Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:53 pm Post subject: Firing of Alex McKechnie (Conditioning Trainer) still "hurting" the Lakers (literally)
When a Laker player gets seriously hurt, he sees Gary Vitti. But if a Laker player wants to prevent serious injuries in the first place, it was Alex McKechnie and his conditioning training they'd work on.
But it's been 3 years now since McKechnie was let go and the Lakers' injuries have gotten worse every year.
Phil Jackson: "If (Lakers) still had Alex McKechnie, maybe these injuries wouldn't have happened."
Apparently, Jackson—who recently joined Twitter—was listening to John Ireland's radio show with Steve Mason on L.A.'s KSPN. Ireland, who also works as the Lakers' radio play-by-play announcer, referred to the integral role McKechnie played for the team over 15 years ago, prompting a tweet from the former Lakers coach.
The Zen Master spoke (that is, tweeted) to the importance of conditioning, rehab and the basic necessity of keeping players on the court.
Before the 2011-2012 season, the Lakers front office chose not to renew McKechnie's contract as their athletic performance coordinator. The Toronto Raptors swooped in to hire him as their "Director of Sports Science" (per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times).
With Kobe's aging legs having finally betrayed him, Steve Nash hampered by a balky hamstring, Pau Gasol slowed by plantar fasciitis and Dwight Howard managing an injured labrum all season, it seem like the Lakers could really use someone like McKechnie right about now.
Among others let go that season were Assistant GM Ronnie Lester, International Scout Adam Fillippi, and equipment manager Rudy Garcidueñas who spent 30 years with the Lakers.
_________________
Last edited by Jordan-esque on Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:18 pm; edited 3 times in total
Yep. He and Chip Schaefer are some of the best athletic performance staff in the league but they were fired because they had some sort of relationship with Phil Jackson.
Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 28504 Location: LA --> Bay Area
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:03 pm Post subject:
People discount the effect these kinds of people have. Pouring money into Vitti and crew does not a competent medical staff make. Like any specialized profession, INJURY PREVENTION SPECIALISTS know more about maintaining a player's body and keeping everything in order than your best paid general staff.
That's why I laugh when people say we have a good medical staff. Maybe it's well funded. Maybe they're good at what they do. But obviously, at the least, you can agree that we have a severe lack of competent injury prevention specialists, which as you know Phoenix and others hire entire cohorts of to monitor every ligament in a player's body for weak points.
Then again, I guess you can't expect much from an FO who has the owner's little brother running the scouting department.
I was reading an article recently talking about how well Mckechnie is doing in Toronto. It certainly does feel like we've been plagued with injuries since we lost him. A big reason we were so strong for so long was because we had pretty good health when playoffs rolled around. That clearly isn't the case anymore.
As someone who follows the Raptors, I can honestly say that Alex McKechnie has been amazing for that team, to the point where fans even notice players barely get injured, and usually come back quickly when they do. There's something definitely wrong with the Lakers' medical staff. I hasn't realized he used to work for the Lakers. This would explain a lot.
Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 28504 Location: LA --> Bay Area
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2014 11:10 pm Post subject:
Jedi_Mind_Tricks wrote:
As someone who follows the Raptors, I can honestly say that Alex McKechnie has been amazing for that team, to the point where fans even notice players barely get injured, and usually come back quickly when they do. There's something definitely wrong with the Lakers' medical staff. I hasn't realized he used to work for the Lakers. This would explain a lot.
It's not so much as curse as it as that we gutted all of our veteran staff.
Jim Buss era is starting to sound like the old al davis era (comparing him to young Al is actually disrespecting to Al so wont go there).
Ego getting in the way of coaching hires, Hiring yes men and distancing his team from normality in the league.
If its true that Jimbo hired yes men. He's dumb to have fired his many employees especially the 2 of the important ones like Ronnie Lester and Alex McKechnie.
I remember a huge difference in Lamar Odom being credited to this guy. I think losing him was a huge blow. Gotta find a replacement, or throw the bank at him to get him back. Obviously whatever we're doing isn't working.
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 2:39 am Post subject: Re: Firing of Alex McKechnie (Conditioning Trainer) still "hurting" the Lakers (literally)
Jordan-esque wrote:
When a Laker player gets seriously hurt, he sees Gary Vitti. But if a Laker player wants to prevent serious injuries in the first place, it was Alex McKechnie and his conditioning training they'd work on.
