After making several changes to various behind-the-scenes positions this offseason, the Lakers have started hiring new members to their organization.

As part of efforts from Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka to restructure their staff, the Lakers named Gunnar Peterson as the team’s Director of Strength and Endurance Training.

Peterson had served as a personal trainer in Beverly Hills for the past 28 years for various athletes in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, USTA, boxing and various NCAA tournaments as well as entertainers. According to Peterson’s website, he has also trained reality television stars Khloe and Kim Kardashian.

“From his time in college at Duke University until now, Gunnar has pursued excellence in training and fitness,” Pelinka said in a statement. “Gunnar is a true pioneer and visionary at his craft, and will bring a new mentality to our weight room which we are all very excited about. Since Magic and I have worked with Gunnar in the past, we have a strong relationship with him, which makes working together now feel seamless.”

Peterson replaced Tim DiFrancesco, who had served as the Lakers’ strength and conditioning coach for the past 6 1/2 seasons before resigning earlier this month. The Lakers also had parted ways with assistant strength and conditioning coach Sean Light.

The Lakers said that Peterson “will design and implement a strength and conditioning program for the team with the goal of keeping the players performing at elite levels throughout the NBA season.”

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