Failed coach Derek Fisher wants you to know he can still dribble and knock down pull-up jumpers. But will any teams bite on a soon-to-be 42-year-old point guard after his two-year hiatus?
Fisher seemed to be hinting at a playing comeback with videos posted to Instagram and Facebook, with a hashtag of #imnotdoneyet attached to latest. But the ex-Knicks coach, kind of, denied the plans on Wednesday.
"On-court workouts have been part of my regimen since I played my last game," Fisher tweeted. "If an NBA team expresses interest, I'm open to dialogue, but at the moment I have no steadfast plan to play again."
Always in impeccable shape, Fisher, who last played for the Thunder in the 2013-14 season, failed to get another coaching gig over the summer after he was fired by Phil Jackson about six months ago. Now he's in the gym.
"Got back in the lab recently. Always loved the journey," Fisher wrote over the weekend with a video of his workout.
Following the release of another video Tuesday, ESPN reported that Fisher has been exploring his playing options. He is just six days from his 42nd birthday and would be the oldest player in the NBA by a wide margin, even if Ray Allen decides to un-retire. If his history is any indication, Fisher will only be looking at title contenders — although the Lakers may also be a comfortable potential landing spot with his family and girlfriend based in L.A.
He won five championships with the Lakers as a player but managed an abysmal 40-96 record as coach of the Knicks. His tenure on the sidelines was marred by an incident with Matt Barnes in October, when Fisher was attacked by his former teammate because he was dating his ex-wife.
Fisher finally spoke about the incident and its aftermath after being fired by Jackson.
"I know I'm not perfect. I'm human and flawed. I've failed. I have shortcomings. Everybody does," Fisher wrote in an essay. "That being said, I've been in the NBA and the public eye for 20 years. Plenty of people know me well, and they know my true character. I would not have been allowed to lead the teams I led without the character and integrity I possess."
Fisher was on a five-year deal with the Knicks and is still being paid by James Dolan. According to TMZ, he agreed to pay his ex-wife Candace $1.3 million in annual spousal support as part of a divorce settlement finalized this year.
Fisher made a few appearances as an analyst on TNT and NBATV after being canned by Jackson, while also being spotted on occasion with girlfriend Gloria Govan — the same woman in the middle of the brawl with Barnes.
Barnes, who threatened to fight Fisher again after he retires, signed a two-year deal with the Kings over the summer.