The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market to hire a new head athletic trainer following injuries to their 2020-21 season.
Sources told ESPN that Nina Hsieh, promoted to head trainer two years ago, did not renew her contract.
Hsieh worked for the franchise for more than a decade, initially as head athletic trainer in charge of the health and wellness program for the Lakers G League affiliate, then taking over as head athletic trainer in August Previously worked as an assistant coach for the Lakers. 2019
She became the first woman in U.S. major professional sports history to become the head athletic trainer on a championship team when Los Angeles won the title in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida in October.
However, the Lakers' repeat bid fell short with the Phoenix Suns' first round exit, with Anthony Davis (groin), Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (left knee) and Alex Caruso (ankle) all hampering the series. According to data from Spottrack, after a regular season in which LeBron James missed 26 of the Lakers' final 30 games with a high right ankle sprain, Davis missed 36 games and added a total of 201 to the Los Angeles roster. Game missed.
This is the second time in the last three years that the Lakers have parted ways with their head athletic trainer. Los Angeles let down Marco Nez in April 2019 after three years in a season in which the Lakers player lost 212 games due to injury.
Before Nunez, Gary Vitti held the role for more than 30 years.