It all started with a simple message—but one that hit hard. Derek Fisher, a five-time NBA champ, stood in front of his high school players and told them about a story that could be easily mistaken for a Hollywood script. He spoke about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 2025 NBA MVP, to make a point that instantly clicked with the room. No hype. No flashy stats. Just a lesson wrapped in realness. After this, he went to take on his old foe, Gary Payton, almost 8000 miles away from American soil.

But things took a left turn for Fisher on his trip to India. Instead of a feel-good moment, the BUDX NBA House 2025 event ended with a viral loss. The 3v3 celebrity match had Team Fisher going head-to-head with Team Payton, but it was Payton’s squad that ended up stealing the spotlight. The clip of Fisher’s team taking that L spread like wildfire, and of course, it was not the highlight reel he had in mind for his overseas visit.

Still, Fisher wasn’t about to let a loss define him or the moment. Back in a video posted with Crespi Hoops, he shared a jaw-dropping detail about SGA’s early days. “SGA had been cut from JV in ninth grade,” Fisher said. “And it’s a lot of people right here and on campus that concern themselves a lot with which team they are on in the ninth grade, tenth grade, and 11th grade, as though your basketball journey is defined by what happens to you while you’re here.”

Moreover, Fisher didn’t narrate the story – he broke it down. “And clearly, if somebody that didn’t make his JV team in the ninth grade can become the MVP of the NBA. Then, what happened then has no bearing on who you’re going to be.” He reminded the kids that sometimes, it’s not about the setbacks but how you bounce back—and more importantly, what you choose to focus on afterward.

In the end, his message was clear. “Don’t overreact, overthink, or stress over things that you cannot control. All you can control is your improvement, your process, getting better, working hard for yourself, for your family, for the team, and the program.” However, it seems like Team Fischer didn’t pay much heed to this advice in their 3v3 celebrity match in India.

Derek Fisher’s squad couldn’t stop Gary Payton in Mumbai.

To kick things off, the energy at the Dome, SVP Stadium in Worli, was wild. The BUDX NBA House 2025 opened in true NBA Finals spirit, drawing in fans, celebs, and two Hall of Famers. As the crowd poured in, so did the excitement for the celebrity 3v3 matchup—Team Payton vs Team Fisher. And while both squads came loaded with talent, only one left with the bragging rights.

Meanwhile, Derek Fisher’s squad didn’t hold back on the star power. With rapper-producer Badshah firing up the floor and pro hooper-turned-actor Arvind Krishna bringing game, the team looked promising. Add in VJ and baller Varun Sood, Miss India Universe Simran Kaur, and the versatile Harman Singha and Sonia Rathee—and you’ve got a solid roster. The team’s anchor? Karan Singh, Managing Director of ACG, who’s also deep in India’s hoop scene.

Still, on the other side, Team Payton wasn’t playing either. Bollywood’s Disha Patani drew big cheers, Melvin Louis added flair, and Rannvijay Singha brought his usual fire. Then came the hoopers—Shireen Limaye, former captain of India’s women’s team, Dhruv Barman, the former No. 1 ranked 3v3 player, and Ankur Rathee, bringing athletic energy. Anand S Ahuja led this stacked team from the front.

This unexpected collab between the NBA legends and stars from the Indian Entertainment Industry led to an electrifying atmosphere. It would be safe to say—Payton’s team got the win, but the fans took home the real prize.