Lakers Say Divac’s Condition Is ‘Terrible’

In Hawaii some things are eternal. The volcanoes spew lava. The trade winds blow. Vlade Divac is out of shape.

“I think Vlade is in terrible condition,” Laker trainer Gary Vitti said.

“He’s bigger, but a lot of it is not good weight. He started out great this summer. We were beaten in Las Vegas on a Sunday. I gave him one day off and we started on Tuesday. We were making a lot of progress (in a weightlifting program). Then he went to Greece with the national team.”

Divac’s Yugoslav team was preparing for Olympic participation but was barred by the International Olympic Committee.

Divac contends he worked through the summer but slacked off late.

“Four days before camp, I was just lifting weight,” he said. “I didn’t run, so I’m having a hard time. I’m much better today than I was on the first day.”

He says he recently stopped smoking. The Lakers are grateful for any good news.

Laker Notes

James Edwards sat out the second and third days of drills with an inflamed right Achilles tendon. . . . Elden Campbell, not known for his off-season training regimen, has bulked up to 245 pounds. He weighed 217 as a rookie two years ago. “You don’t want to say it’s difficult, but Elden is Elden,” Vitti said. “He works at a certain speed. But you’ve got to give him credit. I wouldn’t say he’s perfect but he’s much improved.” . . . Magic Johnson is participating in all drills during the camp’s two-a-days. “I’m a member of the team,” he said. “I do what the other players do.”