Athletic trainer Gary Vitti was in the front row seat during the Los Angeles Lakers’ glory days in the 1980s and in the 2000s. He was right there on the sidelines when Magic Johnson was breaking down defenses with his no-look passes or when Shaquille O’Neal was annihilating bigs on the block. In his own words, Vitti had the best seat in the house for 32 years.
Among all the NBA championships Vitti won, there is one particular ring that stands out to him because it coincided with an important moment in his life: the birth of his daughter. It is for this reason that Gary only wears the 1987 NBA Championship the Lakers against the mighty Boston Celtics. That year was a hallmark moment in the trainer’s professional and personal career. He wears the ring to remind himself of how all the stars seemingly aligned just for him.
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Shaq disapproves
O’Neal, whether or not he was aware of Vitti’s intimate connection to the 1987 chip, nagged the trainer every time he saw it. Shaq would’ve loved it if Gary had worn one of the three NBA Championships they won in the 2000s.
Vitti never relented to O’Neal’s relentless criticism. The 1980s era defined his career, and he wanted to remain true to his identity as a member of the Showtime Lakers.
“Shaq gave me a lot of heat. He wanted me to wear one of the ones once in a while that I won with him,” Vitti said in 2015 via the Los Angeles Times.
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“I probably should have, but I never did. It’s not that I didn’t appreciate what those teams did and what they were. It was just a different mentality. It wasn’t who I was. I was forged as a Laker in the ’80s, not in the millennium,” he added.
The greatest victory
The Lakers and Celtics dominated NBA basketball in the 1980s. During their three NBA Finals matchups in 1984, 1985, and 1987, Vitti was deep in the trenches. Even though Gary has a special connection with the 1987 chip, he knows it wasn’t the team’s greatest accomplishment. That title belongs to the 1985 trophy, given its the great narrative context.
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“From a basketball standpoint, the greatest championship would be 1985, the first time we beat Boston,” Vitti said. “We lost to the Celtics the year before and should have beat them. A lot of my interview with Riley was him talking about that. He said to me, ‘We need to win.'”
The Lakers craved to defeat Larry Bird and company. They were already plotting their revenge as early as the 1984 training camp. The Purple & Gold’s head coach, Pat Riley, guided the team throughout the fruitful but very intense moments.
“He knew where we were. He knew where we needed to go,” Vitti said.
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When it was time to face the Celtics again, Magic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the entire Lakers fanbase were locked and loaded. After putting the Game 1 “Memorial Day Massacre” behind them, the Purple & Gold went on to beat the C’s in six games. The victory signified another banner and bragging rights over their arch rivals.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.