Lakers News: Jarred Vanderbilt Considers This Playoff Rival "The Best Conditioned Athlete In The World"

The NBA is full of crazy amounts of athletic talent, and it has continued to grow as the years have gone on. If players aren’t in peak physical condition, it can be difficult for them to keep up with the grind each day.

The talent in the league today is unlike anything we have ever seen. The physical level that the players are at can’t be measured, and even guys at the end of the bench can make life tough on defenses at times.

For Los Angeles Lakers power forward Jarred Vanderbilt, he was tasked with guarding some of the more talented guys in the league last season. It saw him have to run around the court trying to keep up with them throughout games, and after being in the league a few years, he has seen quite a bit.

Recently, he made a bold claim as to who the most conditioned athlete is, and surprisingly it wasn’t his teammate in LeBron James. It was a player that LA faced in the postseason last year, and no it wasn’t Nikola Jokic from the Denver Nuggets.

He listed Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors for the honor, and Vanderbilt got an up-close look at Curry during the postseason.

“Steph just nonstop moving, and so it’s a tough task. People don’t realize it’s a tough task being the guy that gotta chase somebody around all game”

Per Jarred Vanderbilt

His efforts against Curry helped the Lakers advance past Golden State, and it also helped Vanderbilt earn a new contract extension as well. He showed the ability to guard Curry well enough to alter things, and it played a big role for LA.

Vanderbilt's defensive efforts will be called upon again this season, and he will be a major piece to the Lakers success. LA will be going for Banner 18, and Vanderbilt will have a chance to put his name into the history books.

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