After the heartbreaking loss to the Pistons in the 2004 NBA Finals, the Lakers core was torn apart and Derek Fisher opted that it was time for a change. It’s no surprise why Fisher would want to sign a contract with the Warriors for a guaranteed starting spot and a 6-year, $37 million contract versus a backup role for 3-years, $15 million with the Lakers.
Fisher had been at the middle of the Shaq Kobe feud for so many years (he was one of the only players whom both the Shaq camp and Kobe camp trusted and could confide in), so it was time for a change. Fisher loved LA, and he loved being a Laker, don’t forget he was visibly crying in the Lakers’ final game when they lost to the Pistons. For Fisher, it wasn’t just about the championship, he knew with this loss the Lakers would be disbanded and they were no longer “one big happy family.”
Fisher’s two seasons in Golden State were remarkably unremarkable. Again, he was a solid player with a dependable shot and displayed good leadership and teammate traits, but he was unable to lead the Warriors to any kind of success. He ended up coming off the bench for most games, and he was eventually traded to the Utah Jazz.
In Utah, Fisher kept on being Fisher. His single season with the team was not exceptionally memorable, except for the playoffs. During the Western Conference Finals, Fisher informed team officials that his one of his children was ill and he was unsure if he would be able to play. Prior to the start of game 2, Fisher was away and nobody knew if he would make it to the game in time. Arriving with the game already in progress, after a flight from New York and a police escort, Fisher arrived to find starting point guard Deron Williams injured.
The entire arena gave Fisher a standing ovation and he played with great passion, heart, and desire. It was definitely a Cool Runnings moment where the entire crowd applauded both his on-court performance as well as the story behind the game. Afterwards, Fisher revealed that his daughter, Tatum, suffered from a rare form of eye cancer and had needed an emergency medical procedure in New York.
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31M_MdSVxV8
After the 2006-2007 NBA season, Fish requested to Jazz officials that he be released from his contract so that he could play in a city with medical facilities that were equipped to handle his daughter’s condition. Fisher eventually decided to reunite with the Lakers, signing a 3-year $14 million contract which was $8 million less than he had been promised in Utah.