Some took the move at face value; others questioned if he was using his daughter's plight as a ticket out of Utah.

When the Lakers returned to face the Jazz for the first time this past regular season, in November, the booing was ugly.

"Obviously, the fans were full of emotion. I was full of emotion as well. It for sure caught me off-guard," Fisher said. "But from right after that game and up to the second game going back (on March 20), there were a lot of people that I knew personally while I was there in the city that were very kind to me who sent notes or calls saying, 'They weren't speaking, or booing, for all of us' — that it was a smaller contingency of people that kind of got everybody else going.

"I think writers and journalists and people that kind of had a chance to step back for a bit and react from what happened the first time put together positive pieces and positive stories that ... changed some of the mindset of some of the local people. So going back the second time was more of a positive feel to it. Instead of booing, maybe they just didn't say anything."

Now Fisher maintains he understands.

"There's a particular love-hate thing for anybody that plays for the Lakers," he said, "so me coming back to this particular team, regardless of people's personal feelings — the purple and gold, it just kind of brings out that kind of emotion."

As for lingering skepticism, Fisher accepts it for what it is.

"I don't know that there is anything I would ever be able to say or do at this point that would change that," Fisher said. "I think it's just a society that we live in today, where we feel entitled to give our opinions — even sometimes when, if we were in the same situation, we would do the same thing.

"But knowing the people that I know in the Salt Lake community, anything related to faith, children, family — you know, money, at that point doesn't really matter; maybe hurting people's feelings doesn't really matter — you just do what's best for your family and the people you love at that time, and then how people respond is really secondary or maybe doesn't have a place at all," added Fisher, who lost about $6.5 million by leaving. "But I'm thankful for my time. There are still a lot of people I know there that I love."

· · · · ·

May 4, 2008

Fisher seems to genuinely treasure the short stay in Utah, which made Sunday's Laker win so satisfying.