Former NBA player Derek Fisher spent 18 seasons in the league, primarily with the Los Angeles Lakers. Despite his lengthy career in the NBA league, the 50-year-old has recently been critical of the NBA’s current state, drawing controversy by comparing it to the WWE.
During a recent appearance on Byron Scott’s Fast Break podcast, the former NBA veteran explained the difference between the NBA of the past and the modern-day NBA by comparing WWE to the WWF.
“So then when I kind of tap into more of — just as basketball fan when I watch the NBA today, I sometimes compare it to if, you know, for those of you that remember when the WWE was WWF. I don’t know if everybody remembers that. But there was a time where WWE was WWF, World Wrestling Federation, and then it shifted to World Wrestling Entertainment.” Fisher said.
Fisher’s statement sparked a debate among fans, leading to an exchange of thoughts in the comment section of the Legion Hoops post on X (formerly Twitter). One fan said, “They should change National Basketball Association’s name to National Basketball Entertainment already.”
Meanwhile, another fan mentioned, “The league is 10x better now than it was when he played. Dude would be fighting for a spot in the G-League if he was coming up today.”
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An NBA enthusiast said, “They were saying the same shit when Fisher was in the league too.”
Meanwhile, another fan explained, “He’s not wrong but people love a little drama and some good storylines. Basically, what reality tv has been built on. MLB could take a page from the NBA.”
Derek Fisher Argues That the NBA of His Era Was More Competitive and Influential
The 50-year-old won five championships in his professional career. After retiring, he started coaching in the NBA, leading the New York Knicks for two seasons before coaching the Los Angeles Sparks for three seasons.
On August 2023, Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, California, announced that Fisher would be their new head basketball coach. The former NBA player believes that the NBA during his time was more impactful and competitive, while the modern NBA is more focused on entertainment.
“You listen to guys that played before and coached before. It’s a different game. And it’s not a negative thing. It’s just built more for the entertainment value, maybe, than the competitive value.” Fisher added.
Despite Fisher’s statement, basketball fans have been entertained by the NBA league for years and will continue to be entertained as the next NBA season will start soon.
