All Knicks

Former Knicks Coach Derek Fisher Fired By Los Angeles Sparks

Fisher spent parts of four seasons coaching the Sparks.
Former Knicks Coach Derek Fisher Fired By Los Angeles Sparks
Former Knicks Coach Derek Fisher Fired By Los Angeles Sparks

Derek Fisher spent parts of two seasons coaching the New York Knicks before he was fired midway into the 2015-16 season. And on Tuesday, Fisher was fired from his second coaching gig.

According to The Next Hoops, the Los Angeles Sparks have fired Fisher 12 games into the 2022 season. The team also announced that assistant coach Fred Williams will serve as the team's interim head coach.

In addition to being the team's coach, Fisher also served as the Sparks' general manager.

Fisher's Sparks underperformed to start the season, starting out with a 5-7 record. In four seasons with Los Angeles, Fisher regressed every season he coached. 

In 2019, the Sparks made it to the Western Conference Finals and lost to the Connecticut Sun. The following year, in the WNBA Bubble, Fisher's Sparks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Last season, the Sparks finished 12-20, giving them the third-worst record in the league.

Now, the Sparks sit 8th out of 12 teams, which wasn't suitable enough for team management.

The Knicks pulled the plug in similar fashion six years ago. Despite improving from a .207 to .426 winning percentage, the results were not enough to keep Fisher at the helm.

Before going into coaching, Fisher enjoyed an incredibly successful playing career. In 18 seasons in the NBA, Fisher won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02 and 2009-10. He also played for the Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks.


Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.