The Los Angeles Lakers’ history is as rich as any team’s in the NBA. West. Baylor. Chamberlain. Kareem. Magic. Worthy. Shaq. Kobe. Showtime of the ‘80s. The dynasty of the early aughts. Purple and gold. A history of excellence.
That history was undone earlier this week. It’s over. Two vast and trunkless legs of stone stand in the desert where the Lakers dynasty once stood, and dribbling a basketball (in rhythm!) over those ruins is Derek Fisher.
He did this on Dancing with the Stars:
Come get your man, @forumbluegold pic.twitter.com/rWwRNWbQKs
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) September 22, 2017
Wearing a shimmering purple and gold onesie, Fisher, who won five titles with the Lakers, danced a something to Kurtis Blow’s seminal 1984 number, “Basketball.”
The video starts with Fisher dribbling a — you guessed it — basketball. From there, I would describe what happens, but I believe I entered the void. I saw only purple, gold, and the image of Dr. James Naismith shuddering in his grave. Look upon Fish’s works, ye mighty, and despair. The Lakers are gone. Basketball might be gone. Dancing, perhaps, is gone. What shall we do without dancing?