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Quick Bytes
- Longtime Lakers trainer Gary Vitti expresses difficulty in rooting for the team due to recent decisions.
- Vitti maintains a strong dislike for the Celtics, in line with Lakers tradition.
- The strained relationship between the Lakers and the late Jerry West is highlighted.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar pays heartfelt tribute to Jerry West.
Lakers’ Internal Struggles and Tributes to Jerry West
Despite not reaching the 2024 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers’ community, including former trainer Gary Vitti, is united in their aversion to the Boston Celtics. Vitti, who served the Lakers for over three decades, recently voiced his conflicted feelings about supporting the Lakers due to their distancing from Lakers icons like the late Jerry West.
Vitti’s relationship with West was close, and he shares West’s sentiment of never wanting the Celtics to win, a testament to the deep-rooted rivalry. West’s legacy as a player and executive is monumental, having been instrumental in forming the ‘Showtime’ Lakers and acquiring legends like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. The discord between West and the Lakers organization before his passing remains a sore point for many, including Vitti.
In the wake of Jerry West’s passing, many Lakers greats have come forward to honor his memory. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a fellow Lakers legend, expressed his admiration for West’s character and contributions to the sport, both on and off the court. Abdul-Jabbar’s tribute underscores the profound impact West had on his peers and the basketball community at large.
Image Credits
- Getty Images: Lakers’ former head trainer Gary Vitti.
