"He yoked up to this 26-year-old kid" - Gary Vitti recalls the day Del Harris nearly squared up with Nick Van Exel in Lakers practice

Although Del Harris was the 1995 NBA Coach of the Year and a well-respected hoops lifer who worked the sidelines as an assistant and head coach from 1975 until 2010, he will always be known as the man who first coached the late, great Kobe Bryant in the big leagues.

However, according to former Los Angeles Lakers trainer Gary Vitti, one thing that Del was known for was his toughness. Despite being in his late 50s at that time, the man never backed down from anybody who dared disrespect him. Gary saw this firsthand and revealed how the silver-haired coach and guard Nick Van Exel almost got into it had teammates not intervened.

Nick had a chip on his shoulder

Van Exel was a cat-quick 6'1" guard who the Lakers fortunately got to pick in the second round of the 1993 NBA Draft. Despite being an immensely talented scorer and playmaker who would later in his career become an All-Star and a prolific weapon off the bench, he was curiously passed over by one team after another, resulting in him playing as if he had something to prove in every game.

"I mean, Nick was a really talented, competitive guy, you know, and he had a chip on his shoulder because where he was drafted," Vitti recalled on "Byron Scott's Fast Break." "He had kind of a reputation at Cincinnati and coming out of Kenosha, Wisconsin. You know, he should have went higher in the draft… He should have been a first-round pick, no doubt about it."

During a practice session, Vitti shared how Harris was feeling extra antsy and kept on riding Van Exel.

"Dell's yelling at him. And Nick is saying to Dell, 'Well, don't tell me how to play,'" Vitti disclosed. "And they got into it. And Nick said, 'I'll kick your old old a—.' And Dell goes, 'Come on, b—ch!'He yoked up. He yoked up to this 26-year-old kid!"

"Shaq came in and broke it up," he added. "Tremendous respect for that man."

Related: "The Lakers are a B+ team" - Richard Jefferson explains why he doesn't see the Lakers as true championship contenders

Dell's monumental regret

Vitti, though, had another story up his sleeve involving Harris. This time, it involved career reserve Corie Blount, a 6'9" big man who played four seasons with the Purple and Gold. Vitti remarked he had nothing but love and respect for Blount, who carved out an 11-year career in the Association.

At the same time, there was a reason why he played only 14.6 minutes a game and averaged a mere 3.6 points for the Lakers: he had a limited skill set.

"So, Dell puts Corie in the game. And the game is live. Once again, this is not a dead ball," Gary conveyed.

"Corie's in the game. He (Dell) turns around and he looks straight at me. He said, 'Gary, if I ever put Corie Blount in a game again, I want you to kick me in my a—!'" he continued, eliciting plenty of laughter from B-Scott, Kid Jay and the production crew.

Such was the toughness and grit that Del coached, especially during his tenure with the Lakers — a stint highlighted by a 61-21 record and an appearance in the 1998 Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by the experienced Utah Jazz.

Related: Nick Van Exel opens up about the moment he knew it was over with the Lakers: "It was time to go"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.