Gary Vitti isn't the face of the Lakers franchise. He's the one fixing it up if an errant elbow gets thrown.
He's also retiring after this season, though not as many people know it. Take Kobe Bryant's 20-year NBA career, add 12 and you get Vitti's years of service as the Lakers' athletic trainer.
The road has become familiar, if not a little wearisome, for Vitti, who has experienced 12 NBA Finals and eight championships since joining the Lakers in 1984.
This season has been tough for everybody on the team.