Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant shared the court 1036 times. Next on the list are Shaquille O’Neal and Lamar Odom who have shared the court with The Black Mamba for 579 games. People hold Kobe and Shaq in high regard as one of the strongest and most successful duos in the league’s history. But Bryant had once voiced Fisher as one of his favorite teammates ever. So despite that tag and a successful bond, what prompted Fisher to leave the Lakers?

“I found higher levels of confidence and belief in who I was and what I could accomplish as a player in the three years that I was away from LA,” Fisher said on Byron Scott’s Fast Break. He added, “Which was part of the reason why I decided to leave. I needed to find room to access other parts of who I was as a player. I’d always played with Kobe and Shaq and all these great players and I needed to get out there and find out how hard it was to play without those guys.”

He accepted it was hard playing without Kobe and Shaq. But he did find success, as he was able to hit career-high points away from the Lakers twice. For the three years away from the Purple and Gold, he was part of the Warriors for 2 seasons and scored 13.3 and 11.9 points. Additionally, his spell in the Bay Area had him rebounding numbers in the second and fourth spots, while his career-high assist numbers were second and third.

But the spell with the Warriors was hard because he missed the playoffs, the only time in his NBA career. Even Kobe was scoring high numbers, but knew he needed some help. Thus, Kobe urged the front office to bring Fisher back.

Kobe wins without Shaq but needed Fisher

During his entire journey, many considered Kobe Bryant to be arrogant. Yet, for Fisher, it was never the case. The Los Angeles side selected both at the 1996 draft and the backcourt duo was instrumental in the three-peat. Even the Head coach at the time felt Fisher earned Bryant’s trust.

Phil Jackson felt that during the 2000-2001 playoffs run, Fisher would miss a crucial chunk of the season due to injuries but he made sure to contribute with his 51.5% shooting beyond the arc during the important playoffs stage. “There’s a reason why players that have multiple championships have multiple championships,” Bryant said during an ESPN interview, highlighting the importance of Fisher.

Kobe Bryant knew Fisher had the skills, IQ, and dedication to work things out. That’s why after seeing him perform for the Warriors, Kobe knew what the Lakers were missing. And with his favorite teammate, he would win another 2 championships. How poetic that two of them started their journey the same year and finished with the same number of championships.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.