Q and A: Derek Fisher on being the son of a veteran, the relationship between

The 2020 WNBA season took on new meaning after the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, and the subsequent protests for racial justice across the country. The players decided to devote their season to the cause of Black women who are the victims of police brutality, and they used their platform to educate people on social justice issues.

As the head coach of the Los Angeles Sparks, Derek Fisher had a front row seat to the movement led by his players — specifically Nneka Ogwumike, the president of the WNBPA, and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, a member of the league’s social justice council. Their leadership and service particularly resonates with Fisher at this time of year on Veterans Day, as he honors veterans such as his father John, who was in the Air Force.

Fisher took some time to talk with Silver Screen & Roll about that experience in the WNBA bubble, a couple other Sparks and Lakers topics, and the #HonorThroughAction challenge that celebrates veterans.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

SB Nation: Regarding Veterans Day and the initiative you guys are doing with the USAA, the #HonorThroughAction Challenge, I was curious, what does it mean to you in particular to be the son of a veteran? And how do you try to honor that service in your day to day life?

Derek Fisher: It means a lot, it means a lot. I think in particular on this Veterans Day, it’s just been a different kind of year, and I think we’ve all been reminded of why it is so important to do things now and and not wait. And so I’ve usually been a more private celebratory person when it comes to my family and and certain personal moments and experiences. But this year, just having the opportunity to partner with USAA and kind of participate in the #HonorThroughAction challenge has been good.

Veterans Day has a great deal of meaning for me and for us as a family, just learning more about it, I mean we have 18 million living US military veterans and I know there’s sometimes confusion with Veterans Day and Memorial Day and what we’re celebrating and not, and I wanted to play a part in that distinction this year honoring my dad, so this challenge has been great and fun.

It’s just a cool way to show support for veterans, and then there are other cool ways for us to also volunteer and do things to support veterans as well throughout the year. It’s a good reminder of that as well, let’s keep stepping up and do as much as we possibly can for our veterans while they’re here especially. Let’s not wait until they’re gone.

SBN: It seems like this WNBA season you were just a part of, actually, was built on the same sorts of principles of service and action, even in a different way. What did you learn from your players about service and leadership?

DF: Oh man, what our players were able to do, and it’s no judgment to other players in other sports and what they were able to accomplish, but what our ladies were able to do…