NBA veteran Derek Fisher appeared on TODAY this morning to talk about his 1-year-old daughter Tatum, who suffers from retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer in her left eye. WATCH VIDEO
Fisher asked for -- and was granted -- a release from his $20.6 million contract with the Utah Jazz so that he and his wife could move to a city where they could get better care for Tatum. Last week, he signed a 3-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team with which he won three NBA titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
I caught up with Fisher after his interview with Matt to talk about the support he has gotten from teammates past and present, and to get his thoughts on the NBA referee-gambling scandal (for more on the gambling story, WATCH VIDEO).
Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Q: We could see from the crowd's reaction to you in the playoffs how the fans responded to you and Tatum's story. But you've played in the league since 1996... you have teammates, past and present, all over the league. Have any of them showed particular support?
Derek Fisher: The support we've gotten from my past teammates has been unbelievable. My teammates from last season in Utah have been great, and that's what really impressed me about the team and the community -- and is the biggest part of our success as a team.
Even guys that I haven't played with have helped out with a call and have offered to do absolutely anything we need.
From Shaq to Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant, they've been so supportive. Even Karl Malone -- we only played one season together, but he's been so supportive of the family.
The support we've gotten from Commissioner Stern and the NBA has also been unbelievable.
People have told us they're praying for us and thinking of us. It's really been overwhelming. And hopefully people will get the bigger part of the story, that this is really about the health of children and the family.
Q: Turning to the ongoing investigation into Tim Donaghy, the NBA ref who resigned last week and is reportedly the focus of an FBI gambling probe. What was your first reaction when you heard there might be an NBA referee involved in a gambling scandal?
Derek Fisher: I was surprised, but that's not really the word. You hear so many stories about sports and so many negative things with pro sports, that it's easy to brush them off.
Q: Conspiracy theories?
Derek Fisher: Exactly. So at first, I figured this would just blow over and thought maybe we wouldn't hear much about it afterwards.
Q: What about when Donaghy's name came out?
Derek Fisher: Even when the name and the photo came out, I think -- because of the way I think and act -- I had no real reaction of any kind. But when I got a chance to read some of the facts, I started to think a little differently.
It's clearly being handled by the FBI and the NBA, and until the investigation puts everything in context, it's hard to comment. Nobody knows what position [Donaghy] was placed in, where he stands and his family stands.
With the FBI and NBA working together with other law enforcement, it 's safe to say that they'll get all the facts.
Has the image of the league been tainted? Probably so. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.
Q: Did you find yourself thinking back to games you played in that Donaghy worked, wondering if something fishy had gone on? One example people have talked about is a playoff game in 2002 when Sacramento beat you and the Lakers, and Shaq called the outcome at the time "predetermined."
Derek Fisher: No, I didn't think about that. I remember a few times this past season when he reffed games, but that's it. Maybe because I've played so many years in the league, I don't remember.
I can't say I recall any games when the outcome would have been any different. There's a big difference between an official missing a call and being associated with something like this. It would add sensationalism to talk that way.
No other officials should be judged based on this alleged situation.
Q: How should the league respond?
Derek Fisher: Until they find out what happened, it's tough to say what the league should do. Commissioner Stern has said that his response will be based on what they learn in this investigation. We've seen how they cracked down on working to improve the image of the league, and I'm sure he'll do the same thing with this. He's a talented and smart man who knows where the league needs to go.