Skip to content

Fisher tells story of how naked Shaq helped Lakers beat Spurs in 2004

Lucy Nicholson / REUTERS

Derek Fisher will forever be immortalized in Los Angeles Lakers lore for one unforgettable shot against the San Antonio Spurs.

It was Game 5 of the 2004 NBA Western Conference semifinals. Tim Duncan had just drained a miraculous banker to give the Spurs a one-point lead with 0.4 seconds left. All looked lost for Lakers.

But that's when Fisher delivered a miracle.

It was a fantastic shot, but there was some controversy as to whether or not Fisher got the shot off in time. Was 0.4 seconds sufficient for Fisher to catch, turn his body, then heave the shot? Nobody knew since Fisher and the Lakers ran off the floor before it could be reviewed.

13 years later, Fisher credits teammate Shaquille O'Neal for teaching his team to be quick on their feet. The theory goes that O'Neal once showed up to practice buck naked as a prank, then chased everyone around.

"He would start running around looking for guys to hug. Everybody was trying to get out of the way," Fisher explained to Mark Medina of the OC Register about O'Neal's naked shenanigans.

"That’s why when I hit that shot in San Antonio in 2004, that’s why we were so good at sprinting off of the court."

The Lakers put away the Spurs in Game 6, but then lost to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox