In a league as elaborate as the NBA, the organization is more than just the players. The front office and coaching staff are some of the people involved, making it a tightly knit franchise most of the time. The Los Angeles Lakers, who are one of the oldest teams out there, have staff with them who worked with them since Kobe Bryant was an active player.

However, sometimes, all good partnerships come to an end.

As per recent reports, the Lakers will be parting way with Dr. Judy Seto after his contract ends. She worked as the team’s director of sports performance and was a special employee of the late Kobe Bryant.

Why was Dr. Judy Seto ‘indispensable’ for Kobe Bryant?

Bryant?who won five titles with the Lakers?ended up staying in LA for two decades. Later, he ended up crediting Dr. Seto for that.

She has been the director of sports performance since 2019, and was the team’s leading physical therapist from 2011 to 2016. Of course, she started working closely with Kobe Bryant during those years. She has been with the Lakers since the 1990s and even ended up working as a consultant.

Working with Bryant for a long time, Seto is one of the few employees who has seen the franchise win multiple championships.

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However, now that her contract has expired, Seto is no longer working with the team. While they have other staff members working, no one will be filling in for her director of sports performance role. The Lakers hired Roger Sancho last summer as their athletic trainer. Sancho will be heading the department for the 2022-23 season, but will not be replacing Seto.

Why did Seto part ways with the Lakers?

Though the team has parted ways with Dr. Seto, there is no direct reason mentioned for doing so.

It could, however, be connected to the team making some changes before their campaign. The Lakers were eliminated before the playoffs, failing to perform even with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook on their team. Davis and James were injured for a significant amount of time, which eventually affected how the team performed.

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With a string of losses towards the end, they did not qualify for the play-in and finished 11th in the Western Conference.

The team has also fired head coach Frank Vogel, and are yet to find a replacement for him. Hopefully, with the right changes made, the Lakers will come back stronger next season.

Do you think the Lakers can win next season? Let us know in the comments below.