With Derek Fisher being introduced as the New York Knicks’ head coach on Tuesday, D-Fish’s extensive NBA playing career has officially come to an end.
The 6-1 point guard from Little Rock, Arkansas had his share of big-time moments, adversities, and triumphs during his 18-year career with numerous teams, but he’ll mainly be associated with and remembered for his success as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
After reading his book (Derek Fisher: Character Driven), I confirmed one of the reasons Fisher will always be my second-favorite player (behind Kobe Bryant) of all time. Fish was always an underdog, yet always worked hard, and always found a way to prosper and rise above adversity. I felt similarities within myself, where I’d be doubted or underestimated yet always managed to prove people wrong — much to their surprise.
With Fisher, he came from humble beginnings, worked his way up, and developed into a leader while never forgetting where he came from.
He was never going to be an All-Star, put up big numbers, or even reach double-digit assists on a regular basis, but he would always play his tail off, lead with his head and his heart, and many times with the Lakers, do all he could to help his team win — and win they did.
— Think You Know Everything About Derek Fisher? Take The Ultimate D-Fish Quiz! —
Fresh out of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock at the age of 21, Fisher was drafted by the Lakers in 1996, the same year Kobe Bryant was acquired by the Lakers via a trade on draft day.
The two would develop a strong bond, but not at first.
Fisher recalled the two being left in the gym after practice, playing one-on-one against each other for hours. The two competitors played hard, and often came close to blows in the heat of the moment. They never actually fought, but neither player would back down, either. The two earned respect for each other after that, which resulted in a partnership that eventually raised five championship banners atop the Staples Center rafters.
Fisher would be a starter off and on under different coaches, and it was no different once Phil Jackson arrived in 1999. Fish actually averaged a little more than half the minutes in the 1999-2000 playoffs (in which the Lakers won their first championship under the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant era) than he did in the previous season.
Jackson preferred bigger guards, and had brought in Ron Harper — who had helped him win three championships in Chicago — to start for the Lakers.
Phil had historically favored bigger lead guards in his triangle offense, which Derek certainly was not.
As always, this did not deter Fisher. It just made him more determined.
Unfortunately, Fisher suffered a stress fracture prior to the following season, which kept him out for the first 62 games of the regular season. However, once he returned, Derek started and the Lakers’ defense and offense received a boost as Fisher averaged 11.5 points, 4.4 assists and 2.0 steals for the rest of the season as opposed to the 6.3 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.0 steals he had averaged the previous year. Fisher remained the starting point guard for throughout playoffs, as the Lakers went 15-1 en route to their second championship in as many years. His hot shooting (13.4 points per game on 52 percent shooting from behind the three-point line) was crucial to the Lakers’ success.
Fisher had earned his keep and the trust of his teammates and coaches, and the Lakers would go on to win their third championship in a row.
The Leader
Two seasons later, however, the Lakers brought in Karl Malone and Gary Payton to help the Lakers rise to another championship after being eliminated from the playoffs the previous year. This once again put Fisher on the bench, not starting a single game in the playoffs. The Lakers eventually lost to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, leaving much uncertainty surrounding the Lakers.
Shaq was traded, Phil left, and Derek wanted a change of scenery and to land somewhere where he could expand his game and take on a role with more responsibility, so he opted to leave for the Golden State Warriors. Bringing championship experience, Fisher became a leader on a young Warriors team, although they did not make the playoffs for the two years he was there.
He was traded to the Utah Jazz, and by then a seasoned veteran, became a mentor to point guard Deron Williams.
A true test of character came when his daughter, Tatum, was diagnosed with a rare form of eye cancer — retinoblastoma. Fisher once again came through in the clutch, as he had done countless times on the court, by doing loads of research and figuring out the best way to attack the cancer head on. Not being able to control the outcome of that situation completely, however, he gained patience, perseverance, and an ability to place trust in others to do a job that he could not. All the while, he had to manage his daughter’s care while also fulfilling his obligation to perform in the playoffs for the Utah Jazz (which we’ll get to in just a moment).
Meanwhile back in Los Angeles, the Lakers were struggling. Phil Jackson returned to the sidelines, but the Lakers had twice been eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Leading them at the point guard position was Smush Parker (we all remember that guy, right?) throughout the 2006 playoffs. However, Parker was not cut out to be the kind of player to play next to Kobe Bryant, and Jackson even opted to start rookie point guard Jordan Farmar in his stead for the 2007 playoffs. Needless to say, the Lakers lacked some serious leadership on the court.
Kobe Bryant was so frustrated that he demanded a trade.
I remember saying that if we just had a solid point guard — more specifically Derek Fisher — to run the triangle offense in those seasons, that it would have been a different story and the Lakers would have at least 10 more victories (they went 42-40 that season).
Personal circumstances surrounding Fisher’s family forced him to ask to be let out of his contract with the Utah Jazz, and Larry Miller was gracious enough to do so. Fisher had a limited amount of options of where he could relocate, and fortunately for the Lakers, Los Angeles was one of them.
