Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Father of the year, hands-down


I almost missed this story about a professional athlete doing the right thing. Derek Fisher wanted out of his NBA contract, and the Utah Jazz agreed. He is putting his family first, especially his baby girl who has a rare form of eye cancer. He may still play basketball, but only if he can do so in a city that has the specialists needed to give his daughter the best chance.

Parents are supposed to put their kids first, so maybe Fisher's story shouldn't be news. But given the antics of the Britneys, the Alecs, and the Davids of the world, and given that post-season news about athletes is generally about their multi-bajillion dollar contracts, their latest arrests, or rumors of steroid use, it's nice to see a story that portrays a player in a positive light.

I vaguely remember hearing about Fisher's daughter a few months ago, but I couldn't identified his position or even what team he played for. He just may be my new NBA hero.

No comments: