Lakers Make Huge Addition to Medical Staff Ahead of Preseason

Los Angeles is still building its team off the court.

Jan 17, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; The Los Angeles Lakers logo at center court at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers continued to refurbish their team off the hardwood even days away from the start of team training camp.

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that the Lakers are poaching former Oklahoma City Thunder athletic trainer and senior physical therapist Vanessa Brooks to serve in that same role with L.A. Brooks had worked with the Thunder since 2019. Last year's vintage secured a 57-25 overall record for the overall No. 1 seed in a tough Western Conference, and took the NBA Finals-bound Dallas Mavericks to six games in the second round.

Per Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times, Brooks is replacing Roger Sancho, who left for the reconfigured Phoenix Suns, who added a new starter in point guard Tyus Jones and a new head coach in Mike Budenholzer.

Woike notes that Brooks is just the most recent addition in a major overhaul of L.A.'s medical staff. Brooks will serve under new team director of player peformance Leroy Sims. Brooks numbers among just two certified trainers on the league's Emergency Preparedness Committee. That group handles emergency protocols for cardiac, neck and spine situations.

Per Woike, Brooks will join Los Angeles by the time team training camp opens on Tuesday. The Lakers' media day is slated for Monday.

Last year's Lakers were a mixed bag, health-wise. All-Stars Anthony Davis (who played 76 games, a personal NBA record) and LeBron James (71) were healthier than they had been in years. But the club's top two anticipated perimeter defenders, forward Jarred Vanderbilt and point guard Gabe Vincent, both missed major time with injuries, while top then-rookie draft pick Jalen Hood-Schifino and key reserve big man Christian Wood both incurred season-ending injuries later into the year.

Vanderbilt had offseason surgery on both his feet this summer, but hopes to be healthy in time for the start of the 2024-25 season.

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Of course, the big new addition this year is head coach JJ Redick. After 15 seasons as one of the league's best off-ball shooters in stints with the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and, for 13 games, the Dallas Mavericks, Redick entered the broadcast space, singing on with ESPN. He took over for Doc Rivers as one of the Worldwide Leader's NBA Finals announcers, only to ditch the gig in favor of his pro coaching debut, at any level.

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