Derek Fisher Q&A: The 2008-2010 Lakers could play today

Derek Fisher, the Los Angeles Lakers’ five-time NBA champion point guard, remains deeply connected to the game and its culture decades after his career began. In a recent sit-down with HoopsHype on behalf of Panini, Fisher looked back on the biggest moments of his career - from that unforgettable 0.4-second buzzer-beater in the 2004 playoffs to what it was like playing under Phil Jackson alongside Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, to eventually coaching Carmelo Anthony in New York, and more.

What specific, unexpected memory from your NBA career constantly replays in your mind?

Derek Fisher: I think the biggest, I don't want to say the biggest moment, but probably the loudest moment, was in 2004 with 0.4 seconds left in the game, and I made a game-winning shot. It was my first game-winner in the NBA, and among all of the Hall of Fame talent that was in that building, from Gregg Popovich and Phil Jackson coaching to Shaq, Kobe, Robert Horry, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, you could just go down the list. For some little dude from Little Rock to make the game-winning shot... It's just the stuff dreams are made of. It's what you do in the backyard or when you're playing on your hoop; you used to want to be in those situations, and I was in a real-life one. And so that is what I think about. To have seen images of those moments or to have signed cards of that moment, it's really special.

As a former clutch shooter, coach, and analyst, how do you view the evolution of late-game strategy from simply trusting a hot hand to relying on modern analytics and complex sideline plays?

DF: The game is definitely managed differently and played differently. It still comes down to trying to do whatever you can to help your team win. And so trusting in your players is at the top of that list always, because they're the ones that help you get it done. In terms of data, analytics, and information, I've always been a believer that information is helpful no matter where it comes from. The more informed you are, the smarter decisions you're going to make. There's always "paralysis by analysis" to some degree, but you'd rather know what you're good at, what you're not good at, and what your opponent is good at and not so good at, and try to build a game plan and philosophies around it. I think it makes today's game amazing because I do believe coaches have a little more influence than in previous times regarding when decisions are being made, when timeouts are called, when to substitute, what shots you're taking away from your opponent, and the entire defensive game plan. To me, it's fun to figure all those things out. I don't know if everybody believes in it in the same way, but as far as I'm concerned, the more information the better.

Given today's fast-paced, perimeter-oriented offenses, do you believe Phil Jackson's coaching philosophy and the traditional Triangle offense could still succeed?

DF: I think his coaching and leadership style will always apply. Every team is different; every group is different. Great leaders are not cut from the exact same cloth, though they do have a lot of similarities. But Phil's approach was really based on 100 percent ownership and accountability of your journey. That still applies no matter what the sport or the business. The offense itself would be more challenging to be successful in today's game, because it oftentimes keeps guys around the paint. If the paint is crowded and there's no space for driving, ball movement, and player movement, it can be really difficult. I mean, imagine playing the Spurs, and Victor Wembanyama is guarding a guy that's always at the block or always at the elbow. He already dominates the game defensively from the three-point line or from anywhere, but it would be really difficult to score on the Spurs if he were guarding people who were always around the block.

So it's not to say it couldn't work at all; there are still some parts, facets, and strategic aspects of it that are still involved in every level of basketball. But I don't know if the system the Dallas Cowboys ran in the 1980s would work today in the NFL either. I think we overly try to say what would or wouldn't work in basketball because it's a fun conversation, but they don't play baseball the same way they played 30 years ago. They don't play football the same way they did 30 years ago, and that's okay.

Did your attempt to modernize the Triangle offense for Carmelo Anthony in New York reveal the limitations of a perimeter-based version of that system?

DF: I think trying to figure out how to allow your players to be successful and put them in a position to be successful is not easy, regardless of the system. Coaching Melo, knowing that he operated at the elbows in isolation as a mid-range guy, the challenge was: "OK, how do we generate enough three-point attempts and quality ones to be able to compete?" It's a math equation at some point. If you're not shooting enough threes and making enough of them, it's going to be hard to win. Also, how much pressure can we put on the rim if the paint is clogged and filled with bodies? So now we're also limiting our roster construction because you need guys that are very good at creating opportunities and getting two feet into the paint.

If there's no room for, let's say, James Harden or Russell Westbrook or point guards to actually drive the ball, then there's going to be difficulty in creating efficient offense. Moving those chess pieces around was fun, trying to figure out, "How do we put Melo here? How do we move Kristaps Porzingis here? How do we put Jose Calderon more in the corners?" But the triple post offense is not necessarily designed to be separated out into parcels. It's either you're in it, or you're not. And that was always a challenge for us in New York.

How did your experience playing alongside Shaq and a young Kobe compare to your later stint with an older Kobe and Pau Gasol?

DF: I think that's a great example of how the system can work depending on personnel. It's not static. The players define everything. When you have a team that is built around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, and those are your cornerstone pieces, the offense operated through the post. Shaq's dominance set the table for everything else we did. Sometimes it was more methodical; it was more purposeful in making sure we touched the paint through interior passing. But we got to the free-throw line a ton, we set our defense a ton, we were veteran, and we were smart, which made us really hard to beat.

