It is an emotional night for the NBA. With an iconic and, honestly, long overdue, unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue underway, several names from his career came forward. However, former teammate Derek Fisher, who shared the court with Kobe 986 times (most games played with Bryant), quickly brought the tears rolling down, albeit with some laughter mixed in. And it all came because of one choice.

Rather than address the crowd in front of him, Fisher’s attention was on 3 specific members in the first row: Natalia, Bianca, and Capri. “Vanessa, thank you for allowing me to be here. Natalia, Bianca, Capri, this is special. Your day, as you know, and your husband, one of the greatest human beings, not just basketball players, one of the greatest human beings to ever walk this Earth. And, one of the greatest basketball players to ever touch a basketball.” 

That’s when Fisher brought through a few teary-eyed chuckles. “So, no matter what people try to tell you about who the GOAT is and all that, remind ’em.” He would go on to reveal his favorite kind of stories about the Los Angeles Lakers legend.

“He was not just a great player but also a dedicated father…When people ask me my favorite Kobe stories, I go to the father stories, I go to the girl dad stories. He was a dedicated father, a pillar of strength for his family. His commitment to fatherhood was unwavering just as his dedication to the game was.” 

Kobe and Fisher go way back. The two became teammates from the get-go as they both joined the league in 1996. After Fisher played a big role in the franchise’s three-peat at the turn of the century, he left in 2004 for apparently greener pastures. However, he was back in the purple and gold in 2007, and again played a crucial role in the Lakers’ back-to-back championships.

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The two played 13 seasons together, often being the team’s starting backcourt. There were a few instances in particular that had the Los Angeles Lakers legend in awe of The Black Mamba.

How Kobe Bryant left Derek Fisher in awe

While he was affluent in his praise for the work Bean did on the court, it was the moments in between that left his longtime teammate speechless. As he recalls, whenever Coach Phil Jackson, who had a heartfelt story to share about Bean’s interaction with a certain Chicago Bulls legend, gave them a day off is when the 5x NBA Champion won Fisher over.

On those days, Kobe Bryant would make it a priority to spend time with his family. Despite the physical and mental toll of the season, he would make sure to be present for trips to Disneyland to spend those quality moments with his wife and children.

Because, above everything else, Bryant was a Girl Dad.

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