If the New York Knicks’ firing of Derek Fisher came as a surprise to you, you’re not alone.
Speaking from All-Star Weekend in Toronto, Kevin Durant said he was “shocked” by the Fisher firing.
“I was shocked,” Durant told the New York Post’s Mark Berman. “I thought he was doing a great job. Melo missed [seven] games. It’s tough losing your best player. I thought he was doing a great job, man.”
The Knicks were 23-31 when Fisher was canned on Monday. He went 17-65 in his first season. The Knicks had just lost 10 of 11 when he was fired earlier in the week, so it’s clear the Knicks felt the team was going in the wrong direction.
“Fish did a great job. It’s tough to turn an organization around in a year-and-a-half. He did the best he could do. I‘m sure he walked out with a lot of peace,” Durant said.
If anyone would know how long it takes to turn something around, it’s Durant. KD was drafted by the Thunder in 2007 and the team won 20 games his rookie season and only 23 the next. It wasn’t until his third season that they turned the corner and became a championship contender by winning 50 games.
Maybe Fisher got enough time with the Knicks or maybe he didn’t. But we know where Durant stands on the issue, and it’s no surprise it’s with his former Thunder teammate. However, Durant did not mention that Fisher may have been fired because of off-court reasons such as this as much as his on-court struggles.
