As he celebrated his milestone 21st birthday on June 11, Sharife Cooper also completed the most action-packed year of his life.
The Atlanta Hawks two-way guard, and younger brother of WNBA guard Te’a Cooper, spent his rookie season between College Park with the G-League and the other part in Atlanta. Although he shined in College Park, he struggled to get much playing time at the NBA level.
At the Hawks’ unveiling of a revamped community room at N.H. Scott Recreation Center in DeKalb County, Georgia, Cooper spoke to rolling out about his next season in the league and his advice to the NBA’s rookies.
What are you looking forward to in season two?
Taking a big leap. My first year was a big learning year. I felt like I learned a lot. I felt like I got the experience of [playing with] NBA players, so now it’s time to finally take that step and become the player I believe I can be.
What advice would you give to the rookie class from the 2022 NBA Draft?
Stay grounded. A lot of things that have never happened in life are going to be thrown at you. It’s a different world, a different environment, a place that I can honestly say throws a lot of things at you. You have to be strong, mentally strong, and able to deal with a lot of ups and downs.
