Earlier this month, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inducted this year's class. The class of 2026 includes former WNBA superstar Candace Parker, six-time NBA All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire and former NBA coaches Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni.
Derek Fisher, the point guard who helped the Los Angeles Lakers win five championships while playing alongside Kobe Bryant, didn't get inducted, nor was he nominated. There are likely some fans who feel he deserves to get a Hall of Fame nod, but he said during an episode of "The Joint Venture Show" podcast that he's OK with not going in.
“The Hall of Fame is rightfully designed for guys that individually are by far the best players that have ever played professional basketball in terms of their production,
their stats, their impact.
“It’s different than being part of great teams, in my opinion. I’m OK with it. I know the five championships didn’t just fall into my lap. I know how much I had to do with them. But at the same time, I do recognize there’s a difference between me and Magic Johnson.
“I should not be in the same room with Magic Johnson.”
Johnson, of course, also won five NBA titles during his career, the entirety of which was spent with the Lakers. But while Johnson was one of the greatest basketball players to ever walk the planet, Fisher was a role player. The latter had career averages of 8.3 points and three assists in 25.4 minutes a game.
There has always been a debate about which players deserve and don't deserve to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, especially since it is less selective than the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. For instance, some feel Robert Horry, a role player who won seven NBA championships with the Lakers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs, should get in, while others strongly feel he doesn't deserve such a nod.
Regardless of whether Fisher ever gets enshrined in Springfield, Mass., his accomplishments stand on their own, and Lakers fans will always appreciate his contributions.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Derek Fisher on not getting voted into the Hall of Fame
