Derek Fisher is a pretty divisive name amongst Lakers’ fans.  People just have a hard time agreeing on what his role should be on this Lakers team and how much value he actually provides as a player.  Should he be starting?  How many minutes should he play?  Is his leadership really that important to a team that is led by Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant?  Does he hurt more than he helps?  I could go on and on, but whether it’s these questions or others you’ll likely get varying opinions if you asked a room full of Lakers fans.

But what you won’t get any disagreement on is that Derek Fisher is clutch.  The man just has a knack for hitting big shots.  Whether it’s the regular season or the playoffs, Fisher comes through over and over again to the point that it’s not debatable – the man has stones of steel and will hit the dagger shot if you give him the chance.  A simple YouTube search reveals some of his greatest hits and on this day, I’m sharing some of the more memorable ones from Fisher’s career.  Enjoy.

We’re all familiar with this one, right? As a famous big man that donned the #34 jersey for the Lakers said about this shot, “one lucky shot deserves another”. Not only did this shot help the Lakers down the Spurs and propel them to a 4th Finals trip in 5 years, but it had the added bonus of putting that look on Bruce Bowen’s face.

Personally, this shot is probably my favorite of any of the ones that will appear in this post. At this point, the Lakers are down by three with less than 10 seconds left with the prospect of losing a 2nd consecutive game and facing a tied series. Fortunately though, the Lakers never get to that point as Fisher comes up huge with a deep three pointer to tie the game to force overtime.

The best part about this shot for me? Not the fact that it ended up being the shot that put the Lakers up for good in the game. Nor the fact that Fisher came up huge for the second time in 5 minutes to save the Lakers from a potential tied series. The best part to me is the smile on Fisher’s face. It’s both pure happiness and the ultimate face of self belief at the same time.

If you were to go back to this past year’s playoffs, this shot would probably be one that most people don’t remember. I think we’d all recall Pau’s tip in against the Thunder, Ron’s put back against the Suns, and Ron’s other great shot in game 7 versus the Celtics. But, this shot that Fisher hit was huge and it essentially sealed the fate of the Jazz in the playoffs. Sure, we’ll all look back at this series and remember how the Jazz were overmatched, but this was the contest (game 3) where the Jazz were really starting to show some life. If the Jazz win this game, maybe they win game 4 as well (something not difficult to imagine considering OKC did the series before). Then, the Lakers don’t get the same rest that they ended up getting. Rest that allowed Kobe to get his knee drained. Rest that allowed Bynum some extra time to off his damaged leg. When looking at Fisher’s shot through this lens, it’s actually a bit bigger than what our memories will show.

You know I had to save the best for last. This differs from the other clips because this wasn’t just one shot, but rather a fantastic string of great plays by Fish. He continuously threw his body around and hit the buckets that helped the Lakers regain control in the Finals. In comments of the player review that Phillip wrote on Fisher, commenter Aaron said it well so I’ll give him the last word:

With the season really almost on the line as the last 5 minutes began to tick down Fish didn’t just stand by the three point line open as Kobe or Gasol demanded a double team… he repeatedly created his own shot time and time again when the other Lakers simple couldn’t. To me it will go down as the most brilliant 4th quarter Finals performance by a role player of all time.

I really can’t think of another player who could be battered and basically beaten by opposing players and press alike so badly and for so long… and turn it on the way he did. Say what you want about him as a player (and I have) but as far as heart and dare I say balls… Fisher is second to no man.

The highly anticipated 2010 offseason has lived up its billing as one of the most dramatic, controversial summers in league history. From the WWE-style arrival of the Super Friends in Miami, Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert’s now infamous lambasting of LeBron James to Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony’s escape plans, NBA management and players alike haven’t exactly provided a shining example of class or character over the past few months.

For the majority of their history, the Lakers franchise has excelled in both of those areas—led by the now legendary business model initiated by L.A. great, Jerry West. As West explained during an inspirational speech at the West Virginia Business Summit earlier this week, it is a model that is rooted in treating people the right way.

