When the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Roy Hibbert, the prevailing thought was that the mostly ground-bound and plodding seven-footer would beef up a Lakers defense that ranked 29th in defensive efficiency over the course of the 2014-15 season. While defense is still likely going to be the end of the floor that Hibbert most prominently aids the team, the newly slimmed down big man may be able to get out and run with the Lakers' young core of Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson, and D'Angelo Russell and bit more than most have thought.
In an interview with Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, Hibbert revealed that he "consulted a nutritionist a few months ago and lost 14 pounds, getting down to 268" in an effort to be able to increase his mobility and move up and down the court more easily. This is in addition to comments by Lakers head athletic trainer Tim DiFrancesco that Hibbert was one of the team's "most frequent weight-room visitors."
Talk is cheap, but now fans can see the results, via the Lakers' official Twitter feed:
Another successful day in the gym for @Roy_Meets_World pic.twitter.com/6P2ysBadz1
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 17, 2015
(Side Note: excellent new Twitter handle, Roy).
For comparison, here is a photo of Hibbert from last season:
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Hibbert is not the only center the acquired by the Lakers this offseason who has put effort into slimming down, as Robert Upshaw also lost 20 pounds in preparation for training camp. Ah, the offseason, where everyone is in the best shape of their life and has either lost or gained 20 pounds of muscle. Come back soon, NBA.