Cleveland Charge standouts Sharife Cooper and Isaiah Mobley receive All-NBA G League honors

Cleveland Charge standouts Sharife Cooper and Isaiah Mobley each earned All-NBA G League hours, with Cooper making the second team and Mobley earning a spot on the All-NBA G League third team.

Cooper was the Charge’s leading scorer and best offensive player all season. In 43 games, Cooper averaged 22.8 points and 7 assists on .454/.356/.841 shooting splits. He received G League Player of the Month honors in January, was a two time player of the week and was an All-Star this season.

“Sharife meant the world to this team,” Mobley said. “Both from just being a good dude that people enjoy being around and also by being really talented. I think he can get by anyone. He hits tough buckets. He hits clutch buckets. And he plays with no fear.”

Cooper attributes his success this season to being in a position to grow as a player.

“I feel like I’ve grown a lot,” Cooper said when asked to access his season. “Just having a full year of just playing at an NBA level and taking ups and downs and having good games, having bad games, having games where you start off 0-6 and still trying to find a way to rattle you. This was huge for me.”

Charge head coach Mike Gerrity attributes Cooper’s coachability for why he was able to have such a good season.

“Sharife was so coachable throughout the year,” said Gerrity. “He was so responsive to those things. When I would point things out in a film session or when I would say something during the game because he knew it was coming from a place of wanting him to get better. Sharife fully bought into that.”

Mobley showed that he could be a rotation player for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the future. He averaged 21.5 points on .520/.363/743 shooting splits with 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The elder Mobley also made the All-Star team and made first team All-Showcase in December.

It wasn’t an easy road for Mobley who struggled at times in his first professional experience in Summer league. His growth from then until now is what Gerrity is most proud of.

“Summer League was his first taste of the NBA and the professional experience,” Gerrity said. “I think you’re going to learn a lot because it’s a completely different than the college game. The transformation and growth that he’s shown from then till now is just a testament to all the hard work that he’s put in throughout the offseason and how seriously he’s taken his position with the Cavs.”

That position was being on a two-way contract. How Mobley navigated the challenge shows who he can be on and off the court.

“The two-way is one of the hardest positions to be in in the NBA,” Charge GM Brandon Yu said. “You’re essentially playing on two different teams. Your role is completely different on those two different teams. Isaiah was a G League all-star and I think should be in the top five of MVP voting in the G League. But with the Cavs, he’s got to be the best teammate. Go stretches without playing and be able to embrace that with two feet in. It’s a huge testament to him.”

How Mobley balanced his role with both the Charge and the Cavs is what he’s proud of most from this season.

“I would say my resiliency,” Mobley said. “I’m pretty proud of how I finished. Just showing up, being a professional regardless of the circumstances, whether I got in midnight coming from the Cavs’ game or having practice with the Charge all week. Just showing up and just putting your best effort on the floor regardless of the circumstances. That’s what I’m most proud of about myself individually.”