Far too often nowadays athletes seem to make the news because of their criminal exploits, or because they’re being sued for some reason or another, so it was really heartwarming to read an article about an athlete who’s in the news for the right reasons. I’m talking about Derek Fisher, who asked for (and was given) a release from his contract with the Utah Jazz so he could concentrate on finding the best care for his 11-month-old daughter, who has an extremely rare form of cancer in her left eye. This is a guy who’s reached the very pinnacle of his chosen profession, and for Derek Fisher to decide to give all that up to take care of his sick daughter says a lot about the kind of man he is.

Sure, athletes often talk about how their families come first, but it’s not often that those same folks actually practice what the preach, and that’s why this story is so heartwarming for me. It’s good to see an athlete actually living up to his status as a role model, a husband, and a father.

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