 2004 earlier than turning into the crew’s expertise scout. Cooper is considered one of many league’s most elite defenders and was chosen to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Workforce 5 occasions all through his profession. He was additionally named Defensive Participant Of The 12 months in 1987.
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