Derek Fisher: Heart, hustle, intelligence, Los Angeles Lakers legend

Derek Fisher has a special place in Los Angeles Lakers history. 

There are mega superstars in sports such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady, Derek Jeter and Babe Ruth. Sure, they are rare and special.

However, there is another type that gets overlooked so many times and can go underappreciated. This type of player is one that sacrifices for the good of the team and will take a back seat individually when it comes to personal stats.

It is rare for players who have the ability to be both physically and mentally gifted as well as the ability to learn and grow within a team and a system and therefore become the ultimate team player in today’s somewhat selfish, “Me first” type of NBA game.

Derek Fisher was that type of player for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fisher was strong, smart, and able to learn and grow to become an integral part to the Los Angeles Lakers‘ success over the years as well as play many seasons in the NBA. Under the word durable, Fisher’s picture should appear. As well as under the words consistent, hustle, heart, and cerebral.

I was always a huge fan of his. In my opinion, he was by far one of the most unselfish players and smartest players.

Fisher so reminds me of athletes such as New York Yankees Brett Gardner, or like a linebacker in the NFL that has played so many seasons and can always be counted on to be durable. Underrated New York Jets linebacker Kyle Clifton comes to mind. (He was a tackling machine that played on many terrible Jets teams.)

They both do nothing but hustle all day long and while they may not have the type of stats that stick out and draw the most attention, they are integral parts of the teams in which they play. For if a team had more athletes like Fisher, they would be one of the best in their given sport.

If Derek Fisher was in the NFL, he would have been a very important part of the New England Patriots and their success. A total team player that master’s the system in which they play and helps bring the best out of all those around him.

In fact, the Patriots built many winning teams with athletes just like Fisher. Had he been a baseball player, he would have been a part of the 1998 New York Yankees which was a team made up mainly of solid blue-collar, cerebral and all-out hustlers.

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Drafted 24th overall by the Lakers in 1996, not many expected that much out of Fisher. After all, he went to a college where only eight players such as Pete Myers and Carlos Rogers would come out of and go onto the NBA. Many overlooked his talent, but more importantly, many overlooked his heart and hustle.

Fisher would go on to be a big part of the Los Angeles Lakers three-peat dynasty. He played a very large role for the team as he was the total package. Derek could shoot the jump shot, knock down the occasional three-pointer, run the floor and offense like a general, pass, and play defense. He was just one of those types of players that never seemed to hurt a team as he was always contributing one way or another.

D-Fish was also favored by Phil Jackson over Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton in the 2004-05 playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where his minutes increased heavily (h/t Jeff Pearlman, Three Ring Circus).

Jackson liked Fisher better as he was a much better fit for the triangle offense and had been a product of it for many years before. Payton on the other hand, by far one of the greatest point guards of All-Time did not care for the offense.

One of the more important roles that Derek Fisher had when he was a member of the Lakers, was being good friends with Kobe Bryant. The two would become good friends and develop a very important repour on the basketball court.  Kobe was once asked who his favorite teammate was. Derek Fisher was the answer. 

Derek Fisher has been clutch, (remember the buzzer shots?) cerebral and all-around more than solid. There should be a special place for players such as him when all is said and done.

They are the backbone of teams. Derek Fisher was an important part of the backbone of the Los Angeles Lakers.