Cross-era · careers 26 years apart

Michael Cooper vs Nikola Jokic

Michael Cooper 1978-1989 · Guard Nikola Jokic 2015-2025 · Center · active

Michael Cooper (1978-1989) and Nikola Jokic (2015-2025) never shared an NBA court — their careers are separated by 26 years, so this is a cross-era comparison, not a head-to-head. On the floor, Nikola Jokic was the higher-volume scorer (22.2 points per game to 8.8); adjusted for era they scored at 0.84× and 2.11× their league average respectively; Nikola Jokic was the more efficient scorer (70.3% true shooting to 54.3%). Nikola Jokic holds the edge on accolades — 3 MVPs, 1 championship, 1 Finals MVP and the #35 all-time ranking to Michael Cooper's #65.

Career averages

Michael CooperStatNikola Jokic
8.8 Points / game 22.2
3.2 Rebounds / game 11.1
4.2 Assists / game 7.5
1.2 Steals / game 1.3
0.6 Blocks / game 0.7
46.8% Field goal % 55.7%
29.1% 3-point % 35.7%
83.2% Free throw % 82.5%
54.3% True shooting % 70.3%
873 Games played 810

Era-adjusted (× league average of their era)

Michael CooperStatNikola Jokic
0.84× Points vs era avg 2.11×
0.75× Rebounds vs era avg 2.65×
1.67× Assists vs era avg 3.17×

Advanced metrics

Advanced stats weren't tracked in Michael Cooper's era.

Michael CooperStatNikola Jokic
— Offensive rating 116.1
— Defensive rating 108.9
— Net rating 7.3
— Usage % 30.4%
— Assist % 50.3%
— Rebound % 20.7%

Playoff averages

Michael CooperStatNikola Jokic
9.4 Points / game 27.4
3.4 Rebounds / game 12.3
4.2 Assists / game 7.6
1.2 Steals / game 1.2
0.6 Blocks / game 0.9
46.1% Field goal % 52.5%
32.6% 3-point % 38.9%
77.6% Free throw % 82.9%
168 Playoff games 94

Accolades

Michael CooperStatNikola Jokic
0 MVP awards 3
0 Finals MVP 1
5 Championships 1
0 All-Star selections 7
0 All-NBA 1st Team 6
#65 All-time GOAT rank #35

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