Then, when you transitioned into the teams in the late 2000s, we were versatile, we were fast, and we played quicker. The ball didn't have to go in the post for us to be successful. Kobe was the cornerstone piece, Pau Gasol was a cornerstone piece, and Lamar Odom was not far behind. The versatility of our roster in 2008, 2009, and 2010, that team could play today. Compared to the teams in the early 2000s, it's a different game. That's a completely different game than the teams in '09 and '10. Lamar, Pau, Kobe, Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujicic, Trevor Ariza, Metta World Peace, we could run, play fast, and shoot threes with the best in the world.

Between those two distinct championship eras, how did your responsibilities as a point guard differ when facilitating for Shaq versus Kobe?

DF: I grew up playing club team basketball with a guy named Corliss Williamson, who's an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs at the moment. He was my Shaq at 11 years old. And so learning how to play with a big guy was something I always enjoyed doing. I learned to appreciate how bigs think, what's important to them, and what they need to feel respected and valued at all times. That's required; if you don't have that mentality, you will not be able to get the most out of your bigs. So playing with Shaq was easy for me because of my earlier experiences. Then, being Kobe's point guard was different. It was something I had to learn, where another perimeter player was the guy that you had to figure out how to make sure he got everything that he needed, and that he could be successful in doing.

Early in our careers, when we were more peers, it wasn't as hard because we were playing similar minutes. In our rookie season, we had similar roles, and then he freaking took off like crazy. All of a sudden, he's my franchise guy. He's my guy that I have to make sure we're doing everything we can to put him in a position to be successful. Part of that is being good at what you do so that the defense can't concentrate on him too much. Continuing to work on being a great perimeter shooter and floor spacer was part of my responsibility for Shaq and for Kobe.

How did playing with Shaq and Kobe prepare you to mentor the young OKC trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden, and did you foresee them all becoming Hall of Famers?

DF: It was easy to see those guys becoming Hall of Famers because of how hard they worked. I mean, they were three of the first guys in the building every day. That was just a part of how Oklahoma City approached building the right habits and player development. Those guys were wired that way. They embraced every aspect of the program. And so talent aligned with their work ethic, yes, they were going to be Hall of Famers. Being a leader requires you to listen as much as lead. When I got to OKC, it was very important for me to listen as much as lead because it was a different team. The relationships had been established and built differently before my arrival. No matter what I had accomplished before I got there, as a leader, you have to get in on the ground level and make sure everybody's looking each other in the eye and respecting one another first before you try to do a bunch of yelling and screaming. That's how I tried to establish those relationships in a short window, and we got close. In hindsight, could I have done more to lead more effectively? Yeah, but we got to the Finals, and we had our chance. Miami got it done.

Who was your GOAT growing up?

DF: Magic Johnson.

And why was that?

DF: Magic played the game in a way I've always envisioned basketball should be played. It looked like he was having fun; he smiled a lot. His teams won a lot. He made other people better, but you also never forgot how good he was. To me, he balanced all the things that make team sports great: individual success, team success, great relationships with teammates, winning at the highest levels, and playing in a big market. It just all looked amazing. I never saw myself being a Laker when I was watching him do what he did, but he's always been one of my GOATs and my muse for how it's supposed to be done.

Tell me what you're doing with Panini during All-Star weekend this year?

DF: I mean, specifically with Panini this weekend, I just have an opportunity to stop in and see the activation and chill in the lounge for a minute. I'll sign some stickers. I've worked with Panini, man, I mean, I came into the NBA in 1996, so 30 years ago, and in some form or fashion, we've always had a partnership and a relationship. They have always been a great partner, consistent with their products and communication. And then now, having basketball cards coming into the market like this, that's pretty unique. So yeah, just hanging out, man. LA, All-Star weekend. 2018 was the last time we got this opportunity, so I had to check it out.

Did you collect trading cards as a kid, and what is it like seeing basketball cards boom in popularity compared to baseball's dominance during your youth?

DF: I didn't collect a ton of trading cards, but trading cards have always been very impactful in my life. Like, I became an Atlanta Braves fan from seeing a Dale Murphy card as a kid. I just started following Murphy, and he was a member of the Atlanta Braves, and then it just stuck from there. It's how I learned about individual guys on teams. I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas; there were no professional sports teams. So the best way for me to stay connected to what guys were doing, especially statistically, and their journey, and where they're from, was through trading cards. So to see where the marketplace is now and to think about the global impact that trading cards have now, not just locally or in California or in the United States, it's global. It's just been amazing to be a part of that journey over the last 30 years.

How surreal does it feel to watch your vintage trading cards sell for high prices decades later?

DF: Yeah, it is surreal. I often share with people that I didn't necessarily have this dream for my life. I loved basketball. I knew I wanted to be in basketball as long as I possibly could, still do. But becoming an NBA player and being on the front of a trading card, I don't know if I saw that for myself. And so when I see cards now, even after my career, I'm still very thankful, very grateful. It has been a special journey. And to know that some young kid in Little Rock or in LA or in some random place might see my card and dream bigger, it's a pretty cool feeling.

You can follow Cyro Asseo (@CyroAsseo) on X, formerly known as Twitter, or Bluesky. Email me comments, thoughts or ideas to CAsseo@usatodayco.com.

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Derek Fisher Interview: NBA Career, Kobe Bryant and Lakers Legacy