Derek Fisher doesn’t plan on taking long to decide his next step and will discuss the matter with his family before making any decision, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Fisher said, “Obviously, there are a number of people that are going to be impacted by the decision I do make whether I continue to play or [if] I decide to do something else within the game. Whatever it is, there is a lot at stake. I’m not going to rush. I’m not going to be emotional. Right now there is a lot of emotion. As soon as possible, I’m going to try to take the best next steps.”
More on Fisher:
- Fisher says he hasn’t had any contact with Phil Jackson or any other NBA executives in terms of coaching jobs, tweets Spears.
- With the Thunder having been eliminated from the playoffs, the focus will now turn to whether or not Fisher will become the next coach of the Knicks. Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv looks at where Jackson might turn if Fisher turns the team down. According to Zagoria, the next two candidates on the list may be Tyronn Lue and Bill Cartwright.
- The Lakers may have some interest in Fisher for their head coaching vacancy, writes Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. The interest is primarily because of Fisher’s close relationship with Kobe Bryant, notes Lawrence. On the Lakers potential interest, Fisher said, “I’ve obviously heard things and been asked questions. But I’ve had to control the external noise. I’ve learned through experience to hold those things at bay. Over the next couple of days I will continue with that. There’s a right way to wrap this season up and show it the proper respect it deserves.”
- He realizes the Knicks are waiting to meet with him about their coaching vacancy but Fisher hasn’t confirmed if he will interview with the team, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Fisher said, “I’ll try to [do] that as soon as possible for all parties involved and can make the decisions that need to be made. Interview is a strong word at this point. I haven’t had any direct conversations with any executives — Phil Jackson, the Lakers. I think interview is a strong word. There’ll be conversations at some point. This is still pretty raw and fresh — at least for the next day or two.” According to Berman, Jackson confirmed he “definitely’’ will speak with Fisher, but added there are “lots of unknowns” on whether Fisher will take the job, primarily referring to Fisher’s young children in Los Angeles.