sportsjabber.net

The leadership. The hustle. The passion, heart, determination. The clutch shots time after time. The needed turnover. There is someone that can claim all these and more. Yet, he may not make the Hall Of Fame, he may not even have his jersey retired. However, as long as you are a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, you will always remember what he did for you and the way this man conducted himself on and off the court. He’s a fan favorite, a student of the game and forever a Laker. He is Derek Fisher.

You can look back at all the memories that Derek “D-Fish” Fisher has provided, but it’s hard to determine which he will be forever remembered. It could be the 0.4 second shot. It could be any of the other last minute heroics, whether it be by a made field goal or causing a crucial turnover. Fisher never was the type to call for the ball, but when he got ahold of it, there stood a man with a love of this game and all aspects of it. Over the course of his career, he’s averaged just 9 points per game to go along with 3.2 assists per game. Those numbers will never truly measure the talent of D-Fish. His vocal leadership and hard work is what makes him so special.

Coming from small town Little Rock, Arkansas, Fisher was not someone who always stood above competition. Even in college, he just averaged over 12 points per game throughout his career at Arkansas-Little Rock. That didn’t stop the Lakers from selecting him 24th overall in the 1996 draft. Since then, Fisher has spent just three seasons away from Los Angeles with brief stints in Golden State and Utah. In 2007, Fisher requested his release from the Jazz in order to relocate for his daughter. He wanted to return to Los Angeles to find the right specialists to help his daughter fight retinoblastoma. Since then, he’s helped lead the Lakers to 3 NBA Finals, a loss to the Celtics, a win over the Magic and now in another series with the Boston Celtics.

In the 2009 NBA playoffs, Fisher took on questions regarding his age and ability to guard the younger and faster point guards. Despite that, Fisher helped the Lakers beat the Orlando Magic with his Game 4 heroics. In that game, he hit a three pointer with 4.6 seconds left to send the game into overtime. In that overtime period, he hit another, tie-breaking three pointer with 31.3 seconds left to lift the Lakers to a 3-1 lead over the Magic, and their inevitable 15th NBA title.

What Fisher brings to a team is much more than his abilities and clutch shots. It’s his hard work, his grit and demeanor for this game. He brings a class to the game. A die hard student of the game attitude. He brings all the little things that wins championships. He brings leadership. Will we ever see Derek Fisher in the Hall Of Fame or his jersey up in the Staples Center rafters? Unfortunately, that’s doubtful. However, for all fans of the Lakers and basketball in general, Derek Fisher will go down as a legend. A bar in which many players will strive for when it comes to work ethic, leadership and class. He will be remembered for “0.4″. He will be remembered as one of a kind.

http://forums.sportsjabber.net/sjforums/showthread.php?t=54672