'Family first' is Fisher's game

From Day 1, veteran guard Derek Fisher was the perfect fit in a Utah Jazz uniform. At 33, Fisher's mature presence helped guide the young and untested Jazz to the NBA's Western Conference finals. Few Utahns will forget where they were the night Fisher entered the arena late and vaulted the Jazz to victory over the Golden State Warriors in overtime.

Jazz fans will remember that pivotal 3-point shot for years to come. But the lasting memory will be the reason Fisher checked into that semifinal game with 3:18 to go in the third quarter. He had just returned to Salt Lake City from New York City, where his daughter Tatum was undergoing treatment for retinoblastoma, a rare form of childhood eye cancer. Only after he had been assured that his baby girl and family were in good stead did he rejoin the team.

Fisher demonstrated that same maturity this week when he asked the Jazz to release him from his contract so he can become a free agent. He wants to hire on in a city where 11-month-old Tatum can receive the best treatment for her cancer. In doing so, he walks away from $20 million.

Jazz fans may lament losing Fisher as a player, but no one can begrudge his commitment to his wife and family. He wants to be a constant presence as they, as a family, cope with Tatum's illness. He knows that continuing to play in the NBA will require the peace of mind that can only come from surrounding his baby girl with the best medical specialists available.

He knows, in other words, that basketball is a game and that family comes first.

While age may work against him in the free-agent market, few of the available prospects possess Fisher's leadership ability and toughness. He knows what it takes to win an NBA championship. He knows how to motivate younger players to give their all.

But most importantly, Fisher possesses the knowledge that family trumps career and fortune. "Life, for me, has always outweighed the game of basketball," Fisher told reporters at a Monday afternoon press conference. "And I think that's why I've always been able to keep things in the right perspective."

Leave it to Fisher to impart one more life lesson en route to rejoin his family in New York City.