West shared a story at the summit about a man who used to escort him to his car when he was with the Lakers and the impact it had on him both at the time and still today.

“I came to practice, I came to games, always expecting to see him,” West said. “Whether we lost or not, he was always the same. I was away three years. When I came back, I learned he was going to retire.”

West even attended the man’s retirement party, where the employee praised the Hall-of-Famer for always remembering the little people.

“I walked into the room,” West recalled. “There were 50 people there. This guy had a very menial job. He got up and talked about the people who were important to his life. He saved me for last. He said, ‘Jerry, I want to thank you for how you treated me. One of my proudest moments was to get to know you, take you to your car, and how you treated me.’

“It was a great lesson,” West said. “When we’re involved in a big corporation or trying to grow a business and make the state more successful, we cannot forget these people. They are the essence and fiber of any organization. I don’t care if you make $10 million, that person making $10,000 might be more proud of their job than you are of yours. Don’t forget those people!”

With a possible lockout looming after this upcoming season, it is important to remember that sometimes, franchise’s still get it right—and that is something that almost always starts at the top. Though West has since removed himself from the game, the culture he created in L.A. still permeates throughout Lakers Land. Jerry remains the standard by which all other league staff are judged—a fitting role for the league’s ever-present Logo.

Led by Magic Johnson and a venerable cast of stars and role players, the Showtime Lakers left an indelible stamp in NBA history books. Though his game lacked the same flash as some of his teammates, A.C. Green’s timeless work ethic consistently provided a spark during both of his stints with the Lakers. More than anything, Green regularly reminded fans and other NBA players how fortunate they were to play basketball for a living.

For A.C., playing in the NBA for 17 seasons was just as much about the love of the game as it was about simply showing up for work and collecting a hard-earned paycheck. That is exactly what the NBA’s ultimate iron man did, playing in a league record 1,192 consecutive games. To put that staggering number into perspective, Kobe Bryant—widely considered one of the NBA’s great warriors today—amassed a streak of 235 consecutive games played that ended earlier this year.

Green hardly watched the clock while he was “on duty,” as he was a pivotal role player on three championships squads (1987, 1988 and 2000). In fact, he led the Lakers in rebounding in six of the nine years he played for the team, boosting his career averages to 7.4 boards and almost 10 points per game. His play was rewarded through selections on the 1990 All-Star team and the 1989 All-Defensive Second Team.

While many fans remember the unselfish forward for his deep religious beliefs off the court, A.C. was also a devout and loyal teammate who was willing to do whatever it took to help his team. Green’s even-tempered attitude was hardly representative of his on-court play though, where his tenacious defense and all-out commitment served as his bread and butter. A.C. was crafty player who was fundamentally sound on both offense and defense, always boxing out in the most advantageous spot or ready to nail a baseline jumper.

In many ways, experienced, savvy veteran role players like Green have become some of the most coveted players in today’s NBA. In the same way that Derek Fisher’s contributions have been instrumental to the past five Lakers titles, championship teams need players like A.C. to fill in the holes around their stars, to remind them that winning takes a whole lot of hard work too.

Sometimes, I wish there were a way to control sports teams with the simple click of a TIVO remote–recording iconic moments, rewinding great plays, fast-forwarding through lulls and deleting moments we can’t bear to watch again. However, if we simply clicked “erase” on those ominous dark days, we’d also miss out on all of the character-building, resolve and perspective that defines eventual champions. In order to better understand just how far the Lakers have come in a somewhat astonishingly short period of time, we flip through the past decade’s history books for the 10 most painful Lakers moments from 2000-2010. Kleenex boxes: optional.

1). Game 6, 2003 Western Conference Semifinals, Lakers vs. Spurs: After back-to-back-to-back NBA titles, an old foe finally ended the Lakers dynastic reign in grandiose fashion, defeating the defending champions 110-82. As the final surreal moments of the clock ticked away, a camera panned to the Lakers bench, before closing in on the faces of Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant, tears flowing from both. As they cried, an entire nation of Lakers fans mourned with them.

