The New York Knicks fired head coach Derek Fisher on Monday, just days before the NBA All-Star break.
Fisher had a 40-96 record in his second season with the Knicks. New York currently is 23-31 and out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. The Knicks promoted Kurt Rambis to interim coach.
Knicks president Phil Jackson hired Fisher as his first coach as part of his franchise overhaul after Fisher retired from playing in 2014. Fisher played for Jackson with the Los Angeles Lakers. New York endured a franchise-worst 17-65 record with Fisher last season. Even with a relatively healthy Carmelo Anthony and prized rookie Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks have lost nine of their last 10 games, including a 101-96 loss to the visiting Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
Fisher was involved in a physical altercation last October with Memphis Grizzlies forward Matt Barnes at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife. Barnes was later suspended two games by the NBA because of the incident.
Rambis won four championships with the Lakers as a reserve forward and four titles as an assistant coach and executive. He was 24-13 as interim coach of the Lakers during the 1998-99 season and was 3-5 in the postseason. Rambis had a 32-132 record with no playoff appearances in two seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009-11.
ESPN first broke the news of Fisher’s firing.
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