Derek Fisher wants Knicks to learn from Anthony Mason

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The death of former NBA All-Star Anthony Mason sent shock waves through the basketball world Saturday, and current Knicks coach Derek Fisher wants his young team to learn from the example Mason set during his time in New York.

From 1991-96, Mason was an enforcer for the Knicks. Michael Jordan referred to Mason as “one of the toughest competitors of his era” in a statement following Mason's death Saturday.

And with the current Knicks team sporting a lowly 12-46 record, Fisher hopes his team can emulate Mason’s toughness throughout the rest of the season.

“He’ll be with us as we go on this season. He embodied a lot of what we’re continuing to try and do here,’’ Fisher said, via the New York Post. “(He was) just gritty and very determined to get the outcome that he sought. Whatever it took to help his team win is what he was willing to do. That’s a skill and a talent in itself.”

The Knicks have nine players on the roster age 26 or younger, so their impressions of Mason are molded by former players like Fisher who went against him.

“As you try and talk to players about how to play the game and how to have a role and be selfless within the team, he’s one of the guys that quickly come to mind and that you … will always be able to use as an example of how you can be extremely impactful on a team without necessarily scoring 20 points a game,” Fisher said. “Many guys were barely born when he was excelling as a player. A lot of times we don’t appreciate who a person was and what they stood for until they’re gone. Maybe some of our players who are playing now will get a chance to appreciate and embrace more of what Anthony Mason stood for and how much of that we need to still be carrying with us going forward as we try to turn this organization around.’’

Maybe the message was received by the Knicks, as they defeated the Raptors, 103-98, at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

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