But it's been 3 years now since McKechnie was let go and the Lakers' injuries have gotten worse every year.
Phil Jackson: "If (Lakers) still had Alex McKechnie, maybe these injuries wouldn't have happened."
Apparently, Jackson—who recently joined Twitter—was listening to John Ireland's radio show with Steve Mason on L.A.'s KSPN. Ireland, who also works as the Lakers' radio play-by-play announcer, referred to the integral role McKechnie played for the team over 15 years ago, prompting a tweet from the former Lakers coach.
The Zen Master spoke (that is, tweeted) to the importance of conditioning, rehab and the basic necessity of keeping players on the court.
Before the 2011-2012 season, the Lakers front office chose not to renew McKechnie's contract as their athletic performance coordinator. The Toronto Raptors swooped in to hire him as their "Director of Sports Science" (per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times).
With Kobe's aging legs having finally betrayed him, Steve Nash hampered by a balky hamstring, Pau Gasol slowed by plantar fasciitis and Dwight Howard managing an injured labrum all season, it seem like the Lakers could really use someone like McKechnie right about now.
Among others let go that season were Assistant GM Ronnie Lester, International Scout Adam Fillippi, and equipment manager Rudy Garcidueñas who spent 30 years with the Lakers.
Cheapo Jim. Always trying to cut costs and save money.
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 2:49 am Post subject: Re: Firing of Alex McKechnie (Conditioning Trainer) still "hurting" the Lakers (literally)
cyclo7 wrote:
Jordan-esque wrote:
When a Laker player gets seriously hurt, he sees Gary Vitti. But if a Laker player wants to prevent serious injuries in the first place, it was Alex McKechnie and his conditioning training they'd work on.
But it's been 3 years now since McKechnie was let go and the Lakers' injuries have gotten worse every year.
Phil Jackson: "If (Lakers) still had Alex McKechnie, maybe these injuries wouldn't have happened."
Apparently, Jackson—who recently joined Twitter—was listening to John Ireland's radio show with Steve Mason on L.A.'s KSPN. Ireland, who also works as the Lakers' radio play-by-play announcer, referred to the integral role McKechnie played for the team over 15 years ago, prompting a tweet from the former Lakers coach.
The Zen Master spoke (that is, tweeted) to the importance of conditioning, rehab and the basic necessity of keeping players on the court.
Before the 2011-2012 season, the Lakers front office chose not to renew McKechnie's contract as their athletic performance coordinator. The Toronto Raptors swooped in to hire him as their "Director of Sports Science" (per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times).
With Kobe's aging legs having finally betrayed him, Steve Nash hampered by a balky hamstring, Pau Gasol slowed by plantar fasciitis and Dwight Howard managing an injured labrum all season, it seem like the Lakers could really use someone like McKechnie right about now.
Among others let go that season were Assistant GM Ronnie Lester, International Scout Adam Fillippi, and equipment manager Rudy Garcidueñas who spent 30 years with the Lakers.
Cheapo Jim. Always trying to cut costs and save money.
Unfortunately the good Doctor was alive and well when this went down. Whether or not he had abdicated some responsibility to Jim he still had to sign off on this.
I know it clouds things and makes it harder to find an easy scapegoat, but its the truth.
Joined: 29 Aug 2004 Posts: 11197 Location: The Other Perspective
Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 4:26 am Post subject: Re: Firing of Alex McKechnie (Conditioning Trainer) still "hurting" the Lakers (literally)
VegasLakerFan wrote:
Unfortunately the good Doctor was alive and well when this went down. Whether or not he had abdicated some responsibility to Jim he still had to sign off on this.
I know it clouds things and makes it harder to find an easy scapegoat, but its the truth.
Yeah, when it comes to getting rid of anyone affiliated with Phil and with the whole Phil/MDA fiasco, I don't think either Jim or Jerry wanted Phil and guys loyal to him around anymore. _________________ "Chick lived and breathed Lakers basketball…but he was also fair and objective and called every game the way it was played."
-from Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Knew Him
I'm sure the team has people in the preventative department but not in the caliber of experience as the previous guys? _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Now Ronnie Lester is speaking out — and not just for himself, but also for other longtime Lakers employees who must find jobs after the team parted ways with them because of the NBA lockout.
Some were told their contracts would not be renewed and some were laid off. All told, about 20 Lakers employees are, or soon will be, looking for jobs, including some of Phil Jackson's former coaching staff.
