Many claim Gary Vitti as one of the best, if not the greatest, trainers in NBA history. His 32-year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers, which yielded eight championship rings, is indelible proof of his mastery of the human body and devotion to winning.
He began his journey in the legendary Showtime era with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when they battled the Boston Celtics in the 1980s. By the 2000s, Vitti was right there during the fantastic dynasty of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He remained on the sidelines during Kobe’s final run, which resulted in two chips.
Advertisement
A sad ending
As celebrated as Vitti’s career was, it didn’t end like a fairy tale. By the mid-2010s, the Lakers had pressed the reset button and were looking to get lucky in the NBA Draft. It would take a while before they could construct a roster ripe to contend for a championship.
Vitti, aware of the ebbs and flows of franchises, powered on. He did his duty to take care of the players, both incoming and old. He took pride in keeping everyone in top-tier shape, and so when fresh draftee Julius Randle broke his leg in his first NBA game, Vitti took it personally.
Advertisement
“When somebody gets hurt, I blame myself. That’s the Laker way — you’ve got a problem, you go in the bathroom, you look in the mirror, you start with that person,” Vitti said in 2015, via the Los Angeles Times.
“The one that really affected me and maybe even affected this decision [to retire] was Julius Randle. All of his doctors and his surgeon are saying that nothing was missed, but the guy goes out there and breaks his leg the first game [last season]. That one really bothered me,” he added.
Randle’s injury sent shockwaves through Laker Nation. After all, he was the seventh overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. His mobility and superhuman physique showcased his potential. Lakers fans truly believed that Randle could guide the franchise the way previous legends did.
Advertisement
The injury cast a dark shadow on these hopes. Was Randle not built for the big leagues? Was he inherently injury-prone? Whatever the case was, Lakers fans were disappointed and antsy. They knew Kobe‘s time was coming, and they wanted an immediate replacement.
Randle rose from the ashes
Among all the people who were affected, it was Randle who was most devastated. He was just starting out a new chapter in his life, but a freak injury hampered it. Thankfully, the power forward received immediate support from none other than Bryant. Nobody understood pain the way Kobe did. He was ready to guide the young Laker in his tough journey.
Advertisement
“The night I had broken (my leg), (Bryant) texted me,” Randle said. “And we were talking, and he was one of the main people that helped me really get out of my pity party, saying, ‘It’s happened to players before. You’re not the first, and you’re gonna have a great comeback.’ He was like: ‘Your rehabilitation and your mindset starts now.’ And it did. I’ve struggled (some) days, but at the end of the day I’ll be fine.”
Randle recovered quickly and even played 81 games, including 60 starts, in his second year. He averaged 11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds, surefire evidence that he wasn’t just healthy, he was NBA-ready and just needed an opportunity to show it.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.