Los Angeles Lakers: Should Derek Fisher have his No. 2 retired?

The Los Angeles Lakers have the jerseys of many former players retired in the rafters, but another former player is worthy of consideration.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been fortunate to have many outstanding players throughout their storied history. An even smaller number of those players, though, have been given the honor of having their jersey forevermore retired by the franchise.

For example, it was inevitable that Kobe Bryant was going to have his two numbers retired by the Lakers. One could argue Bryant is the greatest Laker of all-time and that says a lot when guys like Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar all played for the team as well. Needless to say, all three of those legends also have their jersey numbers retired by Los Angeles.

Every one of those listed players among the others hanging from the rafters of Staples Center is more than deserving of the distinction. However, it is easy to argue that some other former Lakers are missing from that elite club.

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Even the very best superstars need a strong supporting cast to win world championships. There is no denying that no matter how hard one may try.

I feel like former Laker Derek Fisher is one such example of a player who is worthy of the honor. Certainly, the point guard was never the center of attention like Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal. His numbers are nowhere near the likes of theirs, either.

Fisher’s career statistics may look paltry on paper. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, none of which look all that impressive.

His numbers with the Lakers specifically are even a notch worse overall. Fisher averaged 7.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.9 assists for the purple and gold. Looks can be deceiving, however, and the numbers do not tell the entire story.

Fisher deserves to be in consideration to have his No. 2 retired by the Lakers because he gave the team so many intangibles. It is sad they are oftentimes forgotten about, but sometimes folks need a friendly reminder.

To begin with, D-Fish was loyal to the franchise. Yes, I completely understand he played for a few other teams such as the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite that, it is worth noting he played in the City of Angels for 13 years.

Additionally, there is another aspect about Fisher that deserves praise. The man was as durable as they come, and there were 10 seasons in his career he did not miss a single game (including the 1998-99 lockdown campaign). Eight of those seasons came while he donned a Lakers jersey.

Certainly, the 6-foot-1 guard was not the most athletic or skilled specimen by any means. However, he played with a fearless disposition and had an uncanny knack for drawing charges. I cannot tell you how many times he seemed to be in the right place at the right time. Simply put, Fisher was one tough cookie.

Teams also need a player they can rely on in terms of maintaining equilibrium. Fisher fit that mold to perfection and more for the Lakers. He was never the type of guy to cause havoc in the locker room and one could argue he was the glue that kept the machine operating.

The Arkansas product was also quite an intelligent ballplayer. He was proficient in one of the noteworthy areas any point guard should be: ball control. In fact, he averaged just 1.1 turnovers per contest during his 13 years with the purple and gold.

Fisher’s best skill was his perimeter shooting. Throughout the course of his Lakers’ career, he shot a respectable 37.5 percent from distance. That number climbed to 40.3 percent in postseason play.

Of course, the thing most people will remember about D-Fish is that he was a member of all five title teams during the 2000s. While he never the main man in the spotlight like Kobe, Shaq, or even Pau Gasol, he was instrumental to the team during bigtime moments.

Perhaps the most memorable highlight of D-Fish’s career came during the 2004 playoffs. In a game against the mighty Spurs, he sank a miraculous game-winning shot with just 0.4 seconds to go in the game. To this very day, it is one of the most clutch shots I have ever seen.

There are many other moments where the man knocked down important shots. One more such instance came in Game 7 of the 2010 Finals against the dreaded Celtics. In the final quarter, Fisher swished a crucial longball that tied the ballgame. The Lakers soon claimed the lead and never looked back.

Indeed, Derek Fisher was usually not the type of guy that was included in the headlines. In spite of that, instances like these prove how determined he was to help the Lakers win. The Lakers have always been all about winning and the five-time champion embodied their tradition to the core.

He was as cool as a cucumber personality-wise and was the furthest thing from flashy. However, he tended to have the hot hand in critical sequences and knew how to deliver.

I understand that the jersey numbers retired by the Lakers are glitzier in nature. It is the pure definition of what Hollywood is all about. Moreover, I grasp that Fisher is never going to be elected into the Hall of Fame.

He was never an All-Star or anything of that nature yet was supremely underrated in a town known to have such talents. It is reasonable to say he is about as good of a role player the team has ever had.

By virtue of that reason, I think he deserves the nod one of these days. It may be an unorthodox decision, but it is one the Los Angeles Lakers’ brass should seriously mull over.