Remembering Kobe Bryant’s most iconic Lakers teammates

Derek Fisher (1996-2004, 2007-2012)

Much like Robert Horry, Derek Fisher is by no means among the most prolific players Kobe’s ever been teammates with when statistics are in consideration. But what makes him a truly memorable part of the Black Mamba’s career is the friendship and mutual respect both share.

Kobe Bryant claimed that Fisher was his favorite teammate of all time. In 2013, journalist Kurt Helin published an article that featured an excerpt of Bryant stating that he wanted his fellow 1996 first-round draftee to return to LA so both of them can finish their careers together.

"“My all time favorite teammate has always been Derek Fisher. He’s been my favorite teammate, I would love to see him back in a Lakers uniform so we could kind of finish out together.”"

As a Laker, Fisher had his fair share of memorable moments. The most iconic of the bunch was his 0.4-second game-winner in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals against the San Antonio Spurs. It propelled LA to a 3-2 series advantage over the defending champions which later resulted in a Game 6 closeout.

Adding to the magic of Fisher’s buzzer-beater is the fact that by that time, the Trent Tucker Rule was already in place. With the rule in effect, the least amount of time any basketball player can get a normal jump shot off is 0.4 seconds, making D-Fish’s clutch bucket all the more incredible.