Former Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher experienced many playoff games and nail-biter moments in the Western Conference team's quest for five NBA championships in the millennium. He also shared the backcourt with recently deceased and soon-to-be Hall of Fame inducted shooting guard Kobe Bryant.
Fisher, 45, a retired pro after 18 years in the NBA, former New York Knicks head coach and currently head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, reflected on his time with the one-time MVP and 18-time All-Star Bryant, via ESPN's First Take.
“It's been up and down. There [have] been days and moments where I feel inspired and motivated and energetic to keep moving on, keep working on … to be great.”
Fisher also referenced Bryant's commitment to women's athletics and women's basketball as the departed Lakers legend remained steadfast in providing an opportunity for 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who also perished along with seven others in the Calabasas, California, helicopter crash in late January.
“There are other days where it is a struggle … obviously they have been showing old games of ours, every time you look up there's something Kobe-related that sometimes makes it tough to accept the fact that he's not here, makes me feel like I can hit him up when I see him …
“I know he would want us all to keep pushing on and channel our inner toughness and keep being who we are, try to be the best version of ourselves.”
Fisher was a classmate of Bryant's as the Lakers' first-round pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of Little Rock, eventually spending 13 seasons in L.A. and winning all five titles alongside Bryant.
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