While the Golden State Warriors have a two-time NBA Finals MVP in Kevin Durant, an elite spark plug in Stephen Curry and a defensive ace in Draymond Green, the unsung hero of their NBA season has been the head of physical performance and sports medicine, Chelsea Lane.
The Australian-born Lane was previously an Olympic physiotherapist with High Performance Sport New Zealand, where she had helped Kiwi Olympians and other top athletes.
Lane joined the Warriors in 2015 and has been a staple of the training room ever since, often seen working with the likes of Curry, who only played 51 regular season games in 2017-18 due to ankle injuries and a Grade 2 MCL sprain.
“She's been huge, just being there for us,” Curry told the Connor LeTourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle.
“Every guy kind of copes with injuries differently… she's been big in helping us through the recovery process and kind of giving us the game plan of how we can get back on the floor.”
Rewinding time just a week before, it was Lane who helped Klay Thompson do a quick turnaround from a high-ankle sprain in Game 1 of the NBA Finals to starting and playing 34 minutes in Game 2.
It was also Lane who worked extensively with Durant after an unfortunate late February injury that saw him miss most of the latter part of the season, coming back as good as new for a brilliant playoff run.
Treatment and inspirational potatoes. Thanks, whoever you are. pic.twitter.com/10IzZPmrFo
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 17, 2017
Yet Curry has been perhaps the one piece of the puzzle who has spent most time next to Lane in the training room, recovering from several injuries.
“She's been amazing, especially for me,” Curry said. “Just thinking about all that I've been through this year with the ankle and the knee and all that type of stuff, she's just kept me sane.”
Known to have a “steely demeanor” in a business dominated by men, Lane has grown into her role and bloomed into a personality that comforts this Warriors team, rather than being someone to avoid.
“Being able to get her message across with some humor and some wit, I think that's pretty special,” guard Shaun Livingston said. “She's done an outstanding job.”
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