If Michael Jordan is Superman, then Kobe Bryant is Batman, human, fallible but a superhero nonetheless. If Kobe Bryant is Batman, then Derek Fisher must be Robin, not as legendary, but probably the best sidekick you could ever ask for.
Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher came into the NBA at the same time. They have both seen different roles at different points in their careers and both know how it feels to come off the bench. Both also know what it means to play second fiddle during a championship run. Derek Fisher is embracing that role right now for the Lakers, and he’s never been more thankful to be back in it. And by thankful, I mean tears of joy thankful. Read more.
There’s one thing that has remained constant throughout the career of Kobe Bryant, he’s always needed just a little bit of help to get it done. It’s only lately in his career that he seems to not only understand that concept but relish the fact that he does have the pieces around him to get it done. It’s worked, and the Lakers keep winning. Throughout these playoffs we’ve seen the Lakers win games even when Kobe was unable to come through in the clutch. Pau Gasol, won a playoff game for the Lakers after Kobe missed a last second shot, and Ron Artest did the same against the Phoenix Suns in a game that probably was the turning point in the series. And now, when it matters the most, Derek Fisher, Kobe’s boy, Kobe’s rolldog, is stepping up.
Don’t get it twisted, D-Fish has been solid throughout these playoffs. Keep in mind, he has the hardest defensive assignments out of everyone on the Lakers in every series. He’s had to guard the top two point guards in the NBA in Deron Williams and Steve Nash and he had to deal with the up and coming greats in Rondo and Russell Westbrook, so it hasn’t been a cakewalk for the aging Fisher. But he’s played solid for the Lakers, and in Game 3, Fisher put on the Robin suit and made magic happen.
Game 3 saw Fisher come up huge in the fourth quarter to push the Lakers past the Celtics. Plain and simple, Fisher caught fire and it looked like anything that left his hands was going to find cord. As a basketball fan, you like to see good things happen to stand-up guys, but then again, as a basketball fan, we shouldn’t be surprised that the veteran Fisher stepped up. Was it any different from his .4 shot? Or the daggers he threw at Orlando in last year’s championship? Over and over again, just when you forget about him, D- Fish shows up with his four rings to let us all know what time it is.
