It’s been justly written that the value of Derek Fisher to the Los Angeles Lakers is not something quantifiable.
As a leader in the game, a student of the triangle offense and a coach on the floor, Derek truly makes the Lakers who they are.
Veteran NBA scribe Stephen A. Smith of ESPN knows, as many do, that with Derek, looking at the numbers is borderline foolish. Smith writes:
"The career points, assists and other supposed superlatives that define and illuminate stars in our society are suppose to explain precisely why no one ever hears much about Derek Fisher. The Lakers point guard has never been an All-Star. His career averages don’t reach the double-digit plateau."
But Smith believes that there is one thing above all else that sets D-Fish apart from his peers: His character.
And for that reason, Derek has an even larger value to professional sports than he does to the Lakers.
"He’s a born leader," teammate Pau Gasol explained. "As close to a perfect professional as I’ve ever seen in my life."
Derek has led his team to five titles, and in the chase for a sixth, a feat accomplished by a select few in all of pro sports. He also has a strong foundation of faith and family off the court.
No. 2 is tremendously proud of the work he’s done to build his career and his life. Smith writes that he should be.
"What the headlines aren’t likely to focus on, however, is arguably the quintessential professional in all of sports. An athlete as close to perfect as has been chronicled….
When asked what he’d like said about him once his NBA career comes to an end, here was Fisher’s response:
"I truly believe in my heart that everything that has happened for me … I deserve. I say that in the sense that I worked extremely, extremely hard in so many areas to be exactly where I am today. Obviously, people have helped me. Coaches, mentors, teammates, etc. But I feel very proud to say I worked for everything I have. I didn’t cheat my way to any of this. I didn’t take any shortcuts, and I appreciate what I’ve earned. I would want people to fully understand the magnitude of just that."
Smith says that Fish is a rarity in the Internet age. An athlete for which the only exploits he wants to be known are of the humble life he lives. A stark contrast, Smith writes, to the average modern day ball player.
"They don’t want you knowing about the wife, the four beautiful kids, Fisher’s daughter Tatum and her being diagnosed with retinoblastoma (a rare, degenerative form of eye cancer) back when she was 11 months old, or the inevitable trials and tribulations that come with such circumstances. And they certainly don’t want to spend their time as president of the National Basketball Players Association, burdened with the responsibility of representing 450-plus players while trying to make them comprehend there’s a price — and a moral obligation — that comes with being the face of a league generating $4 billion a year in revenue.
"I think I learned it over the years, even prior to my becoming a basketball player. It’s something my parents instilled in me. Making sure you’re always aware of where you are, what you stand for. Not becoming complacent. Not being OK with what you’ve already accomplished. Always looking to do more. To push yourself more to be better. To never be shy about representing someone or yourself. God knows none of us are perfect, but there’s nothing wrong with pursuing perfection."
As a professional athlete, Fisher is pretty close to sublime."
To read Smith’s entire article on what makes D-Fish the consummate professional athlete, click here.
NEXT UP
The end to a long regular season is less than a week away for Fish and the Lakers.
But before the Lakers can turn their focus toward their long-term goal of a championship, there is still the matter left of finishing the season strong.
LA could use a boost, having lost three straight for the first time since mid-February. But Fish notes he isn’t concerned about the Lakers’ recent losses:
"We should keep in perspective what we accomplished over the last six, eight weeks," he said. "The success we had, we focused mainly on making ourselves better, not worried about other people’s performances."
Tonight, LA heads to Portland, a locale that has given them trouble in the past, but one they’ve already experienced success in this season.
The Lakers have beaten the Trail Blazers three times this year.
In their first meeting of the season, in early November, Derek scored 12 points, including hitting 5-of-6 free throws. He threw out four assists and helped the Lakers walk away with a blowout win, 121-96. They added a win in Portland in late February and took down the Blazers again in LA last month.
They’ll jockey for the season sweep tonight. Tip off is at 7 PST and can be seen on KCAL-TV.
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