(Image source: http://www.nba.com/playerfile/derek_fisher/)
Everyone knows him and everyone respects him. He is a 16 year NBA veteran, five time champion, and president of the players association. A leader on and off the court, Derek Fisher has proven over the years how he is one of the best point guards in the NBA and why he is truly the best when it matters the most.
We all want to know what it’s like to play with, or even to know Derek Fisher. Metta World Peace gave the opportunity for fans to ask questions about Fisher and what’s better than asking someone who knows and played with the man himself? Metta World Peace answers questions and gives us his own opinion on Fisher. Metta had the chance to play with Derek for three years and he knows the value of Fisher and believes that Derek is one of the hardest workers in the NBA.
When asked about his opinions on Fisher before he played with him, Metta stated that he always knew Derek was a good player but didn’t realize how great he was until he actually had the chance to be his teammate, “Before I was his teammate I thought that he was just, you know, a really good player but not as great a player (as you find out), when you play for him/with him, you realize how great he really is”. Along with being a teammate, he also helped Metta outside of basketball, “He was an inspiration for me as far as being professional, you know there were a lot of things I wanted to become, the reasons why I came to LA, you know it probably would have gotten out of control, but playing with Derek kept a lot of things in perspective”.
Derek is a man of class who is known for his genuine character, as Metta says, “Everyone is inspired by the type of guy Derek Fisher is”. Fisher inspires not only those who play basketball but his work ethic is so great that everyone looks up to him as motivation to keep going and push forward until the final second. Fisher never disappointed his teammates or his fans, “You can always depend on him and he came through every time without missing a heartbeat”. A question about Fishers game, Metta praised his talent:
“When everyone else is shooting jump shots, he attacks, he’s focused, he’s confident, his shots go in from the top, hits the bottom of the net and goes right down to the floor- when it matters the most. Along with Kobe, he is one of the few players that attack in the last few seconds”.
For someone to have a legacy such as Fisher’s, their mentality must be even better than their talent. Comparing him with athletes such as Michael Jordan and Floyd Maywhether, Metta knows that his mentality has a lot to do with who he is, “Derek Fisher’s mental toughness is out there with the best”.
When I asked Metta if he thinks Fisher should win another ring this year, he said, “I’m a big Lebron fan…Lebron is developing some super hero powers that I think he’s just starting to realize that he has so if he wins I’ll be happy for him, but I will also be happy for Derek if he wins too”.
As much as Laker fans miss D Fish, we will never forget all he has done for our team and will forever root for him, look up to him and thanks to Metta World Peace, we know a little more about him.
Fisher will always be better than Sessions..
I love Derek Fisher!
He's such a great player with a great career!
I wish I could meet him in person some day!
Having known Derek for almost 10yrs now, I agree. He is one of those rare players who will be just as effective in a board room as he is on the court. He is a natural leader and a genuinely good guy. Derek is quality all the way around.
nothing can be added tho this it speaks volume and we see another side ot metta and this is noting but Respect and Admiration to a Great guy
Great to hear your opinions of this amazing athlete. I think the Lakers made a mistake, yes they needed help at the point, but you can't teach or coach someone into a leader like Fish. They should have found another way to get the piece they needed.
The most humble NBA player of all time, D FISH.
D Fish is an impact player and knows when to shoot. Very calculated.
Jordan definitely talks about how exetcepd everyone on the team as well as those at Nike to work as hard as he did. When they didn't he wasn't polite about it. He definitely goes into a few interactions he had with Horace Grant and verifies that they did not get along. He talks about how he was also very tight with money and that this regularly upset people around him. I get the impression that he is a nice guy to those that he respects. Those that he does not, don't expect much from him.