2). Kobe Bryant arrested on suspicion of rape: The entire sports landscape felt the aftershock from the stunning July 4, 2003 announcement that an arrest warrant had been issued for the golden child of the NBA. The media salivated over the ensuing court proceedings as Eagle Rock, CO became a hotbed overnight, meanwhile the Lakers tried to downplay the drama on their way to the Finals. It’s been more than seven years since that fateful day and though few even mention that tiresome season anymore, the nightmare still resonates.

3). Detroit defeats L.A. to win the 2004 Championship: After an offseason overhaul that brought in Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton, Fisher’s miracle 0.4 shot to exact revenge against the Spurs in the Conference Semifinals and a season of dealing with Bryant’s legal drama, it was starting to look like the 2003-2004 injury-ravaged Lakers were a team of destiny. Unfortunately, that destiny involved a shocking five game walloping by the upstart Pistons that altered the entire course of the team.

4). Shaq is traded: If the Lakers title party effectively ended in defeat to the Spurs the season prior, their stunning five game exit against the Pistons in the 2003-2004 Finals served as the after party. Once the music finally stopped playing, the team was left with a messy hangover to deal with, starting with a giant 7’1” headache known as Shaquille O’Neal. With one fell swoop, L.A. shipped their All-NBA center to the Miami Heat as they handed the keys to the franchise over to Kobe.

5). Phil Jackson leaves the Lakers: Coach Jackson’s departure from the team was hard enough to deal with, but reading through every last detail of The Last Season was like driving by a bad car crash; as much as you don’t want to look at the wreck, you can’t help but sneak a peak. In this case, it was even worse since fans knew the players involved.

6). Game 6 of the Lakers’ 2006 First Round loss to Phoenix: Just when it seemed like all hope was lost in L.A., Kobe delivered one of the most legendary shots of his career, connecting on a game-winning jumper in OT to give the Lakers a 3-1 series lead over the pesky Steve Nash-led Suns. Even after a Game 5 loss on the road, the Lakers were mere seconds away from setting up a potential Hallway Series against the Clippers before Tim Thomas drilled a three-point dagger that hushed the raucous STAPLES Center crowd and propelled Phoenix to an eventual seven game series win.

7).  Summer of 2007:  After early exits from the playoffs in two straight seasons, Kobe opened his mouth and told the world that he had had enough. Enough of sub par rosters that included the likes of Smush Parker and Kwame Brown as staples. Enough of waiting for Andrew Bynum to develop, while players like Jason Kidd were readily available. When the best player in the NBA, then in his prime, says he’s finished with losing unless something changes, you listen. That’s exactly what the Lakers did, sifting through numerous trade proposals for their longtime superstar, meanwhile impending doom settled upon Laker Land. We’ll never know how close Mitch Kuchak and the team’s brain trust actually came to trading Bryant, but the prospect was terrifying at the time.

8). Bynum injures knee in January 2008: Irony is a funny thing in sports. After a summer of turmoil in which Bryant called for Bynum’s swift exodus, the budding young center played stellar basketball the first half of the season and suddenly represented Kobe’s greatest hope for another championship. Unfortunately, his devastating season-ending knee injury against the Grizzlies on January 13, 2008 temporarily (see: Pau Gasol) quelled those aspirations, along with fans’ newly raised expectations.

9). Boston comes back from 24 down in Game 4 of the 2008 NBA Finals: Despite losing two of the first three games of the 2008 NBA Finals, the Lakers still felt confident knowing the next two games would be played on their home floor. Through two and a half quarters, the team’s play echoed that mindset as they built a seemingly insurmountable 24-point lead and seemed poised to tie the series at two games apiece. The never-say-die Celtics refused to roll over though and mounted a furious (and historic) comeback to win the game and eventually the series. I’d venture to say that it took this year’s rematch against Boston for most fans to finally rid themselves of the shock-and-awe assault from that game.