It was the perfect move for both parties, and I got my wish — Derek Fisher was once again donning the purple and gold! Although the team had significantly improved overall by the time the season was over, the Lakers ended up going 57-25.
It didn’t quite start out so smoothly, though. Kobe Bryant was still adamant with his trade request, but he finally had a teammate with him who understood championship DNA. The two had maintained a close relationship while apart, and Fisher’s calming presence and vocal leadership were able to keep Kobe Bryant’s mind in the moment. With the recent revelation that Kobe wouldn’t even talk to Smush Parker during breaks in practice, it’s safe to assume that Kobe wasn’t the best locker room confidant at the time. Fisher, however, became the voice of the locker room, allowing Kobe to lead by example while Fish would give the necessary motivational speeches and provide a steady hand on the court.
Midway through the season, Andrew Bynum had developed into an impactful player, and the Lakers acquired Trevor Ariza. The Lakers were rolling until Andrew Bynum suffered a devastating knee injury. Kobe Bryant even declared the Lakers a championship caliber team with Bynum — who he had discounted in a secretly taped parking lot video just months earlier — in the lineup, which was a complete contrast in tone from the summer. Shortly after the injury, the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol and the Lakers went on to make it to the 2008 NBA Finals, before losing to the Boston Celtics. Bryant was once again fully invested into winning a championship in the purple and gold.
Fisher was widely considered the heart and soul of the team, and would often give motivational speeches to the team during critical games. Simply put, he would talk and guys would listen. He was an extension of the coaching staff, which Phil alluded to in his introduction of Fisher on Tuesday.
The Lakers would go on to win championships in 2009 and 2010 with plenty of memorable big shots from Fisher, proving he was not only a leader who talked the talk, but one who walked the walk as well.
He would keep guys calm when opposing players tried to get under their skin, but also hand out some retribution when he felt the need to stick up for a teammate (remember Luis Scola?).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3O7vTDquPs
After Fisher was traded midway through the 2011-2012 season, he ended up with the Oklahoma City Thunder in stints, before finally playing his final season there for the duration. Head coach Scott Brooks and All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook all considered Fisher a great teacher and mentor as well.
Kobe Bryant recently said that Fisher’s the one former Laker he would love to play with once again, and it’s well known that Fisher was one of the few — if not the only — players that could call Kobe out without Kobe getting mad or showing hostility towards. Even when Pau Gasol would try to criticize Kobe on the court, you could visibly see Bryant shut him down, no matter who was at fault. With Fisher, he’s the only player Kobe truly saw as an equal in terms of basketball knowledge and knowing the best way to go about winning a ballgame.
Fisher’s leadership once he came back to the Lakers was just one of the assets he brought to the team, but now let’s get to some of the fun stuff.
Let’s check out some of his work in the form of clutch performances that legends are made from.
Next Page: The Legend
The Legend
No, Derek Fisher will never be The Logo, Jerry West. He’ll never be an all-time great point guard like Magic Johnson. And no, he’ll never be considered one of the great scorers like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Kobe Bryant.
However, Derek Fisher certainly has a place in the Lakers’ rich and storied history.
Many came in the form of some seriously big-time buckets.
We’ll take a look at some of the most memorable, since there really are so many clutch buckets D-Fish has made over his career.
First up, who can forget the 0.4 shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals? With the series tied at two apiece, the Lakers desperately needed Game 5 to place the odds in their favor. After a miraculous shot by Tim Duncan, the unthinkable happened and Fisher drained an improbable shot with just 0.4 seconds on the clock! The Lakers would go on to win the series.
Next up, although he wasn’t with the Lakers for this one, it’s certainly one worth talking about. As mentioned earlier, Fisher’s daughter was diagnosed with retinoblastoma prior to the 2007 Western Conference Semifinals. After being in New York all day to be with her during an emergency surgery, Fisher flew back to Salt Lake City in time for the end of the third quarter of Game 2. Starting point guard Deron Williams was in foul trouble, and Fisher was desperately needed. He came up with a pivotal defensive stop on former Golden State Warriors teammate, Baron Davis. Then, in overtime, having not taken a shot in days, Fisher drained a huge three pointer to help seal the victory.
Next, we have some heroics from the following year. Back with the purple and gold in the 2007-2008 season, Fisher found himself facing a former team yet again. This time, he would face off against the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference Semifinals. Up 2-1 in the series, the Lakers found themselves down 100-88 with four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. You-know-who stepped up with three huge triples. He helped the Lakers get back into the game, who eventually took it to overtime, where they later lost.
Next up would be Fisher in Game 4 of the 2009 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic. As many of us remember, he hit a huge three pointer over Jameer Nelson to send the game into overtime, and then another one in overtime to take the lead with 34 seconds left in the game. The Lakers were up 2-1 in the series leading up to this, and beat the Magic in Game 5 en route to their 15th championship.
(It’s best to start the video at the 2:30 mark.)
