My first exposure to newly minted New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher came in the summer of 1996. I was hanging out at the home of my best friend and classmate, Justin Woods. Justin, who now coaches Rossview HS girls basketball in Clarksville, Tennessee, was a prolific high school basketball scorer. As we were hanging out in the kitchen (a common occurrence due to its obvious close proximity to food), he handed me a letter he had gotten that day in the mail. As I opened the envelope, I noticed the letter was on high quality paper with an official letterhead adorning the top of the page. It was an official recruitment letter from the basketball program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Obviously Justin was excited to be receiving a recruiting letter, and after reading the letter, I noticed there was a flier included as well. "Oh yeah, they just had a point guard get drafted by the Lakers," chimed Justin. "Oh really, that's nice," I responded. The flier wasn't on the same letterhead, and it seemed to be something the SID hurriedly put together. I recall a grainy image of a player named Derek Fisher who enjoyed a stellar yet under the national radar career at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Derek Fisher was the 24th player taken in the 1996 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. The flier noted his draft achievement, his college stats and the fact he was Sun Belt Conference player of the year in 1996 in brief paragraph form. The flier underscored that the Trojans now had a very enticing nugget to utilize when trying to lure talented young men to Little Rock to play college hoops. I recall thinking, "That's cool this small college point guard is getting a shot. Maybe he'll stick around a couple of years in the NBA."
Fast forward from 1996 to 2014, and Fisher's resume boasts 18 years as a NBA player, 5 NBA championships, a players' union presidency, a bevy of big shots and the most playoff games played in NBA history. Now roughly 10 days after participating in his last playoff game as a player in the Western Conference Finals, he has inked a 5 year $25 million dollar deal to coach one of the highest profile teams in the NBA. If someone had told me on that summer day back in 1996 that Derek Fisher would generate such longevity and excellence, I would haven't believed it.
Was it wise for Phil Jackson to hire his former point guard who has no coaching experience? Will my favorite NBA team finally win a championship during my lifetime? Those questions can't be answered at this juncture, but we do know that Derek Fisher is well respected, smart and a leader among men. His playing career far exceeded expectations, and here's hoping his coaching career reaches similar mountaintops.
Here are some good reads on Fisher the man and on his marriage to Jackson and the Knicks:
Derek Fisher, Knicks Agree to Deal
A Veteran Becomes a Rookie
Knicks' Hiring Fisher a Calculated Risk
In NBA boom times, Derek Fisher knows how to follow the money
Derek Fisher: Faith, Family and Hard Work
In closing, I wonder what ever happened to that recruitment letter and Derek Fisher flier. Since Justin isn't a hoarder by any stretch, it likely found its way to a trash can many years ago. Maybe, however, it's stashed away with his Cindy Crawford and Alonzo Mourning posters or in his Paula Abdul Trapper Keeper.
Go Knicks!
"Herb"
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