Derek Fisher's Shady Signing
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We pretty much all know the story, Derek Fisher's daughter contracted a rare form of cancer in her eye in May. Fisher missed a couple of playoff games in the Jazz's amazing run this year to be with his daughter. Fisher came in during game 2 of the Western Conference Semis and had an amazing performance to lift the team. Fisher was praised and regarded as a "hero." He put family first and was rewarded.
The way the whole Derek Fisher saga in Utah ended has left a sour taste in my mouth. Let's be honest though, who wouldn't leave their job to be with their daughter if they made millions every year? Everybody regarded Derek Fisher as a class act family man when he announced he would " walk away " from his contract in Utah to find the best medical care for his daughter. He even went as far as to say that he might not play basketball again.
Not even two weeks later, Fisher was already having contract negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers. Then the news conference came and Fisher was officially a Laker once again. Riddle me this, if the best medical care was in New York when his daughter first contracted the cancer, why now is it in Los Angeles? Seems a little fishy to me. (No pun intended.)
In his news conference with the Lakers, Lakers GM mentioned how they had "had their eyes on Fisher" and "had been in negotiation with him for some time." Seems to me that Fisher knew exactly what he was doing when he left Utah, he wouldn't have just "walked away" without a backup plan. Fisher knew exactly what he was doing, I wish the best to his daughter, but he's no hero in my book. He simply did what every other caring father would do, which I do respect. Fisher's story is the same concept of Pat Tillman, a former NFL player that left football to join the Iraq war. Thousands die in the war every year, but Tillman is seen as nobler, and more courageous because he was in the NFL. We need to stop looking at athletes like they are superhuman, because they are not.
