32 Years of Titles and Tears From the Best Seat in the House: What I Learned About Happiness, Greatness, Leadership and the Evolution of Sports Science

This is a remarkable book. The chapters are based upon various leadership principles and each is illustrated by priceless stories from inside the locker room or on the bench. There are life lessons and inside glimpses of what it is like to work with some of the most skilled and most intense people on earth — professional athletes, coaches and managers. Want a hilarious insight into the bitter Lakers-Celtics rivalry? It’s here. Want to know what some of the greatest athletes and coaches in the NBA were really like — the good, the bad and the ugly? It’s here. What happened with Shaq and Kobe? It’s here and described with great understanding and no judgment. The things the author describes jump off the page and will have you laughing hysterically one minute and crying the next. Whether you care about professional sports or not, it is a great read. If you are interested in professional sports, it’s a must-read. The best thing about the book for me? Finding out the author lives in the same little Southern California beach town I do. Read this book!

I'm a big NBA and Lakers fan and I loved it! I really wanted to read more. We often read books filled with point-of-views from famous athletes, but reading a book with such deep and warm first-hand descriptions from someone who was actually THERE, working behind the scenes, and earned the respect and love of these amazing legendary athletes, is a true treat. He wrote this book from parts of his actual daily journal. I felt like I was there for the championships and losses. I felt like I was there for Pat Riley's leadership styles and strategies, Magic's ups and downs, Kareem's under-rated leadership, Magic's announcement of carrying the HIV virus, what really happened behind Shaq and Kobe's clashes, behind-the-scene information on trades, insights about Byron Scott, Vlade, Van Exel, Jerry West, Michael Cooper, Jerry Buss, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Kwami Brown, the coaches, rival players, rival arenas, ........... a real basketball treasure chest. I'm sure there are many more stories to tell. Maybe many more stories that can't be told. Ha!!

This is a great read! I also had a ringside seat being married to a GM during the time Gary became a member if the NBA. I had the pleasure of sitting poolside on a few occasions. Gary is a real person, what you see is what you get! He is always smiling and gracious. He is spot on in his opinions of the NBA. Being with a true dynasty as long as Gary was with the Lakers, dealing with two coaches as intense as Pat Riley and Phil Jackson, not to mention the players, is not an easy job! We all forget these players are just kids and need guidance. I can’t imagine what his eyes have seen in all his years in the NBA. He needs to write another book. This book was an fun read! Please write more Gary! You’re talent for telling stories is great!

This book has anecdotes from championship years and down years and provides insights into the coaches, players and front office personnel as well as the author's personal journey through his profession. There are a lot of tidbits that were informative and some that were comical. He sprinkles in some life lessons and advice that he has accumulated over the years and it makes it all a very easy read. The only part that wasn't as easy was the end where he geeks out over the history of philosophy behind training and measuring different parameters of athletes. That being said, this was still an enjoyable section. It's a quick read and you will love it if you're a fan of the NBA.

Ever since Gary Vitti told me during his final season with the Lakers that he planned to write a book, I anticipated this greatly. It lived up to all the expectations, and even more. As a Lakers beat writer with the Los Angeles Daily News (2012-17), I learned so many things during my interviews with Gary and it is a treat to read some of those stories in his own book. But as much as I've been blessed to learn about Gary and his role with the Lakers franchise over the years, I learned even more new things after reading. So I can only imagine what this might be like for Lakers fans. Gary has seen it all during the Showtime Years, the Kobe/Shaq era and the rebuilding stages during his final year. He offers plenty of insightful stories on all the Lakers' stars, while also shedding light on his various initiatives to be on top of his profession. An enjoyable read through the very end!!! -- Mark Medina, USA Today NBA writer

While Gary has the best seat in the house, he invites us to be on the inside and sit right next to him...You will feel the highs and lows, laugh, and maybe wipe away a tear. A born story teller, we are lucky to have him open up!

This book is a must read for any Los Angeles Lakers fan or for anyone interested in the field of athletic training. Gary's ability of story telling is captivating. Not only is it a book filled with entertaining "behind the scenes" stories about what takes place in the locker room and on the court, it is an inspirational book motivating the reader to seek a higher purpose, triumph through struggle, and most of all - make a difference.

Gary Vitti is a true storyteller..and lakers legend. He has a knack for sharing stories that makes you feel like you were there in the training/locker room. His love, admiration & respect for the players, coaches & management is apparent on every page, makes me love the Lakers even more! Read this book!

This is a truly great read. Some invaluable life lessons, tales and truths from a man with one of the best seats in all of sports.