10). The Celtics blowout the Lakers to win the 2008 Championship: Any sliver of hope that the Lakers would stage an epic comeback in Games 6 and 7 was tarnished halfway through Game 6 en route to a 131-92 manhandling by the C’s. The blowout exposed the Lakers’ soft interior defense and inexperience outside of Kobe and Fisher. Sure, the Lakers would retool a bit that offseason, but would they recover? It was a question that stayed with the team for the duration of the 2008-2009 season.

And Shaq’s gifts were never fully realized as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s were in his time with Oscar Robertson (who, left without Paul Silas setting screens for him, dumped it into the skilled young center), or Abdul-Jabbar’s time before Magic Johnson (when it was Kareem, all alone, taking the lumps but getting to put up the numbers). Shaq’s best years were spent in an offense that asked the center to think pass-first, and yet he dominated first, second, and last. If anything – and this isn’t some caveat put down to make myself feel better about ripping on the guy – his time spent with the Lakers under Phil Jackson has been underrated.

Following Magic Johnson’s stunning retirement, the Lakers were desperate for a spark to reignite their depressed fan base. Enter: Nick Van Exel. With an array of NBA Jam-worthy moves, Nick the Quick catapulted the forum blue and gold back into NBA relevance, quickly becoming a fan favorite in the process. Nick’s outspoken nature on the court and Hollywood smile ushered in a new era of basketball in Los Angeles, while proving his naysayers wrong with every twisting turn to the hoop and soft mid-range floater. Van Exel was as accessible as any up-and-coming star in the league, regularly personifying the emotion inside of the Great Western Forum with his spectacular arsenal of aerial acrobatics, clutch shooting and tough-nosed nature. Nick was an arcade player for Lakers fans, responding to their whims, catching fire at any moment, surprising them with a dazzling drive to the basket when they least expected it.

Van Exel’s tenure in L.A. wasn’t always easygoing though, as he frequently found himself at the center of controversy—whether it be with Head Coach Del Harris, referees (how can we ever forget when he shoved referee Ron Garretson?) or his own teammates. Through it all, Lakers fans supported Nick with the type of fervor usually reserved for only superstar-level players. It’s that same level of passion that makes Van Exel one of the more popular Lakers players of the last two decades.

Van Exel wasn’t a perfect player and truth be told, his averages of 15 points and seven assists during his five years with the team hid his often questionable decision-making and wavering attitude. Despite his faults, the Cincinnati alum wore his heart on his sleeve every time he stepped foot on the court and was a much-needed stop-gap in the post-Showtime years leading up to his eventual trade to the Nuggets shortly after the arrival of the Shaq/Kobe tandem. While Van Exel didn’t get to take part in the Lakers budding dynasty, he’ll always be remembered fondly as one of the franchise’s most exciting entertainers.

Check out this great Beyond the Glory piece below for an interview with Jerry West and others who talk about why the Lakers were willing to take a risk on Nick and what made him such a special athlete.

If you’d like to read up on Baylor, you can start with this epic piece by Bill Simmons from 2008.  Or you can check out Roland Lazenby asking if Baylor should be considered the all-time playoff MVP even though he never won a championship (he was that good).  Or you can read about how the “flash” of the modern game started with Elgin and see what recent players have carried the torch of the style that originated with #22.  Actually, do yourself a favor and give them all a read and remember one of the NBA’s all timers and surely one of the best Lakers ever.  And, since this is the best I could find also check out the video below that shows just how Elgin played the game in his era.  Understand that while some of the moves you see below seem pretty routine when using today’s standards, it’s because Baylor was the first player doing them.  Enjoy.

As this latest potential Lakers dynasty rounds into shape, I got to thinking about one of the most beloved players from the team’s last three-peat bid—Rick Fox. The former UNC grad was a critical component of three championship squads and will always be remembered fondly for his seven years of service with the forum blue and gold. While this current Lakers group relies on the likes of Derek Fisher for locker room leadership, the Lakers teams at the beginning of the decade had several savvy veteran leaders with which to rely—and none with a smile brighter than Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected.

