Derek Fisher Considers Possibly Resuming NBA Playing Career

Former New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher hinted at a potential comeback as a player Tuesday night when he posted two Instagram videos of himself working out and doing drills on a basketball court, including one with the hashtag “Imnotdoneyet.”

Derek Fisher Considers Possibly Resuming NBA Playing Career

Thus, speculation immediately arose that Fisher may resume his NBA playing career despite being just a few days away from his 42nd birthday.

In the most recent video, the former Los Angeles Lakers guard does some dribbling exercises and sinks a few pull-up jump shots against light defense. “Working on being a better me,” reads the accompanying text. “Loving every minute of this journey.”

Fisher became the Knicks’ head coach after the 2013-2014 season (the final season of his playing career, which he spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder) after signing a multiyear contract, but was fired in February by team president Phil Jackson following a stretch during which the team went 1-9. Since being let go by the Knicks, Fisher has appeared as a television analyst on NBA TV and TNT.

On Wednesday, Fisher took to Twitter to address his future plans. “If an NBA team expresses interest, I’m open to dialogue,” he wrote, though he added that he as “no steadfast plans” to play again.

According to one source, Fisher is looking into opportunities to play either in the NBA or in the Chinese professional league.

Rarely has an NBA star ever returned to play after coaching in the league.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Magic Johnson is the last man to return to play in the NBA after coaching in the league. He played 32 games for the Lakers in the 1995-96 season after coaching the team for 16 games during the 1993-94 season. Knicks great Richie Guerin also did it during the late 1960s and early 1970s, although he served as a player-coach for the St. Louis Hawks, who became the Atlanta Hawks.

Nevertheless, former players are becoming head coaches at much younger ages than they used to. Jason Kidd became the Brooklyn Nets coach days after retiring as a player. Lakers coach Luke Walton is 36. Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue is 39.

The 6-foot-1 Fisher played 18 years in the NBA. He helped the Lakers– with whom he played from 1996-2004 and then again from 2007-2012) win five championships, played in an NBA-record 259 playoff games and won a league-record 161.

Shortly after he was fired by the Nicks as coach, speculation arose that his termination may have been partly related to an off-court incident with Matt Barnes: an altercation during a party at the home of Barnes’ ex-wife.

Fisher later denied these claims in a published essay.

The Knicks were 40-96 during Fisher’s 1 1/2 seasons as head coach.

Messages left for Fisher’s representatives went unreturned on Wednesday.

As solid as his jumper looks—he was always a consistent long-range shooter—Fisher’s Instagram videos don’t address what would be his biggest weakness if he did try to return to the NBA: defense.

At an average speed of 3.57 miles per hour, Fisher was the NBA’s sixth-slowest-moving player defensively among those standing 6-4 or shorter during his final season, according to SportVU player-tracking data.

We will undoubtedly find out soon enough whether he will actually make a comeback or not.