Artis Wayne Cooper (November 16, 1956 – April 11, 2022) was an NBA basketball player in the United States. He was born in the Georgian city of Milan. Cooper was the all-time leader in blocks for the Denver Nuggets when he retired.

Cooper appeared in 984 games for the NBA and scored a total of 7,777 points.

Cooper had a significant part in the Trail Blazers sweeping their rival Seattle SuperSonics in the first round of the 1983 NBA Playoffs, in his first playoff appearance, averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game in the series.

Cooper had his greatest season as a professional during the 1985-86 NBA season when he started 78 games for the Nuggets and averaged 13.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Cooper blocked a career-high 9 shots against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 11, 1985, in a 134-95 victory. Cooper went on to play in the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992, both with the Trail Blazers.

Wayne Cooper NBA Draft

Cooper was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round (40th overall) of the 1978 NBA draft. He played for the team from 1978 to 1992. Originally from the University of New Orleans, Cooper was a 6 ft 10 in (2.1 m) forward-center who played in 14 NBA seasons from 1978 to 1992.

He has played for the Warriors, the Utah Jazz, the Dallas Mavericks, the Portland Trail Blazers (for two seasons), and the Denver Nuggets, among other teams.

Which Year Was Wayne Cooper Drafted?

Cooper was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the second round (40th overall) of the 1978 NBA draft.