crespi player

Holding a clipboard, wearing a baseball cap backward and chewing on a white whistle, Derek Fisher of Lakers fame is in the Crespi High gym teaching fundamentals to a group of locked-in teenagers.

Spots of gray are visible in Fisher’s beard. The former New York Knicks coach and 18-year NBA veteran is long retired from professional basketball but so busy, with a morning sports radio program, daily duties as coach at Crespi and a coming four-month high school schedule, that looking at a calendar is a must.

He long ago proved his creed as the backcourt mate of Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant on five NBA championship teams. That kind of respect and knowledge has been embraced by Crespi players. You can see how they listen closely when he speaks and look into Fisher’s eyes knowing he’s played and coached at the highest level.

The fact that Fisher, 52, is in his fourth season at Crespi might come as a surprise. Some thought it was a gimmick. Others thought it was a stopover before heading back to an NBA position. Instead, he’s dedicated himself to learning the high school game and competing against some of the best high school coaches in America in the Mission League.

Oh, he’s faced the usual TMZ moments, Lakers fans asking for autographs and Fisher even seeing his wife ejected from a game that produced headlines on social media. But he’s focused on helping his two stepsons, Carter and Isaiah Barnes, and educating his Crespi players on what it takes to succeed on and off the court.

He said he’s always taking advice and consulting with his assistants.

Lakers guard Derek Fisher chats with coach Brian Shaw during a game in 2010.

(Associated Press)

“I try to learn as much from them,” he said. “We’re constantly in communication, talking and sharing.”

Yes, he really understands he’s there to help his players. It doesn’t matter what level he’s coaching.

“The variation is in the players,” he said of coaching. “It’s always a little different because the players are different. I think there’s some foundational things about basketball that don’t change.”

So what’s the difference coaching teenagers?

“I’ve tried to be adaptable to the young kids that we’re coaching,” he said. “How responsive are they to what we’re asking them to do? If we’re not getting good outcomes, it’s on us to figure it out.”

For Fisher’s players, his basketball history earned him immediate respect, but that carries only so far. He had to show them he could coach.

“Relationships developed over three, four years is where the listening comes from,” he said. “Most importantly, they have to know, regardless of what I’ve done, they have to know I’m here for them as much as anything,”

Knicks coach Derek Fisher talks to his players during a game in 2016.

(Elsa / Getty Images)

This figures to be Fisher’s best Crespi team based on how well it has done in summer and fall competitions by beating some very good teams.

The big question: Is Fisher having fun coaching high school basketball?

“Anytime I’m given the chance to coach basketball, teach basketball, plan for basketball, it’s fun,” he said. “It’s an obsession. The fact it’s high school basketball doesn’t change anything for me.”

And what about facing players 7 feet 5 and 7-foot later this season?

“St. Francis is kind of a unique team,” he said of the Golden Knights, who boast twin towers Cherif Millog and Yann Kamagate. “We got a couple months until January to face them. I didn’t have to play against Shaq [O’Neal] too many times, so I didn’t get as much experience playing against 7-footers.”

Fisher probably has someone in his contact list to call if he needs r a strategy against 7-footers.

Phil Jackson? Mike Brown? Shaquille O’Neal?

It’s always good to have that one free phone call available because you played with, played against and were coached by the best in the world.