"I have to
give him credit even though we tease him a lot cause he looks like a miniature
Tom Seleck...but he's a great guy. " -Orlando Woolridge
Vitt is responsible
for the care, prevention and treatment of injuries to Laker players, assuring
the coaching staff that each athlete is in the best possible condition when
called upon to perform from October through April, May, and hopefully June.
And his job typically continues when basketball season ends, as he spends a
portion of his summer working with players during the off season
His 19 seasons is the longest tenure as athletic trainer in
team history. Obviously it's no easy chore attempting to maintain the health of
12 or more players during a grueling NBA season, but Vitti has nonetheless
earned a reputation as one of the best trainers in the business. Since
his arrival in Los Angeles, the Lakers have won six NBA Championships (85, 87,
88, 00, 01, 02), thanks in no small part to the health of his players. In a
much-deserved honor, Vitti was named NBA's Trainer of the Year in 1991 by the
NBA's Trainers Association, partially due to his efforts in creating the annual
NBATA Superstar Sports Auction.
On Weekends, Vitti
enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson through the canyons of Santa Monica Mountains.
Each summer he spends time in his 400-plus year old house in Settefratti, Italy,
a remote village southeast of Rome. The rest of the year Gary lives in Manhattan
Beach with his two daughters, Rachel and Emilia.
Did you know? Gary
stars in the 1994 movie Blue Chips
with fellow Lakers Shaquille O'Neal & Rick Fox. In the film Vitti plays the head trainer for Western
University.
You can visit
Gary’s webpage at http://www.garyvitti.com/