Derek Fisher has never been a popular name in Utah, and his latest comments are only going to keep it that way.
In an exclusive interview with Josh Chambers, Fisher revisited the circumstances around his departure from the Jazz in 2007 and his quick return to the Los Angeles Lakers. From Fisher’s perspective, the decision came down to what he believed was best for his daughter’s medical care.
Derek Fisher says he willingly surrendered the three years and $21,000,000 million remaining on his Utah contract so his daughter could receive the medical care she needed
“We’re going to have to live in a city… That has the hospitals… And the medical care… That my daughter… pic.twitter.com/nsQLGXC37B
- Josh Chambers (@JoshChambers) August 4, 2026
The broad facts around the situation are not in dispute. Fisher’s daughter received treatment for her eye cancer in New York.
Fisher asked to be released from the rest of his contract so he could focus on her treatment. Not long after that release, he was back with the Lakers.
That sequence is exactly why so many Jazz fans have never bought Fisher’s explanation. At the time, plenty in Utah believed the real motivation was to get back east so his daughter could continue treatment, and his return to the Lakers only made the whole thing look worse to them. Utah had strong cancer specialists, but the timing left a lot of people unconvinced.
It also stung because Fisher had already been embraced by Jazz fans during the team’s previous playoff run, when his daughter was recovering from treatment. That made the exit feel even more personal to many in Utah.
The divide remains the same now. Fisher says he believed Los Angeles was the best place moving forward.
Jazz fans, by and large, think he lied to get out of Utah and back to LA. Even those who covered the team don’t sound persuaded.
Continuing to use his daughter’s touching story as the reason why he got out of a contract so he coud join the Los Angeles Lakers again is such disingenuous BS. What a fraud.
Derek Fisher took advantage of the Millers’ kindness. He’s lied about this so many times he probably… https://t.co/EJ0A424N3k
- Jody Genessy (@DJJazzyJody) August 4, 2026
And Fisher’s return to the Lakers only deepened the resentment. After rejoining Los Angeles, he helped eliminate the Jazz in three straight postseasons from 2008 through 2010.
In 2008, Utah came closest to knocking the Lakers out, and Fisher played a real role in that series with 14.2 points per game while shooting 57.1% from the field and 64.7% from three. The next two years, his numbers were quieter, but by then the Deron Williams era was already winding down.
He also went on to win two more titles after leaving Utah, which is part of why the grudge still lives on.
Fisher can tell the story however he wants. In Utah, though, the reaction hasn’t changed.
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