ARTAVIUS "TAY" FISHER aka Firefly

Professional basketball player, community builder, husband, father, and philanthropist Tay Fisher was born and raised in Kingston, NY. A graduate of Kingston High School, his legacy looms large not only as the player with the most single-game points (61), but as a beacon of possibility for others. His KHS accomplishments led him to a full athletic scholarship at Siena College where he earned a BA in Psychology and played on the school’s Basketball team. While there, he was recognized as Most Improved Player (2006), Defensive Player of the Year (2007), and Rev. Benjamin Kuhn’s Student-Athlete of the Year (2008). In his senior year, Siena won the competitive MAAC tournament and made an appearance in the NCAA tournament, upsetting Vanderbilt in the first round.

After graduating college, he was drafted by The World Famous Harlem Globetrotters. While part of the team he was given the nickname ‘Firefly’ for the way he lit up the court with his shooting, dribbling, and infectious smile. As a Globetrotter, Fisher traveled to over 70 countries bringing athleticism and entertainment to youth, fans, and US military personnel. In his years on the team, Fisher appeared regularly on CNN, ESPN, the Oprah Network, as well as youth programs Stomp and GoNoodle to promote healthy, active living.

Committed to inspiring future generations, he pursued a Master’s in Education at the College of Saint Rose - while still playing for the Globetrotters. Despite the rigorous touring schedule and course load, he graduated magna cum laude. His unique perspective and encouragement of cultural exchange was recognized with a Dr. Huey C. Bogan Award for Creativity in Teaching.

After an impressive ten-year career with the Globetrotters, Fisher retired in 2019 to focus on his family. He met his wife Yasmin back in their undergraduate days at Siena College, where she works as the Director of the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP). Her role demonstrates their shared commitment to helping others achieve their dreams, by providing support to students who may typically face academic or financial limitations. After their son Durand was diagnosed with Epilepsy, they became advocates for the disease raising awareness and funds so that other parents wouldn’t feel alone.

After pivoting on the court of life, Fisher has continued to find routes for assisting others. Over the past 18 years he has developed a range of programs to build basketball mechanics, as well as leadership, work ethic, sportsmanship, and self-confidence. These include leagues, clinics, trainings, Tay Fisher’s Fundamental Basketball Camp, Fisher’s Fight 4 the Cure breast cancer fundraiser, and T-A-Y, an anti-bullying curriculum. He recently established Team Vibes, an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) traveling basketball team, to bring youth together from a range of communities between Kingston and the Capital Region. Throughout these initiatives and public speaking engagements, Fisher brings the hard work that made him famous, the world perspective gleaned from globe-trotting, and the community-mindedness that brought him back home.