Legendary former Los Angeles Lakers trainer and sports doctor Gary Vitti has cautioned Luka Doncic that cell-based therapy doesn’t really help in expediting recovery from muscle injuries, such as Doncic’s grade 2 hamstring strain.
Addressing reports that Doncic was seeking treatment in Madrid, Spain, Vitti recalled several instances when Kobe Bryant traveled to Europe for Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and questioned whether those treatments actually helped the late Lakers icon.
“I don’t know what Luka’s doing in Spain. I don’t know what they’re doing there, so I can only comment on what Kobe was doing and what was being done at the time,” Vitti told the “All the Smoke” podcast.
“We were really, really excited about it,” Vitti said of Bryant getting PRP injections.
“We thought it was going to be sort of this panacea miracle cure, and then it wasn’t. And it doesn’t mean it doesn’t help, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t work, but it certainly wasn’t, you know, the end-all that we thought it was going to be.”
We asked @Lakers legendary trainer Gary Vitti for his perspective on Luka going overseas for treatment ahead of the NBA playoffs.
Kobe Bryant’s Trips to Germany
Bryant sought PRP treatment in Germany in June 2011 and again in October 2013 while still recovering from his Achilles tendon rupture. He once again visited the popular Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt in Munich before the 2014-15 season. However, he reportedly never made those trips to fast-track healing from a severe injury, but instead to help him recover from wear-and-tear and nagging issues.
Vitti — the Lakers’ Head Athletic Trainer for 32 seasons from 1984 to 2016 — said he was hoping for the best for Doncic, the Purple & Gold’s new franchise star.
“Now, whether they work or not, let’s see, you know, you gotta ask Luka,” Vitti said of Doncic receiving cell-based therapy in Spain.
“You know, Kobe felt like it helped him, and that’s why, you know, he kept going back.”
Luka Doncic Injury Update
After Doncic was diagnosed with a grade 2 hamstring strain on April 2, he chose to travel to Europe to seek alternative treatment. The Slovenian reportedly weighed his options between Switzerland and Germany before visiting Javier Barrio, a sports doctor at his former club, Real Madrid, to seek cell-based therapy.
Per Slovenian media outlet Ekipa, Doncic underwent the first round of cell-based therapy last week and then took a quick trip to Ljubljana to visit his two daughters. He reportedly returned to Spain this week for a second round of treatment.
The NBA’s scoring champion is scheduled to return to Los Angeles on Friday, a day before his team’s first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Lakers will reevaluate Doncic’s injury upon his return.
While a source close to Doncic remains “optimistic” about a possible return in Game 4 or 5, JJ Redick has declined to provide a timeline for his best player’s return.
“They’re out indefinitely. I’m not going to have an update for you this week,” Redick said of Doncic and Austin Reaves‘ injuries on Tuesday.
“They’re out indefinitely,” he added.
Luka Doncic Gets Bad News From Legendary Lakers Trainer Amid Injury Recovery