Derek Fisher vs. LeBron James: When Is Title Chasing Accepted?

When Derek Fisher finally entered the Oklahoma City's scraping of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, the Thunder fans wildly applauded him. Obviously, those people were biased toward liking the 37-year-old vet, but such a heartfelt reaction made me wonder after whether the casual fan approves of role players chasing championships.

Fisher will likely not help the Thunder much, and he's had plenty of experience collecting rings in an ancillary role. Though D-Fish was dismissed by the Lakers, I thought some might find his ring seeking to be a bit unseemly. Based on a Twitter responses so far, that is not the favored sentiment. 

You might recall that LeBron James was widely criticized for chasing a championship, for "colluding" with a perceived rival like Dwyane Wade. Many factors led to the mass loathing of the 2010-11 Miami Heat, but people certainly seemed tweaked by this specific aspect. 

The main difference between what Derek Fisher and Robert Horry have done and what James, Wade and Bosh did, is the latter group's decision has a real impact. While people may theorize that a player like D-Fish could contribute clutch shots or veteran leadership, his influence is mostly theoretical, and at the very least, far less consequential than that of superstars.

This makes Fisher's choice far less threatening. Yes, he may be photo-bombing the Larry O'Brien trophy celebration, but at least he isn't altering league history in any meaningful sense. 

There is, however, a stigma to once-great players pulling a Derek Fisher. In this YouTube clip of Gary Payton and Kenny Smith arguing over their respective careers, Smith refers to Payton's ring as a Miami Heat in this way: "You stole one on the way out." 

Apparently, stars are expected to win without much choice as to whom they play for. Worse players are expected to contrive a title situation.