Lonzo Ball vs. Michael Cooper Season by Season Comparison

Side by side comparison of each NBA season of Michael Cooper and Lonzo Ball, from their rookie seasons to their last year played, in chronological order with awards, stats, championships and playoff performance of their teams every year.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Stats Rankings

Who had the better rookie season? Who had best stats in their 10th season? Who won a championship first? These questions and many others, are answered here.

Lonzo Ball played 6 years in the NBA, 6 less than Michael Cooper, who played 12. Lonzo Ball had the first of his seasons in 2017-18, while Michael Cooper had his rookie season in 1978-79. With that starting point, here you can take a look at each of their seasons side by side and compare how their careers evolved in achievements, awards and championships won, the stats they recorded both in the Regular Season and the Playoffs and how their teams performed in the postseason.

Their Careers

Player		 Total Seasons Playoffs Played NBA Years
Lonzo Ball 6 0 2017-18 to 2024-25
Michael Cooper 12 11 1978-79 to 1989-90

Comparison Season by Season

Jump to season:

1-2-3-4-5-6

Rookie Season
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2017-181978-79
Team Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards Achievement All-Rookie Second Team-
Playoffs Did Not PlayDid Not Play
more >>
Rookie Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 52 34.2 10.2 1.3 5.6 6.9 7.2 1.7 0.8 2.6 2.3 3.9 10.8 .360 1.7 5.7 .305 0.6 1.4 .451
difference:+49+31.9+8.2+1.3+5.6+6.9+7.2+1.4+0.8-2.3-2.0+2.9+8.8+.140+0.6+1.4
Michael Cooper 3 2.3 2.0 0.0 0.0 0 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3 1.0 2.0 .500 - - - 0.0 0.0 -
Playoffs Stats
* Neiher Lonzo Ball nor Michael Cooper played in the postseason in their season 1

Season 2
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2018-191979-80
Team Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
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2nd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 47 30.3 9.9 1.1 4.2 5.3 5.4 1.5 0.4 2.2 2.4 3.9 9.7 .406 1.6 4.9 .329 0.4 1.0 .417
difference:+35+6.2+1.1+0.1+2.6+2.5+2.7+0.5+0.1-0.5-0.2+0.2+2.7+.118+1.5+4.7+.079+1.0+0.7+.359
Michael Cooper 82 24.1 8.8 1.2 1.6 2.8 2.7 1.0 0.5 1.7 2.6 3.7 7.0 .524 0.1 0.2 .250 1.4 1.7 .776
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Cooper 16 29.0 9.1 1.8 1.9 3.7 3.6 1.5 0.7 1.8 3.4 3.6 8.8 .407 0.0 0.1 .000 1.9 2.3 .861

Season 3
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2019-201980-81
Team New Orleans PelicansLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost West Conf 1st Rd
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3rd Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 63 32.1 11.8 1.1 5.0 6.1 7.0 1.4 0.6 3.1 2.0 4.4 10.9 .403 2.3 6.3 .375 0.7 1.2 .566
difference:+18+0.3+2.4+0.4+2.3+2.0+2.9+0.2+0.4-1.1-1.1+0.4+2.8+.088+2.3+6.1+.164+0.7+0.6+.219
Michael Cooper 81 32.4 9.4 1.5 2.7 4.1 4.1 1.6 1.0 2.0 3.1 4.0 8.1 .491 0.0 0.2 .211 1.4 1.8 .785
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Cooper 3 34.0 10.7 0.7 2.7 3.3 2.3 2.0 0.0 2.3 2.3 3.7 6.7 .550 0.0 1.0 .000 3.3 4.7 .714

Season 4
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2020-211981-82
Team New Orleans PelicansLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayNBA Champion NBA Champion
more >>
4th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 55 31.8 14.6 0.6 4.2 4.8 5.7 1.5 0.6 2.2 1.9 5.3 12.7 .414 3.1 8.3 .378 0.9 1.2 .781
difference:+21+2.9+2.7+0.5+1.8+1.3+2.7+0.1+0.2-0.2-0.9+0.3+2.9+.103+3.1+8.1+.260+0.9+1.1+.032
Michael Cooper 76 28.9 11.9 1.1 2.4 3.5 3.0 1.6 0.8 2.0 2.8 5.0 9.8 .517 0.0 0.2 .118 1.8 2.3 .813
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Cooper 14 27.4 11.9 1.4 3.0 4.4 4.4 1.7 0.8 2.1 3.4 5.0 8.9 .565 0.1 0.1 .500 1.8 2.4 .735

Season 5
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2021-221982-83
Team Chicago BullsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive Second Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
5th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 35 34.6 13.0 1.0 4.4 5.4 5.1 1.8 0.9 2.3 2.4 4.6 10.9 .423 3.1 7.4 .423 0.6 0.8 .750
difference:+47+8.4+5.2+2.1+2.1+1.3+0.4+0.3-0.7-0.1+1.4+4.8+.112+3.0+7.1+.185+0.6+0.8+.035
Michael Cooper 82 26.2 7.8 1.0 2.3 3.3 3.8 1.4 0.6 1.6 2.5 3.2 6.1 .535 0.1 0.3 .238 1.2 1.6 .785
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Cooper 15 30.2 9.4 0.8 3.1 3.9 2.9 1.7 0.4 1.3 3.6 3.5 7.6 .465 0.1 0.5 .143 2.3 2.7 .829

Note: Lonzo Ball didn't play in 2022-23 and 2023-24.

Season 6
Lonzo Ball Michael Cooper
Season 2024-251983-84
Team Chicago BullsLos Angeles Lakers
Honors & Awards -Achievement All-Defensive First Team
Playoffs Did Not PlayLakers Lost NBA Finals
more >>
6th Season Stats Comparison
Regular Season Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball 35 22.2 7.6 0.7 2.7 3.4 3.3 1.3 0.5 1.2 1.6 2.5 6.9 .366 1.9 5.6 .344 0.6 0.8 .815
difference:+47+6.9+1.4+0.1+0.2+0.2+2.6+0.1+0.3-0.6-1.7+0.8+0.2+.131+1.4+4.1+.030+1.3+1.5+.023
Michael Cooper 82 29.1 9.0 0.6 2.5 3.2 5.9 1.4 0.8 1.8 3.3 3.3 6.7 .497 0.5 1.5 .314 1.9 2.3 .838
Playoffs Stats
G Min Pts ORb DRb Reb Ast Stl Blk TOPF FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A%
Lonzo Ball DNP------ --- ----------
Michael Cooper 21 34.4 11.3 1.0 3.0 3.9 5.7 1.1 1.0 1.4 3.8 4.2 9.1 .461 0.6 1.7 .333 2.4 3.0 .806

Additional Years

* Michael Cooper played 6 seasons more than Lonzo Ball in the NBA.

In that period—his seasons 7 to 12, from 1985 to 1990—Michael Cooper played in 6 Playoffs and won 3 NBA Championships.

In those 6 extra years over Lonzo Ball, Michael Cooper got these achievements:

Honors & AwardsAchievement 3 All-Defensive First Team
Achievement 1 All-Defensive Second Team
Achievement 1 Defensive Player of the Year
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