If there is one thing which Derek Fisher wanted to do with his introductory statement as the head coach of the New York Knicks, it was to highlight how much experience he brings to the table.
“I am experienced,” said the 39 year-old head coach with absolutely no actual head coaching experience. “Basketball is a game that I am experienced in playing, understanding, leading in, guiding in, helping another group of people achieve the greatest gift in the world as a professional athlete, and that’s being a champion.
“That I have experience in, and that’s the experience that I plan on sharing with these players, sharing with this organization.”
Of course, that experience that Fisher is touting is that of a player who got to play with two of the best players of all time. It’s just hard to see how that’ll help the Knicks unless Fisher has access to a time machine so that he can go grab Shaq and Kobe in their primes.
If nothing else, Fisher can corral his Knicks around a campfire and share stories of what winning an NBA Championship feels like. Unless things drastically change, that’s about as close as the Knicks will get to a championship anyways. The Knicks will likely start by trying to convince Carmelo Anthony to stay in New York but they’ll need to do a lot more than that to turn the ship around.
