Bravo for your choice and prayers for your daughter.
Posted on 07/03/2007 8:53:14 AM PDT by Smogger
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Utah Jazz agreed to release guard Derek Fisher from his contract Monday so he can concentrate on finding the best care for his 11-month-old daughter, who has cancer in her left eye.
Fisher said he wants to live in one of the six or seven cities being considered for Tatum's care.
He didn't rule out playing for another NBA team but emphasized that his daughter's health is his No. 1 priority.
"Life for me outweighs the game of basketball," Fisher told reporters after flying from New York to meet with Jazz owner Larry H. Miller and other team executives.
"When it comes to decisions related to them," he said of his family, "I do what's best."
The Jazz acquired Fisher a year ago in a trade with the Golden State Warriors. During eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was part of three NBA championships -- experience that Utah's young team craved.
(Excerpt) Read more at sportsillustrated.cnn.com ...
Bravo for your choice and prayers for your daughter.
Prayers to for the family.
Prayers for the family.
What a good man and a great father, bless him and prayers for his little girl.
We went to meet them in NYC, and by the time we got there, they had already removed the child's eye. He was less than a year old at the time. They did irradiation treatments on the other eye for a while.
Today, Jeff is a very outstanding individual, who has done very well in spite of everything. My prayers are that the Fisher child will do as well.
For all his well-documented faults, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner has quietly helped current and former ballplayers like this behind the scenes. One former player (I believe it was Sal Maglie) was destitute and terminally ill when Steinbrenner hired him as the team's "director of scouting" or something like that -- just so he could get a salary and have the team cover his medical expenses.
Family comes first. good man.
Now there is a real sports hero. Prayers for his family.
What a good man.
Prayers that his daughter be healed quickly and completely.
Good man. I’ll miss watching him play for the Jazz, but he made the right decision. I caught a part of the announcement on local news. Larry Miller was all choked up and could barely talk.
Right choice.
Fisher will be missed. I am a Laker fan, and when he left there, it was tough to see. But he held his own, and eventually went to Utah, it was nice to see him show his style and grace on the court in the playoffs. He does have his head on straight. Family is first for him. Basketball is just a fun job for him. I wonder if he is going to continue being the President of the Players Association or if he will step down from that postition? I hope his daughter can overcome this, and her daddy can come back and play. *I* would prefer Lakers, but we will see where this good steward goes next in life.
Prayers.
I have heard Derek Fisher described as the kind of guy you would be proud to have your daughter marry.
Quite a compliment.
He is a faith and family first kind of guy.
In one sentence he shows more class and understanding of life than John Edwards, Democrat candidate for President.
I was fortunate to see Derek Fisher play here in Los Angeles. With all of the drama that was Shaq and (now is) Kobe, people like D-Fish and Brian Shaw and Ron Harper, and for the first of the three later titles, fellow Christian A.C. Green, were the quiet class of the organization.
Prayers up for Derek and his family.
The Jazz have their priorities straight.
Kudos to Larry H. Miller and Kevin O'Connor.
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