DEREK FISHER

Raleigh Studios

Hollywood, CA

June 5, 2003

Photo credit: Derek Fisher

Without question, this is one of my favorite celebrity photos. It’s so candid. And he’s so busted.

I was in Hollywood at the Sexiest Party Of The Year. That’s what they called it. FHM (For Him Magazine) was celebrating their 8th annual 100 Sexiest Women in the World special issue, and this soirée was where we got to meet the ladies. Presumably. The chosen hotties hadn’t pinned their ranking numbers to their party attire so it was hard to know which girls actually made the cut. Speaking of party attire, that too was up for interpretation. At this shindig, the clear priority was bare skin.

There were far more than 100 sexy women at this party and quite a few attractive men, if not by their looks then surely by their pocketbooks. The most attractive man in my vicinity was the LA Lakers’ prized point guard Derek Fisher. And what a prize he is. D-Fish had just snagged a three-year championship run with the Lakers—alongside Kobe, Shaq, and coach Phil Jackson. But it was his quiet confidence that caught my attention. He has class. He was all suited up for this party and looking pretty sharp compared to how I am used to seeing him, in his purple and gold polyester mesh short-set.

And he was taller than I'd expected. I know he's a pro baller but when he’s standing next to his teammates he appears to be about 5’10”. At this party he was standing beside regular-sized friends and is much taller. He’s 6’1”. Because his group was quietly admiring the women, he was easy to approach so I walked over and said hi. “Hello,” he said.

Now that we’d established a solid foundation I proceeded to tell him about my idea, “...Will you take my picture?” I concluded. He wasn’t very animated but he had been listening, seemed to like the twist, and said, “Sure.”

I handed him the camera and while I was explaining my concept to his curious friend, Mr. Fisher snapped a quick photo. I wasn’t paying attention.

Derek started to hand my camera back but his friend intercepted and asked if I wanted a picture of the two of us together. I never ask for a picture with the celebrity but I can surely accept an offer. "Okay," I said. I turned to pose with my newfound basketball superstar but first I had to let him know: “You’re my favorite Laker,” I said. “Thanks,” he politely replied and we smiled for the picture. Not much talk beyond that. I got my camera back, thanked them both and we parted ways. Little did I know I had such a gift waiting for me coiled up in the film canister.

Days later, I got the photos back from the developer and I found this gem. Obviously, Derek Fisher didn’t put much effort into this, but with impeccable timing, he was able to catch this incriminating split-second on film. A person couldn’t take such a telling, perfectly cropped photo if they tried.

I don't know who this man is who is peering down my shirt, but it looks like we had a moment. At least he did. I can’t fault the guy. He was driven by an instinct so primal it could have been featured on Wild Kingdom.

So while Derek Fisher is a highly celebrated professional basketball player and coach, it’s this sportsman’s stellar camerawork with which he scored some extra points with me. With a click of a button, he spun this entry into one that is less about himself and more about his friend, Peeping Tom. That's just the kind of player that he is. One more assist for D-Fish.

Thanks for the great shot, Mr. Fisher. You may wear the number two on your jersey but to me, you're number one.

Photo credit: Derek Fisher's friend