In defense of Derek Fisher

I have always thought of Derek Fisher as a disciplined and polished individual who makes clutch shots and provides excellent leadership to his teammates. Yes, he plays hard and often fouls hard and at times loses his temper, but overall he is an admirable example of what an NBA player should be. In my naivety, I assumed that most people thought of Derek Fisher this way.

However, round 2 of the Western Conference Playoffs introduced me to a new way of thinking about the Laker point guard. Almost as publicized as the Lakers' commanding sweep of the Utah Jazz was the controversy over Fisher's decision to return to LA back in 2007. Even though this happened three years ago, Jazz fans are still upset that he left Salt Lake City to join the Lakers, claiming that he deceitfully manipulated Jazz management to be released from his contract and go back to LA. These two girls are perfect examples of what I'm talking about:



Many Jazz fans also chanted "Fisher Sucks!" During warm ups.

I am astonished that so many people think so little of his character. Perhaps this just reinforces my naivety for actually believing that Derek Fisher moved to Los Angeles to help his daughter overcome cancer. Now that Tatum's cancer is in remission, it is obvious that Derek did what was best for his family. He and his wife surrounded themselves with the best combination of doctors available so that their daughter's cancer might not spread to her brain. And it doesn't hurt to win a couple NBA Championships in the process.

Seriously though, when Fisher asked Larry Miller to end his contract, he was considering several cities, not just Los Angeles. Fisher said, "When the decision was made to terminate my contract we had no idea what would be available in terms of teams and opportunities and we had a very short list of cities to work from. It included Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Memphis, San Francisco, Cleveland and Boston. We had several conversations with medical personnel in each of the cities and once we were able to zero in on the city, this being Los Angeles, we felt very solid about the care Tatum would receive."

To accuse Fisher of exploiting his daughter's cancer so that he could return to the Lakers is not only unfair and sort of mean, it is illogical. He definitely did not leave the Jazz for a better team. The Lakers were barely a .500 team in 2007, and they either didn't make the playoffs or lost in the first round for the three previous years. And Kobe was talking about leaving the Lakers during that time. On the other hand, the Jazz were better than ever, finishing 1st in their division and making it all the way to the Western Conference Championship. Everything suggested that the Lakers were degenerating fast and that the Jazz were on the way up. So unless Fisher can tell the future, it is absurd to think that he left the Jazz so that he could win another championship with the Lakers.

And even if Larry Miller was suspicious that he wanted to return to the Lakers, what could he have said? "no, you cant get out of your contract because you're going to the lakers, let your daughter remain blind?" I don't think so.

Maybe he did it for the money. Not so. He opted out of $21 million remaining in his contract when he left SLC for a $14 million deal in Los Angeles. He moved and lost $7 million.

So why didn't he go to New York where the Taum's doctor worked? In a press conference Derek explained that in addition to a treating physician, his daughter needed a pediatrician experienced with retinoblastoma (Tatum's rare eye cancer), a pediatric ophthalmologist, and a pediatric oncologist who specializes in cancers for kids. According to Fisher, LA had this collective group of doctors that they felt the most comfortable with. Click here to read the statement.

I can understand the feeling of betrayal Jazz fans are feeling. The Jazz lost an excellent point guard to a rival team who just ended their season. I guess I would be bitter too. However, to attack Fisher's integrity and his commitment to his family is wrong. I do not oppose booing the Lakers; it's part of competition. But personal attacks and insults are unsportsmanlike and unbecoming of basketball fans.