Lakers Legend Derek Fisher Gets Honest About Hall of Fame Exclusion

The five-time NBA champion offered a candid assessment of his credentials and drew a striking distinction between his career and Magic Johnson’s.

Feb 8, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former Los Angeles Lakers player Derek Fisher speaks during a ceremony for the unveiling of a statue for former Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Los Angeles Lakers have a long list of iconic players who have played for the organization, resulting in unforgettable careers that have helped write NBA history and shape the league into what it is today.

From Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers franchise has never lacked star power or players who elevate their game to another level of excellence, earning their jerseys a place in the rafters and immortalizing them as Basketball Hall of Fame inductees.

Even though many players who have come through the Lakers franchise have made it to the Hall of Fame, there are some notable names who have been on the outside looking in, like five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher.

Lakers Legend Derek Fisher Knows Why He’s Not in the Hall of Fame

Despite winning five titles while playing alongside Lakers icons like Bryant, O’Neal and Pau Gasol, Fisher is under no illusions that he should be in the same Hall of Fame category with his former teammates or icons like Magic Johnson, who won the same number of titles during his playing career, via The Joint Venture Show.

Derek Fisher says he’s okay with not being in the Hall of Fame despite winning five NBA championships

“The Hall of Fame is rightfully designed for guys that individually, are by far the best players that have ever played professional basketball in terms of their production,… pic.twitter.com/1d7zq3NhCA

— dank (@cptdankkk) August 19, 2026

"The Hall of Fame is rightfully designed for guys that individually are by far the best players that have ever played professional basketball in terms of their production, their stats, their impact," Fisher said. "It's different than being part of great teams. I'm okay with it. I know the five championships didn't just fall into my lap. I know how much I had to do with them. But at the same time, I do recognize there's a difference between me and Magic Johnson."

A pretty humble stance by Fisher, even though he’s got a pretty amazing resume from his time in the NBA and is among Lakers legends like Robert Horry (7), who have a lot of titles but no recognition in the Hall of Fame or with their jerseys being retired by the Lakers.

One of the requirements for the Lakers franchise to have a jersey retired is that they make it to the Hall of Fame, with Michael Cooper being the latest example of that, who ironically also won five NBA titles in purple and gold while being a role player on the team.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he gets some consideration for the Hall of Fame at some point down the road, as it took Cooper a long time to be in the mix before being inducted in 2014.

Any Lakers fan who watched the team win the five titles with Fisher on the squad knows how important he was to the franchise’s success at that time, so a Hall of Fame bid isn’t out of the question.

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