Derek Fisher: The Business Minded Individual

Derek Fisher

The Business Minded Individual

Tweet: “The world would be a better place if we all did business like Derek Fisher. @derekfisher”

“I have always been a business minded individual.” As I write this direct quote from Derek Fisher, I reflect for a moment on the man who, personally, is my favorite Los Angeles Lakers basketball player. That is why I enjoy watching Derek play I think to myself because he takes care of business. No whining, no back talk, no messing around with nonsense he simply gets in the game and gets the job done by drilling one three pointer after another to drive deeper the nails of defeat into the competition. God, I love people like that! Every work situation needs at least one Derek Fisher type. When everyone else is heated with emotion it is so nice to have a Derek Fisher to step forward and NOT SAY but JUST DO what is necessary to handle business. Flossin’ was invited into the home of Mr. Fisher to see just how the two-time world champion Laker takes care of things off the court. As we look around his place, we discover that it is immaculately kept, par for the course of this man’s personality. As we wander around his place, Derek gives us some background. “I grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas the middle child of three kids, with a younger sister and an older brother. My parents are a huge part of contributing to the position I am in today. My Family is very important to me.  I received an athletic scholarship to U of A in Little Rock, and it is just amazing to me because I wasn’t necessarily that great of basketball player coming out of high school. So, going from just barely getting a basketball scholarship to where I am now is just amazing to think about. I did not foresee the NBA as my career I figured I would be an accountant I even interned for two summers with a local accounting firm.” Ironically it turned out the man who thought he would be an accountant ended up getting the role every accountant loves to manage money for, an NBA superstar. Determined to keep focus, this business minded athlete admits that it is not always easy to juggle real life and life on the court. “It is tough finding a balance between basketball and just life. Competing on the court and being in the locker room are safe havens. As I continue to get more widely recognized and do more things on the court there is more stuff to balance off the court. My older brother was in the league in the late eighties and early nineties and now plays overseas and he has had his share of struggles so he will call and check up on me to make sure that I am doing alright and staying grounded on the things that it takes to not merely be a good ball player but also on what it takes to be a good man. Being a part of the L.A. Lakers, especially when we are winning, I feel just affords you more opportunities than almost any other team in the NBA. “I have been on the Jamie Fox Show, Moesha, In the House with LL Cool J. and so many other television shows. I have learned to respect the game that these players are in. In doing these types of things I realize that there must be a balance in all aspects of my life for order to exist.” The summer off? Derek blows out whistles at the notion “Many times June through September can be more hectic than the season. It is your free time, and everyone knows it so it is one invitation after the other of celebrity charitable events and friends and family obligations and still trying to manage some free time to relax. I look at it as a blessing though. I mean here I am getting paid a huge amount of money to do what I would be doing anyway, yes that is a blessing in itself. Then to add the fact of being on a winning organization with two consecutive championships, well that just makes it even better and serves as a reminder to me to be thankful on a daily basis. 

”Derek enjoys spending some of his good fortune as being and active contributor and participant in the Big Brother Big Sister organization in the Los Angeles community. “It’s important for young people to hear from adults in general not just athletes and entertainers. They need to hear from people who have gone through what they are going through right now. I spend as much time as possible with this program doing public service announcements, speaking at dinners in which the kids are honored and coming up with charity ideas. For example, on Christmas we had a game and for every assist I had I would donate $1,000, and the Lakers Organization would match my contribution. We raised $12,000 in just that one game. That kind of thing is important to me. But doing things like that and helping other guys with their organizations and supporting their causes while still finding time to enjoy being at home and enjoying the city with family and friends is challenging.” His relationship with the other members on the team is strong.” We have become really close. At the end of last season, we started having dinner together at each other’s houses.  When we go out to clubs there may be as many as eight of us in the same place. We have each other’s backs and when we go on the road we always hang together because it is us against them, of course we are going to stick together. We don’t always go out though. Someone always brings the play station two. Right now, rivalry is big between me and Rick Fox and Mitch Richmond.” He laughs and you get a sense that he’s always up for whatever kind of competition. Ever a student of sports Derek admits he is a big fan of football. “I feel a quarter back in the NFL has the toughest individual position in professional sports. Cause if you throw an interception you can change the game and then you have to come back next possession and try to come back while six guys on the line want nothing more than to tear your head off. Phil Jackson messes with me a lot when I am on the court because I have a football mentality and personality because I like to play physical.” He laughs at his intensity. The future for Derek Fisher is always on business and the transition from the NBA to ‘real’ life. “I am always thinking about my future. Right now, music and clothing have attracted my interests “Amagee” is a clothing line a friend of mine and I have been developing. I have also considered a career in coaching among other things. I am always focused on the transition that doesn’t leave you looking back trying to figure out where your life went but rather on the future and how much more there is still available for you.” Doing business as Derek Fisher...that’s what we call Flossin’.

If you like this article, subscribe to our magazine on Issuu.

Follow us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

This article was originally published in Flossin Magazine. This article is edited by Edna Waters. This article is optimized for web by Steven Christian (Artist | Author | Podcaster).