This is a special moment for me, as during that season, I would often go out with my Fisher jersey on — often times even after a loss. People would constantly come up to me and say, “Man, Fish is too old. He can’t guard anyone. He hurts the team more than he helps it. He needs to retire,” to which I would say “You’ll see.” After he hit those two huge shots, I threw it back in the faces of everyone I could remember that talked trash to me about Fish, and he certainly helped me shut all of them up — which he always did, time after time.
— Think You Know Everything About Derek Fisher? Take The Ultimate D-Fish Quiz! —
Anyway, another memorable moment was Fisher’s heroics in Game 3 of the 2010 Finals against the hated Boston Celtics. After being eliminated by the Celtics in 2008, revenge was on the Lakers’ mind. The Lakers were tied at 1-1 going into Boston, and Paul Pierce famously declared that the series wasn’t going back to L.A. Fisher responded by scoring 11 points in the fourth quarter, boosting the Lakers to a 91-84 victory in pivotal Game 3. Fisher, known for his three-point shots, scored his most memorable points in that game by getting three points the old fashioned way — on a layup over three Celtics, with the foul.
Here’s his “vocal” and physical response:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQNOF7b1tUE
He would go on to hit another critical three in Game 7 of the same series with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter. The Lakers would beat the Celtics in Game 7 and win their 16th championship.
After the Finals were over, Fisher revealed what fuels some of his, uh, “gutsy” play, on Jimmy Kimmel Live — much to Kobe Bryant and the rest of his teammates’ amusement and agreement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u91pxO0Pb1c
If you’ve noticed, all of those big shots came in crucial playoff games. However, some of the final heroics D-Fish provided for the Lakers came in his final season with the purple and gold versus the Dallas Mavericks in the regular season. Fisher scored 9 points in the fourth quarter, including this beautiful go-ahead three point shot on an assist from The Black Mamba.
Kobe couldn’t help but smile at former teammate Lamar Odom, who could barely hold back a smile of his own.
Fisher has proved to be one of the most clutch players in NBA history when it comes to knocking down big shots in big moments. Some of those shots were extremely high-stakes attempts, and Fisher could seemingly never miss when given an opportunity like that.
No, Fisher will never be considered an NBA great or even one of the best Lakers of all time, but some of the heroics he displayed are nothing short of legendary.
Next, let’s take a look at Derek Fisher, the Laker for life.
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Lakers Top 5 Derek Fisher Moments
Next Page: Laker for Life
He may have played for other teams, but Derek Fisher will always be remembered as a Laker.
All of the former Lakers’ jerseys hanging from the Staples Center rafters were worn by Hall of Fame players, but I hope the Lakers make an exception for Derek Fisher.
He helped contribute to five NBA championships, and is the only one who’s won the same five that Kobe Bryant has.
No, he’s never been the All-Star point guard that many had hoped for (and are still hoping for). And yes, he may have been a defensive liability for much of his career with the Lakers, and unable to penetrate defenses and allow Kobe or other players to get easy buckets.
At the same time, he performed for the Lakers when no one else at his position could.
He was the one who got it done when Nick Van Excel left.
When Gary Payton arrived, he took a back seat and played his position, even though he knew he could run the system better.
When he came back, he was met with open arms after the nightmare that was Smush Parker. More importantly, he came back a leader and helped the Lakers get it done again.
He and Kobe Bryant complemented each other perfectly, and together they got it done five times over.
Maybe that says something about playing with Kobe Bryant, that other point guards haven’t worked out when playing alongside him. At the same time, you’ve got to find the right talent to work with greatness, and there was nobody better suited to play alongside Kobe in the back court than Derek Fisher. Kobe had no more trust in any one player than Derek Fisher, and he’ll tell you he wouldn’t have rather had any other player playing alongside him in the back court than good ol’ Number Two for all those years.
— Think You Know Everything About Derek Fisher? Take The Ultimate D-Fish Quiz! —
Fans always wanted an All-Star point guard, but as a team with Fisher at the point, the Lakers were able to triumph in the playoffs over some of the most elite ones in the league:
Mike Bibby. Allen Iverson. Jason Kidd. Tony Parker. Deron Williams. Russell Westbrook. Steve Nash. Rajon Rondo. Chris Paul.
No, he rarely outplayed those guys one-on-one, and often didn’t even guard opposing point guards, but he played his role and somehow his team — one without an “elite” point guard — managed to triumph over those players in a playoff series.
Derek played 12 1/2 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers, and will always bleed purple and gold, despite him now going on to coach the Knicks.
Fisher could’ve done anything after basketball (after all, he was President of the NBA Players’ Association), but he’s made the correct move in taking a position under Phil Jackson. In New York, he certainly lacks experience as a head coach, but will have the right guidance and the necessary support to allow him to succeed.
The same way he’s been an underdog his whole life, he is very much still one in his new position. The same way he’s been underestimated his whole career, he once again will be underestimated again.
If he approaches his new position the same way he approached basketball games, though, he’ll be just fine.
For now, it’s time to celebrate a great career by one of the most genuine people in the NBA.
Here’s to Derek Fisher: Leader. Legend. Laker for life.
Thanks for the memories!
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Lakers Top 5 Derek Fisher Moments