Lakers Got Healthy, Huge During Offseason

The Lakers made it all the way to the Finals last year. And even if they went out listlessly, Kobe and company are still definitely a team to be reckoned with. Especially when they're still growing young men, learning the value of good eating habits.

There's Trevor Ariza, who despite seeing many of his peers in "Got Milk?" ads, only this spring realized it could help him and his fragile bones. From the OC Register:

Ariza's milk story is a cautionary tale. His lack of calcium, doctors have told him, led to a Vitamin D deficiency and ultimately to weak bones. It's a key reason behind his fractured foot he suffered last season. "The fourth metatarsal wasn't as strong as it should have been," Ariza said. "The doctors told me I had a bone deficiency, so I had to get my vitamin D up. I've been drinking a lot more milk. Still don't like it though."

You heard him. Still doesn't like it, but takes his medicine. Then, as Kelly Dwyer noted at BDL, Young Bynum really added an extra shell of bulk to his seven-foot frame. He's not as frightening as Dwight Howard, but this also isn't Shaq-like flat mass. This is a giant filling out. Beware, all ye who enter.

In other news, the LA Daily News has Phil Jackson saying that Lamar Odom is "not in shape" and "not ready to play. This while he's experimenting with Odom at the point guard, or point forward, or something. The prescription? Asparagus and multiple viewings of John Boorman's Point Blank.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.