"She's a badass it's workout time": LA Lakers fans ecstatic after franchise hires seasoned trainer from OKC Thunder
The LA Lakers announced the hiring of Dr. Vanessa Brooks as their head athletic trainer and senior physical therapist on Friday. Brooks previously worked at the OKC Thunder since she joined the NBA in 2019, making her the first Black woman to be dual-certified as an athletic trainer and physical therapist.
Reacting to the news, Lakers fans took to X, formerly Twitter, to share appreciation for the move by the franchise.
"She's a badass it's workout time," a fan tweeted.
"Congratulations to Dr. Vanessa Brooks! Here's to bringing some Thunder to the Lakers' game," a fan tweeted.
"Thank goodness! Maybe now we can get an actual healthy team on the court. The amount of injuries and players sitting out near entire seasons is beyond too much at this point. God Bless Vanessa Brooks! 🙏🏻❤️🏀🏀🏀" a fan tweeted.
"Thunder have been a consistently healthy team over the last 5 seasons, including having the least missed wins above replacement due to injury. Excellent hire," a fan tweeted.
"Might be the biggest addition to the team this season 🙏🏻" a fan tweeted.
"Bron and AD playing 82 games LFG," a fan tweeted.
While Dr. Vanessa Brooks is seasoned for the role with the OKC Thunder, she will likely have a different set of challenges when she starts for the LA Lakers.
Vanessa Brooks’ transition from OKC Thunder to LA Lakers may be challenging
While Dr. Vanessa Brooks' addition to the LA Lakers was a good move, it may not be without its challenges. During her time with the OKC Thunder, Brooks was responsible for taking care of the health of one of the youngest teams in the league. The Thunder had the second-youngest roster last season, behind the San Antonio Spurs.
However, the Lakers pose a challenge with the athletes' age and their lingering injuries, which was not a big woe for Brooks' previous team. She will have to be especially careful of keeping the Lakers' two superstars, LeBron James (39) and Anthony Davis (31), healthy and available.
LeBron is the oldest active player in the league, and Davis has a history of frequent injuries. However, both stars are coming off a remarkably healthy season, playing 71 and 76 games in the regular season, respectively.
Moreover, Brooks is not the first piece in the LA Lakers' revamping their medical staff. They had previously hired Dr. Leroy Sims as their Director of Player Performance and Health. Sims and Brooks will have a huge responsibility to keep the Laker roster healthy during their pursuit of the title in the next season, which starts in October.