As fanatics of the Lakers, or any other NBA team for that matter, we tend to forget that life exists beyond the hardwood. These players all are real people with families to provide for and take care of, but it is hard to imagine that when we are blinded with scores, standings, and statistics. This new collective bargaining agreement not only affects franchises but individual players as well. Not every player in the NBA has the luxury of max contracts and endorsements like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwight Howard.
Some of these NBA players are essentially waiting to see if they will have any type of income next season, either due to the lockout or the owner’s desire to lower the salary cap. This is where Derek Fisher is most crucial to all the players in the NBA, he has to stand strong and fight for his colleagues and try to deny the owners from trying to lower the cap.
Fisher has to be mentally ready to pursue a third straight championship, and still be able to balance his duties as President at a time where he is needed to reach an agreement on this new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Can anyone else handle the pressure better than D-Fish? Well, that is why he is better known by his teammates as “El Presidente”, whether time is expiring or a new CBA must be set, who else better to lead than Derek Fisher?