5 Players the Lakers Should Have Found a Way to Keep

Apr 21, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher (6) steals the ball from Memphis Grizzlies guard Beno Udrih (19) during the second quarter in game two during the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

4. Derek Fisher

Fisher had two tour-of-duties with the Lakers during a career which spanned from 1996 to 2014.  He was with the Lakers from 1996 to 2004 and again from 2007 to 2012. It is no coincidence that the Lakers won multiple championships during both of his stints with the team and none without him. Fisher was never the most gifted athlete physically, but he was a leader, a fierce competitor, and at his best when the game was on the line. It is a testament to Fisher’s greatness that two years ago, when Bryant was asked who among all the men he played with during his long career did he miss the most, his answer was Fisher.

-== Top 10 Lakers Draft Picks of All-Time ==-

Much of the attention and money will always be lavished on the superstars of the NBA, but no team ever wins a championship without a couple of unsung supporting cast members who rise to the occasion. For the Lakers, Fisher was that such person throughout his career. He was not always a starter, but he was a finisher. With the game on the line and the team in need of a basket, no one other than Bryant hit more key shots than Fisher.

Towards the end of his second stint with the Lakers Fisher was having trouble staying with the young, speedy point guards of the league. In one particularly difficult moment he was torched by Jeremy Lin for 38 points in a game that was during the height of Linsanity. The Lakers thought Ramon Sessions could be their point guard of the future so they traded for him and unloaded Fisher at the same time. It was a shock. It was like a death in the family. Always the class act, Fisher did not complain or blame the team. He continued to contribute off the bench for Oklahoma City until his retirement in 2014.  A testament to his perceived intelligence and character is that upon his retirement he was immediately chosen as head coach of the New York Knicks, an incredible compliment since he had no prior coaching experience at any level.

Sessions played half a season with the team and then bolted. It is not as though the team has enjoyed great success with any point guards since Fisher left. He is a guy who deserved to finish his career as a Laker. I would not be stunned to see his jersey hanging in the rafters one day next to those of the other Laker legends.

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