Derek Fisher had a good NBA career though it may have ended a bit abruptly following his decision to coach the New York Knicks in 2014. Right now, it seems that the 42-year-old is still not over playing pro ball and such has brought up speculations of Fisher possibly resuming play.
The last time that Fisher donned an NBA jersey was with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played in 81 regular season and 19 playoff games, coming off the bench to provide veteran smarts to guys like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at the time.
Fisher, who was turning 40 that year, didn’t seem totally sold on retiring. But all that was made official when he agreed to coach the team.
Working self back to shape?
Belief that Fisher would be returning to playing ball cropped up after the veteran guard posted a video workout recently. It carried a hashtag “#Imnotdoneyet” which obviously hinted he was returning as a player.
Fisher is turning 42 in a couple of days. Should he return, he will be the oldest active player in the league. From the looks of it, Fisher is in no rush to join any team. If not the NBA, he is also considering a possible stint in China, ESPN reported.
Ala Magic Johnson
In the NBA, players who become coaches and then play again is rare. There is only one person thus far to do that and it was Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson. He coached the Lakers in 1993-94 and then suited up once again in 1995-96.
Right now there is no certainty if any team would pick up Fisher as a player. After spending several (forgetful) years with the Knicks, it remains to be seen which team could give him a try.
Playing overseas like in China could be possible so Fisher has alternatives. His age though is a cause for concern.
