Why Five-Time NBA Champ and Lakers Legend Derek Fisher Returned to Manila

A five-time NBA champion and Los Angeles Lakers legend paid Manila a visit this past week, his first time back in the Philippines after 13 years and Filipino basketball fans were delighted to welcome him back. Derek Fisher was in town to headline the Jr. NBA Philippines Coaches Clinic held at the NBA Community Court in Mandaluyong. Esquire Philippines caught up with him after the camp for a quick chat. 

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An unexpected pick

Derek Fisher has had a storied NBA career, to say the least, but growing up, the 6-foot-1 point guard from Little Rock, Arkansas never really expected things to turn out the way they did. The 1996 NBA Draft is considered by many to be one of the best draft classes in NBA history, with that year’s bumper crop of rookies including notable names that have since been inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame such as Allen Iverson, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Ben Wallace, and Kobe Bryant.

Fisher was selected by the Lakers as the 24th pick in the first round.

Derek Fisher

Photo by NBA Philippines.

“I literally grew up watching the Lakers play in the 80s,” he says. “I was a big Magic Johnson fan and there wasn’t really anything about my childhood that told me I would play for the Lakers one day.”

Fisher attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where he played for the Trojans in the Sun Belt Conference. Aside from winning Player of the Year honors before entering the draft that same year, there wasn’t really much fanfare around Fisher that would indicate interest from a lot of teams so expectations in the Fisher household were tempered on draft night.

“I was in a room about the size of this one back at home in Little Rock and I had no idea whether my name would be called at all,” he recalls. “There was another guy in the draft who was named Derek so when the commissioner started saying ‘with the 24th pick,’ you know, did his thing, and he said the Derek part first, I still didn’t assume it was me. And so when he said my last name, I lost it. I jumped up, I started screaming, I was crying like a baby. I just didn’t believe that this thing that was a dream was obviously a big step closer to coming true.”

Derek Fisher (right) meets with local coaches Norman Black and Jong Uichico

Photo by NBA Philippines.

Together with Fisher and Bryant, another big name the Lakers acquired that season was Shaquille O’Neal. The three would go on to win their first championship for the franchise three seasons later.

“Getting a chance to play for the Lakers for so long, I’ve just never taken it for granted,” he says. “I’ve never wanted to treat it like I was entitled to it and it always felt like a gift. The fact that we were able to win so much and I was a part of so many great teams, that’s what makes it really special for me.” 

Purple and Golden Moments

Fisher played 18 seasons in the league, 12 of which were with the Lakers. He would go on to play for four other teams throughout his career but nothing comes close to the success he had in Los Angeles. A three-peat in 2000-2002 and back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010 cemented his place in franchise history. There are so many memorable highlights through the years as well. Who can forget Fisher’s Game 5 game-winner with 0.4 left on the clock against San Antonio in the 2004 Western Conference Finals?  

Derek Fisher was in town to headline the Jr. NBA Philippines Coaches Clinic

Photo by NBA Philippines.

“That’s the most memorable one because, I guess, that’s the one that’s talked about the most,” he says about the buzzer-beater under duress with Manu Ginobili’s stifling defense. Is there anything that tops that play in Fisher’s book? 

“The Game 3 in Boston (in) 2010, making that layup late in the game to kind of seal the victory, that one kind of really stands out to me the most. It’s a great example of just how I tried to approach everything,” he shares. “The series was tied at 1-1, guys from the Celtics were talking trash, assuming they were going to win the series, and I just refused to let that happen.”

“It’s remarkable. During my playing career, I didn’t really travel a lot because I was really focused on training in the offseason,” he adds. “I always said if I traveled internationally, am I still going to be able to work out? It’s going to throw off my training regimen and so it really wasn’t until after my playing career that I actually had the chance to spend time in other places.

“The love that Filipinos have for not just basketball in general but specifically the Lakers is…I don’t know if there’s any other place that is as strong and passionate. I just feel very fortunate to have been part of such great (Laker) teams. I appreciate the way the people feel about us.”

Coming back to Manila

Fisher has fond memories of his last visit and how the Filipino fans embraced him and the selection of NBA stars he traveled with back then that played in a couple of exhibition games against the national team and local pro players. 

It's Fisher's second visit to Manila

Photo by NBA Philippines.

“Most of the guys that came over, we had not played on the same team before so we were all just coming over to spend some time together, show our love and passion for the game of basketball and our respect for the Philippines,” he says. “I just remember an energy in the Coliseum during the game. It felt like a real game in terms of how people were excited and loved seeing the players. We enjoyed every moment. We never felt like we were intruding. It almost felt like we were a part of this big family that already exists here in Manila.”

This time around, Fisher came over to share his knowledge and experience with local coaches through the Jr. NBA Coaches Clinic. Also sharing the stage with Fisher during the event were multi-titled coaches Norman Black and Jong Uichico. Later that day, Fisher was able to reunite with his Filipino fans for a meet-and-greet at the NBA Store in SM Megamall, something that he was definitely excited for during his visit. 

Fisher meets with the author

Photo by Mikko Abello.

Fisher also talked about really looking forward to sampling the local cuisine. “My wife and I, we’ll have a little more time to kind of like tiptoe around and find some good food,” he says. “The last time, I was still playing so I didn’t venture out as much in terms of the things I would like to eat. Now, I’m a little more sophisticated, I’m older, and my palate has grown so therefore, I’m going to try some things out,” he shares. “Do you have any recommendations?”