Derek Fisher and Steve Kerr were under the same roof Thursday night at Memphis’ FedEx Forum. Soon, Fisher and Kerr could be on the same coaching staff in New York. Or interviewing for the same Knicks head-coaching job.
Fisher was competing in one last playoff, as reserve point guard for Oklahoma City, while Kerr sat at the broadcast table for TNT calling Game 3 of Thunder-Grizzlies. Fisher has announced this is his last season and he desires to go into coaching.
Though Kerr is the heavy favorite, Fisher could emerge if negotiations fall apart or the Golden State job opens and they decide to make a push for Kerr. Kerr, who will be in Brooklyn Sunday for the Nets-Raptors game, is expected to meet with Jackson in the next week. Fisher can’t interview until the Thunder are eliminated. Oklahoma City trails its series 2-1 after losing 98-95 to Memphis in overtime Thursday night.
Multiple executives believe Kerr and Fisher intrigue Jackson the most. Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg’s name also has recently come up. Attributes Jackson said he’s looking for are “a leader with charismatic appeal and personality,’’ and many believe Kerr and Fisher have those traits.
Fisher won five titles with Jackson in Los Angeles and served as president of the players’ union from 2006 through 2013, and was its face during the tumultuous 2011 lockout. He’s also a friend of former President Bill Clinton — both are from Arkansas.
“Derek served his fellow players well as a thoughtful and strong leader of our union through a very challenging time,’’ acting executive director Ron Klempner told The Post.
Fisher writes a blog and dedicated his latest weekly post to lauding Jackson. It might as well have served as a cover letter — or a love letter. Fisher has yet to talk publicly with reporters about the Knicks job or Jackson’s hiring.
“I’m so happy for him to have another opportunity to possibly impact an organization as an executive in the way he’s impacted the Bulls and Lakers as a coach, and the way he impacted the Knicks as a player,’’ Fisher wrote. “I’m ecstatic for him, and I know he’s going to do well. He wouldn’t have taken the job if he didn’t believe he could do it.
“He’s been a part of so many successful championship cultures, and he brings with him the concept of what culture really means,’’ Fisher added. “He knows how to at least attempt to implement it in a way that can lead to success. This will be different, obviously, being upstairs versus on the court and having a direct impact on each game. But I think overall, however the wins and losses shake themselves out, he’s going to have an extremely positive influence on the culture there.’’
Fisher, who got the reputation of hitting monster shots late in playoff games, went on extensively about how Jackson helped him as a player.
“I’m still able to go out and play the game at a very effective level [at age 39] because of a lot of what he taught me,’’ Fisher wrote.
“He has a very unique way of reaching people. Oftentimes, it’s not about convincing or forcing someone to do something, but influencing them in a way where ultimately, the decision to go beyond where they’ve gone before, to be more successful than they’ve been in the past becomes their own.’’
It is hoped that Jackson’s methods will convince Carmelo Anthony to stay. Jackson’s remarks Wednesday about Anthony needing to stay “true to his word’’ about taking a pay cut while the Knicks can survive if he leaves raised eyebrows. But there’s a method to his madness.
“He’s not fixed and locked into these ideas of who he is, and the perception of who he is,’’ Fisher wrote. “Beyond being a coach, or now an executive, he’s just a very well-rounded individual. So the relationship that you ultimately have with Phil is original and organic. It’s built from scratch, not reputations and pre-conceived notions. And he has enough life experience to be able to adapt and connect with people from all different walks of life and backgrounds.’’
Jackson said he and Kerr have “a strong connection.’’
Fisher also would be an appealing choice for Jackson because he mastered the triangle. But Fisher wrote, “That’s something that’s missed when people try to reduce his success to the use of ‘The Triangle.’
“To do so is very shortsighted. People fail to understand just how challenging it is from a basketball perspective to get players to play together, regardless of the system. So whether it’s The Triangle, or the Princeton Offense, or any system that people are familiar with, a coach’s ability to get players to actually utilize it in an effective way is where the trick lies.
“He’s never gotten enough credit for that part of it. It’s always been because of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, or because of Shaq and Kobe.’’