If you like basketball – heck, even if you don’t know much about basketball – you still probably know that the name Derek Fisher is synonymous with unparalleled greatness. His buzzer-beating shot heard around the world at 0.4 seconds of the 2004 playoffs when the Lakers beat the Spurs is the stuff of legend. And, of course, Kobe Bryant himself called Fisher the best player he ever trained with, specifically, “He has the attitude of a champion. That stuff is really hard to find in a person. That grit…he’s been my favourite teammate of all time.” High praise from the g.o.a.t. (sorry, MJ).
And this week, from October 4 – 6, Derek Fisher, along with several other NBA legends (including Fisher’s old teammate, Shaq), flies to the desert for the official Abu Dhabi Games: Clash of Champions. But now, basking in the fruits of his hard earner labour, Derek Fisher has resorted to coaching high school basketball at Crespi Carmelite in Encino, CA (the all boys brother school to the all girls school, Louisville High School, which boasts a certain Kendall Jenner amongst its star studded alumni).
We spoke with the the basketball legend about his iconic career, coaching high school basketball, and navigating the unpredictability of adolescence.
ESQUIRE: It’s now exactly 20 years since your iconic buzzer beating shot. What goes through your head when you think about it, and how many times a week do you get stopped in the street asking about it?
DEREK FISHER: [laughs] The first thing I think about is man…you got old…fast. Whenever that play gets brought up, people always tell me exactly where they were, who they were with. People remember everything from that moment. It creates a visceral reaction that other moments didn’t create, and I really do get asked about it all the time. Even if people don’t know much about me specifically, or my time with the team, that era, they still remember that play. It’s definitely one of those moments that brings a lot of NBA fans into this shared moment, and that feels pretty cool to have been a part of.
ESQUIRE: How do you look back at your time with Lakers now?
DEREK FISHER: I’ve always looked back at it like just being a special gift. It would’ve been a gift to play for even just a day. One week. One month. But to have worn that Lakers uniform for 13 years? It still almost feels like a dream. But I’m fortunate enough to remember it. And I never could have imagined that reality being my life. The legacy of the Lakers in basketball is second to none, so sometimes I still have to pinch myself.
ESQUIRE: What do you think of them renaming The Staples Center to the Crypto Arena (the iconic Los Angeles arena that was home to the Lakers, often cited as ‘The House that Kobe Built’)?
DEREK FISHER: It’s part of what we all go through, you know? The evolution of life. I don’t know if any building has the same name it did thirty, forty years ago. But there were so many memories inside The Staples Center. And this is no disrespect to Crypto.com, but Staples is where it happened for us. So for us, who are part of that legacy, it’ll always have a different bonding connection internally. But hopefully the Lakers can win some titles in this new building, and the new guys can feel a connection to the Crypto Arena instead [laughs].
ESQUIRE: Do you still habitually call it the Staples Center?
DEREK FISHER: Yeah…without even being intentional [laughs]. It’s like muscle memory. But when I’m talking about that place, which was a home for us for so many years, I’m talking about past memories. But even today, when I’m driving and using my traffic app, I got to type in Crypto.com, and that does feel a bit strange.
ESQUIRE: You’ve been coaching High School basketball now for just over a year. How does it feel coaching high school basketball? Do you see yourself staying there?
DEREK FISHER: It’s been a gift, man. Coaching these high school boys throughout the school year, and the girls during the summer, is just me trying to remind these kids that everybody’s journey is different. You don’t have to panic if you’re not a starter on your team in the 9th grade. You don’t have to panic if you’re not the best player on your varsity team. Or if you’re not ranked top 100 on whatever the most reputable platform is these days. You just have to be willing to put in the work. Year after year until it happens for you. And even if it doesn’t happen for you, what you’ll learn from that process of struggle, that’s where the growth happens.
High school is that age where everybody’s kind of struggling to find themselves, especially if you’re an aspiring athlete. And in today’s age with social media, these kids feel like if they’re not number one on some platform, they’re a failure. So waking up every day and helping these kids navigate that path really feels like a meaningful task in life. How long I do it, I have no clue. I didn’t get into it for a definite number. Basketball is really just a calling. If the right call comes at the right time for anything in basketball, I’ll be there.
Derek Fisher, along with The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and many more, will be at the Abu Dhabi NBA Games 2024 this weekend at the Etihad Arena.
