NBA New 2014: Derek Fisher is New Knicks Coach; Signs $25M Coaching Deal

Derek Fisher officially became the new head coach of the New York Knicks. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Knicks said that they planned a major announcement on June 10.

According to Fisher, "Coaching allows for you to positively impact other people's lives. To help a group of people find success, whether they have or haven't before, you're all working together for a common goal."

Previously, Phil Jackson was fined by the NBA $25,000 for showing his interest in acquiring Fisher as coach before the latter entered free agency. At the time that Jackson forwarded his sentiments, Fisher was still under contract with the Thunder. It was deemed a tampering violation.

There seemed to be a growing interest of turning former point guards into head coaches in the NBA. Another New York team, the Brooklyn Nets, have Jason Kidd as their coach while the Golden State Warriors are now under the supervision of former Bull Steve Kerr, who also played under Phil Jackson and won three championship titles.

In a CBS Sports report, Jackson was keen in hiring a coach who thoroughly understands his preferred offensive strategy - the triangle offense. Kerr and Fisher accepted the idea very well, which may also be the reason why they are Jackson's top picks to spearhead the reformed New York Knicks. Jackson coached Fisher from 1999 to 2004 then from 2007 to 2011.

Derek Fisher played point guard for 18 years in the NBA and retired after the OKC Thunder was eliminated by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 Western Conference Finals. Fisher was the personal preference of Knicks' new president Phil Jackson, after Steve Kerr accepted an offer to coach the Golden State Warriors. Fisher also played with the Los Angeles Lakers with Phil Jackson as head coach. Together, the team won five NBA championship titles.

Fisher has not yet signed a contract but he will be introduced in a news conference on June 10. The hiring was not official but it is already certain that Fisher will make the fast transition from player to coach. He is 39 years old and will be one of the youngest coaches in the NBA. In an article by Bleacher Report Fisher was also president of the National Basketball Players Association and has shown his leadership skills in the various teams he played in before. He finished his career with 259 playoff games and 10,713 regular season points.