MIAMI – Two weeks ago, LeBron James lobbied quite publicly for Peyton Manning to join the Dolphins.
We all know how that went.
This week, with another mid-30s, highly respected former champion on the market, LeBron gave his considerable endorsement to another potential South Florida addition.
“One thing you know about Derek Fisher is he’s a winner,” LeBron said of the former Lakers point guard. “He’s not afraid of the moment. He’s won multiple championships, so you always know that.”
Five of them, in fact.
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Not one, not two … OK, I’ll stop.
“I don’t know what our plans are, but I don’t see it as a bad fit for us if anything happens,” LeBron added. “But if not, we’re ready to go.”
Looks like the Heat, 99-95 winners over the Suns on Tuesday night despite Joel Anthony sitting out with an ankle injury, will have to stay “ready to go.”
Depth issues and all.
Fisher, set to clear waivers Wednesday at 6 p.m., reportedly was deep into negotiations with Oklahoma City.
Not coincidentally, his agent also represents a couple of Thunder players whose names you might recognize.
Kevin Durant and James Harden.
So there’s no shame in the Heat losing out to Oklahoma City for Fisher, who figures to get immediate playing time with backup Eric Maynor out for the season.
But regret for the Heat?
Yeah, there should be some of that.
Especially with backup point guard Norris Cole finally hitting the so-called “rookie wall” in recent weeks.
And there could be a good bit more regret come Sunday, when the Heat and Thunder meet for the first time this season in a prime-time matchup.
Many still believe that could be a preview of the NBA Finals.
If Fisher lands in America’s Heartland, as expected, his addition could be just what the Thunder need to make that a reality.
Shannon Brown, Fisher’s former teammate with the Lakers, believes the 37-year-old still has enough left to make that kind of impact.