In a true testament to his lasting impact during his L.A. tenure, most fans have either forgotten or are willing to dismiss the fact that Fox played the first six years of his career in Celtics green after being drafted by Boston with the 24th pick in the First Round in the 1991 NBA Draft. During his seven years with the Lakers, Foxy averaged nearly 10 points per game in 25 minutes, while also pulling down nearly four rebounds and shooting 35% from beyond the arc. Though his numbers never quite matched his 15 points per game average in his final year with the C’s in 1996-97, Rick unselfishly took a backseat on offense, recognizing his role in the team’s budding title hopes. However, Fox stepped to the forefront on defense and was one of the premier defenders at his position throughout his career.

Relive some of Fox’s greatest moments as a Laker in this fan video (Sorry for the low quality…I don’t think they had HD during Rick’s day).

His impact on and off the court can’t be measured on stat sheets though, as it was often the even-keeled Canadian small forward who served as a voice of reason when inner turmoil between Kobe, Shaq and the like threatened to derail the team’s title dreams. Like Derek Fisher, Robert Horry and Brian Shaw, Fox also had a knack for performing well in the clutch, even if he doesn’t get as much publicity for his late-game heroics as his former teammates. In fact, the Lakers might not have held on to win their first title of the new decade had it not been for Fox’s key buckets down the stretch of the deciding Game 6 of 2000 NBA Finals against the Pacers. At the end of the day, Fox was a player who was trusted by both Coach Jackson and teammates and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more consummate professional during his 13 years in the league.

Maybe even more than his leadership, fans and critics alike revered Rick for his willingness to mix it up against opponents—most notably in a 2002 pre-season game at STAPLES Center against the Sacramento Kings. Only two minutes into an exhibition game between the heated rivals, Fox and Christie jostled with one another, leading to a memorable fight in the alley on the way to the locker room—a battle that foreshadowed the teams’ epic seven-game series in that year’s Western Conference Finals. Aspiring actor or not, Rick’s grit and flare for the dramatic provided a huge spark for a team whose success hinged primarily on the play of Kobe and Shaq.

Recent additions Ron Artest and Matt Barnes undoubtedly embody a lot of Fox’s strengths, but the uncanny poise and class displayed by Rick still stand out to this day. Fox was a true winner at every level—not only leading the 1991 Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four, but proving himself as an invaluable piece of a back-to-back-to back championship squad. Though he’s still as visible as ever off the basketball floor, his contributions on it will never be forgotten.

I’m hoping all of you guys are enjoying your time off for Independence Day. I waited until Noon PT to see if any new news on Derek Fisher surfaced, nothing yet. So in light of the holiday, I’ll leave you guys with one of Kobe Bryant’s most spectacular performances of his career. The fireworks were going off in the Staples Center on January 22, 2006, and it’s only natural that we display fireworks here on FB&G for the 4th of July. From all of us at Forum Blue and Gold, Happy Independence Day.

1972: “I don’t yell much, and I’m not much of a drinker,” West said. “Really, I can’t figure out much that I’ll be able to do except maybe smile a lot.” When they did win, the Lakers were subdued. They drank their victory champagne out of wine glasses, while West smiled as predicted and delivered what were in effect a couple of toasts.

How things have evolved…

1980: Magic was too young for champagne… Trophy presentation 3:30

1982: Trophy presentation 3:40.

1985: “LA’s the Place!”

“Ain’t nothing but a party, y’all.”

1987: “I’m guaranteeing everyone here. Next year were going to win it again.”

Complete with footage from their visit with then president Reagan.

1988: “With 20 seconds to go, we were celebrating like we were champs. I said, ‘Hey don’t celebrate.’ I’m always scared. I’m scared until the final buzzer goes off.” -Magic

Kareem stuffs his towel in Riley’s mouth after Brent Musburger tempts Riley to guarantee another title. 7:50


2000: “We gonna get another one next year. Caaaan yoooooou dig it?”

2001: a hint of things to come…

2002: “It takes Two”

2009: 1-2-3 Ring!