It was the manner in which they were let go by one of the most successful and profitable franchises in the NBA that bothered Lester.
"You think of the Lakers and you think they are a great organization," Lester said. "But if you work inside the organization, it's only a perception of being a great organization. It's probably not a great organization, because great organizations don't treat their personnel like they've done."
Lester said Jim Buss, the vice president of player personnel and son of the Lakers' owner and his siblings are making more decisions and have increased roles.
Lester said Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak wants him to return, but there is resistance inside the organization.
"Mitch wants to bring me back, but he can't get the Busses to agree to bring me back," Lester said.
Lester was asked whether it was true that Jim Buss has taken Phil Jackson's former office, which would imply that Buss will be around more.
"Jim Buss is not around much," Lester said. "The only time he is here consistently is a week or two before the draft."
A Lakers spokesman said the team declined to talk about Lester's comments.
The Lakers did not offer contracts to four of the five members of the team's training staff and couldn't guarantee that they would rehire them after the lockout.
Chip Schaefer was the Lakers' director of athletic performance and had been with the team since 1999. He's been with Phil Jackson for all 11 championships. His contract ran out June 30 and he was picked up by the Sacramento Kings.
Alex McKechnie had been the team's athletic performance coordinator since 2003. He landed a job Thursday with the Toronto Raptors as their director of sports science.
Lester wondered why the Lakers couldn't keep more employees on their payroll, given all the money the team has made.
According to Forbes, the Lakers had an operating profit of $33.4 million on $214 million in revenue for the 2009-10 season, and the team is valued at $643 million.
The Lakers recently signed a 20-year television deal with Time Warner Cable, an agreement that starts with the 2012-13 season and reportedly is valued at $4 billion.
"I don't want anybody to lose their jobs," Lester said. "But I am curious about something. Why is it just the basketball operations people losing their jobs? That's what I want to know."
This guy was going to prevent Damian Lillard from colliding with Steve Nash causing his eventual demise?
This guy was going to prevent Kobe Bryant from injuring his achilles on a move he's done 20 million times?
THIS guy was going to prevent Julius Randle from breaking his leg?
I mean.. if it helps y'all sleep at night trying to pin-point the cause for the Lakers misfortunes then.. right on.
I don't know who y'all are going to want to replace Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak but I sincerely hope it has nothing to do with Magic Johnson lol. This dude was the conductor of the Mike D'Antoni hate train and publicly endorsed BYRON SCOTT.
Unfortunately the good Doctor was alive and well when this went down. Whether or not he had abdicated some responsibility to Jim he still had to sign off on this.
I know it clouds things and makes it harder to find an easy scapegoat, but its the truth.
ch3cky0selff00 wrote:
Lol this is a bit of a reach.
This guy was going to prevent Damian Lillard from colliding with Steve Nash causing his eventual demise?
This guy was going to prevent Kobe Bryant from injuring his achilles on a move he's done 20 million times?
THIS guy was going to prevent Julius Randle from breaking his leg?
I mean.. if it helps y'all sleep at night trying to pin-point the cause for the Lakers misfortunes then.. right on.
I don't know who y'all are going to want to replace Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak but I sincerely hope it has nothing to do with Magic Johnson lol. This dude was the conductor of the Mike D'Antoni hate train and publicly endorsed BYRON SCOTT.
This guy was going to prevent Damian Lillard from colliding with Steve Nash causing his eventual demise?
This guy was going to prevent Kobe Bryant from injuring his achilles on a move he's done 20 million times?
THIS guy was going to prevent Julius Randle from breaking his leg?
I mean.. if it helps y'all sleep at night trying to pin-point the cause for the Lakers misfortunes then.. right on.
I don't know who y'all are going to want to replace Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak but I sincerely hope it has nothing to do with Magic Johnson lol. This dude was the conductor of the Mike D'Antoni hate train and publicly endorsed BYRON SCOTT.
Be careful what y'all wish for.
I hope you didn't really believe that what you just said. It's not to prevent getting hurt but prevent and limit the severity from seriously getting hurt. You condition yourself so that when you do get hurt your body is more prepared to handle the burden.
Also he was basically the Lakes' recovery specialist who was brought in to expedite Shaq's recovery and then Lamar's. Trudell on Mason/Ireland or Kellerman even said having McKechnie around when Nash got hurt his 1st year here would've given Nash a different kind of recovery that might have prevented him developing nerve irritation during his recovery. _________________
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