Cross-era · careers 16 years apart
Michael Cooper vs Chris Paul
Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Chris Paul (2005-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 16 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Chris Paul was the higher-volume scorer (16.8 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 1.71× their league average respectively; Chris Paul was the more efficient scorer (58.1% true shooting to 54.3%). Chris Paul holds the edge on accolades — 11 All-Star selections and the #33 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.
Career averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Chris Paul |
|---|
| 8.8 |
Points / game |
16.8 |
| 3.2 |
Rebounds / game |
4.4 |
| 4.2 |
Assists / game |
9.2 |
| 1.2 |
Steals / game |
2.0 |
| 0.6 |
Blocks / game |
0.2 |
| 46.8% |
Field goal % |
46.5% |
| 29.1% |
3-point % |
36.6% |
| 83.2% |
Free throw % |
86.9% |
| 54.3% |
True shooting % |
58.1% |
| 873 |
Games played |
1,370 |
Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Chris Paul |
|---|
| 0.84× |
Points vs era avg |
1.71× |
| 0.75× |
Rebounds vs era avg |
1.06× |
| 1.67× |
Assists vs era avg |
4.23× |
Advanced metrics
Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Chris Paul |
|---|
| — |
Offensive rating |
114.9 |
| — |
Defensive rating |
105.9 |
| — |
Net rating |
9.0 |
| — |
Usage % |
14.2% |
| — |
Assist % |
30.6% |
| — |
Rebound % |
7.1% |
Playoff averages
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Chris Paul |
|---|
| 9.4 |
Points / game |
20.0 |
| 3.4 |
Rebounds / game |
4.9 |
| 4.2 |
Assists / game |
8.3 |
| 1.2 |
Steals / game |
1.9 |
| 0.6 |
Blocks / game |
0.2 |
| 46.1% |
Field goal % |
48.4% |
| 32.6% |
3-point % |
36.9% |
| 77.6% |
Free throw % |
84.6% |
| 168 |
Playoff games |
149 |
Accolades
| Michael Cooper | Stat | Chris Paul |
|---|
| 0 |
MVP awards |
0 |
| 0 |
Finals MVP |
0 |
| 5 |
Championships |
0 |
| 0 |
All-Star selections |
11 |
| 0 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
4 |
| #65 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#33 |