Fisher Fired by New York Knicks

Knicks coach Derek Fisher has paid for his team’s bad run with his job, being fired after less than two years in New York.

A five-game losing streak left the Knicks 1-9 in their last 10 games, and team president Phil Jackson decided to make the call to “relieve Fisher of his coaching duties,” as the team website reported. Assistant coach Kurt Rambis will take over in the interim.

The Knicks are 23-31 this season after going 17-65 in Fisher’s first season. New York’s bad form contributed to the decision, but the Knicks felt Fisher was not making the switch from player to coach effectively.

Fisher leaves New York with an overall record of 40-96.

The former Lakers guard, who had no previous head coaching experience, took over from Mike Woodson, who went 109-79 in parts of three seasons in New York. Woodson, however, won only one playoff series. The Knicks currently sit 12th in the Eastern Conference.

Brian Shaw and Luke Walton are among the names linked to the vacant head coach position. The Knicks haven’t won a title since the 1972-73 season.

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76ers Win to Spoil Kobe Visit

The 76ers ended a 28-game losing streak that dated back to last season, dispensing with the visiting Los Angeles Lakers by a 103-91 score in future Hall of Famer Bryant's last appearance in Philly. It was the first win for the Sixers since March 25 at Denver.

"Finally," forward Nerlens Noel said.

Coach Brett Brown's team has long languished at the bottom of the NBA standings and has reeled off two losing streaks of at least 26 games in his three seasons. For one night, in front of a sellout crowd of 20,510 that came to cheer Bryant, the streaks hardly mattered.

"I'm pleased for the city," Brown said. "We don't want this streak continuing."

Hours earlier, Bryant felt the love in Philadelphia as soon as he entered the arena.

He took selfies with fans who might never see him play again, and his presence injected a playoff atmosphere into a city that has lost much of its passion for NBA basketball.

With a packed crowd standing and roaring in appreciation, Bryant was lauded like a hometown hero, not the "Hometown Zero" he once was labeled in Philadelphia tabloids.

Bryant, who will end his 20-year career this season, opened the first leg of his farewell tour in his hometown and was feted with the kind of reverence and gratitude normally reserved for a Sixers great.

"I wasn't expecting that type of reaction -- ovation," he said. "Deeply appreciative beyond belief. It was really, really special."

Playing with the shot selection of a pickup artist, Bryant tried to deliver a special performance in his finale. He buried a step-back 3-pointer off the opening tip. He hit another 3 on the next possession.

Bryant made it 3-for-3 and had the Philly crowd chanting "M-V-P!" as he turned back the clock to his championship form.

"It was a little spurt of old-school Kobe," Noel said.

Bryant said he could tell the start made the Sixers a little starstruck -- most were babies when he started his career.

"I could sense they were like, 'I really don't want to touch him.' ... 'Is this going to be an 81 type of situation?'" Bryant said. "I'm just playing possum because I know my legs ain't going to carry this energy for 48 minutes."

Bryant scored 20 points on 7-of-26 shooting and made four three-pointers

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NBA Players Reject Late League Offer

The NBA Players' Association has rejected the league's latest offer for a collective bargaining agreement, casting doubt over the entire season.

The NBA wanted a 50-50 division of basketball-related income and a 72-game season beginning on 15 December.

But the NBAPA's Billy Hunter said it would no longer continue in collective bargaining and would dissolve the union to pursue legal action against the NBA.

"It's the best situation where players can get their due process," he said.

The scheduled start to the new season had already been delayed by five weeks because of the negotiations over a new agreement between the league and the players' association.

The players are seeking a minimum 52.5% share of teams' basketball-related income, but have indicated in recent days that they would accept 51% with an additional 1% going to a fund for retired player benefits.

The league's current offer gives players between 49% and 51%, but the players argue that 50.2% would be the best realistic outcome under the terms of that deal.

"We're prepared to file this anti-trust action against the NBA," continued Hunter. "The collective bargaining process has completely broken down."

Players' union president Derek Fisher added: "This is the best decision for the players.

"A lot of individual players have a lot of things personally at stake in terms of their careers and where they stand."