Basketball used to be my top priority.
— Derek Fisher
Nothing prepares a family for having multiple children at once.
I am and always will be a leader.
I don't feel like basketball is the only way to make a living.
Nothing means more to me than helping my team win.
My parents didn't have the opportunities that my wife and I have now, from a quality of life standpoint.
I have people that I'm close to that give me things to read throughout the season, and in particular in the playoffs and the postseason.
Life for me outweighs the game of basketball.
Fatherhood will put a man through a lot, but it's a tremendous job, the best in the world - even better than playing basketball.
I really have to make sure that I'm staying true to who I am, and that I know my responsibilities to current N.B.A. players, to future N.B.A. players, to our past and retired N.B.A. Players.
I am not a passenger in anything I do.
Teams are often pretty clear about what they can do or are willing to do.
The source of my power and strength is God, and I know it, without a shadow of a doubt.
You have to work hard at things.
You know, I have a responsibility to my team that if I'm going to be on the floor, then I have to make a difference.
I've discovered new parts of my manhood, places I couldn't get to without loving someone else unconditionally and putting others before myself.
With my responsibilities comes having to manage my time more efficiently.
I feel like I'm capable of doing so many things to help people around the country and the world.
I'm not chasing money, so I'm not looking at just trying to stretch out a deal artificially just to have a certain number.
My character has always been important to me. That was the one thing that I knew, no matter what, I had to hold that strong.
I would venture to guess that if I was a construction worker... who requested a transfer to another department for the betterment of his family, I would be commended for it. But because it's sports, there's just so much passion added to it.
I don't know how many people feel strongly about what I do.
