Judy Seto, a longtime Lakers training staff presence, is no longer with the team
Judy Seto, a longtime presence within the Lakers training staff, is no longer with the team after her contract expired, sources with knowledge told The Times.
Seto had been the team’s director of sports performance since 2019. Prior to that, she served as the Lakers’ head physical therapist between 2011 and 2016. She worked closely with Kobe Bryant before that, with the Hall of Famer calling her work “indispensable.”
Bryant repeatedly credited Seto for his longevity in the league.
Counting time spent as a consultant, Seto has had a relationship with the organization since the 1990s.
The team hired Roger Sancho as head athletic trainer last summer, and sources say he’ll lead that department just like he did last season when Seto was still on staff. The Lakers, a source said, will not be replacing Seto in her “director of sports performance” role.
With the Lakers set to begin another coaching search, a look back on what Rob Pelinka and the team learned from their last set of failed negotiations.
After staving off injuries during their NBA championship season in 2019-20, the Lakers have struggled with a variety of health issues in the two seasons since, a mix of bad luck, advancing age and players with injury histories combining to keep key players off the floor.
Both Anthony Davis and LeBron James have suffered severe injuries, both from fluky plays and typical wear-and-tear.
After missing the playoffs this season, the Lakers fired coach Frank Vogel. In addition to finding his replacement, the team has to make several key decisions that will significantly affect the roster heading into next season.
Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.
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