11. Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher just narrowly misses the top ten but at the end of the day it was a really tough decision to make.
Despite Kobe Bryant getting all of the praise, and equally all of the criticism, without Derek Fisher, arguably Kobe Bryant would not be where he is today, for more reasons than one.
By now, we all know of Derek Fisher’s clutch shot making ability, whether it be his unbelievable 0.4 buzzer beater against the San Antonio Spurs, the two clutch threes in Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals, or the huge and-one layup against the Boston Celtics over Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Glen “Big Baby” Davis in Game Three of the 2010 Finals, the man simply has the clutch gene.
That said, it is the little known stories, the fact that he and Kobe Bryant came into the league together and used to play full court one-on-one games long after Lakers practice had ended, or the notion that he was one of Kobe’s only teammates strong enough to say “no,” despite the Black Mamba’s demands for the ball.
Derek Fisher will always be a fan favorite for Los Angeles Lakers’ faithful and for good reason. We love you D-Fish.
Next: No. 10 Jamaal Wilkes