Article and interview by Isa Simon, Los Angeles

The body mechanic: the story of Fabrice Gautier, physical therapist and osteopath to elite NBA athletes and the French national men’s basketball team

Stepping into Fabrice Gautier’s renowned osteopathic practice, in chic Beverly Hills, my eyes are instantly drawn to the colorful art painting on the wall, depicting the boxer’s essence: “A Champion is someone who gets up when he can’t.” - Jack Dempsey, world heavyweight boxing champion, early 20th century

Nowadays, the use of digital technology and knowledge about brain biochemistry guide athletes’ optimum performance. Sports champions compete against other world’s elite athletes, requiring the expertise and support of highly skilled medical professionals: osteopaths, physical and massage therapists, nutritionists, psychologists.

All play an integral role in the athletes’ success: champions do get up, after being knocked down, thanks to long hours of intense body training, physical conditioning, and mental preparation.

Becoming a Champion is both an individual and team accomplishment: it allows for that dépassement de soi (surpassing oneself), while making the entire team a winner.

“I have been the osteopath for the French national men’s basketball team since 2009, closely working with Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Above all, I work with NBA and WNBA players, and the French soccer players Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid FC) and Jules Kounde (FC Barcelona).”

The relationship between Fabrice and Tony Parker started as a keen friendship when Boris Diaw introduced Fabrice to Tony back in 2005. A few years later, he naturally became Tony’s personal osteopath and physical therapist. He was with Tony when, in 2011, the French National Team qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Fabrice was taking care of both the women and men’s teams. They also shared the Gold medal for France at the 2013 Euro Championship:

“Winning Gold at the European Championship stays with you for life, it’s a crazy win! The goal now is to become World Champions at the upcoming World Cup in the Philippines (2023), and Gold medalists at the 2024 Olympics. We are very hopeful.”

In 2014, Fabrice and Tony celebrated together his NBA Championship with the Spurs. After eighteen seasons with the team, San Antonio TX is still home for Parker, and we can catch Fabrice in the Netflix documentary dedicated to Tony’s career, “The Final Shot” during his retirement celebration at his home, surrounded by close friends and loved ones. In 2023, Tony is being inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame!

“EVERYTHING IS A PROCESS OF RENEWAL AND POSSIBILITY”

A private consultant for NBA players, Fabrice turns around the injuries sustained by the best of them, propelling their careers to new levels. He travels frequently to meet his athletes, in the US and internationally, allowing him to expand his network.

To name a few, he has worked with Rudy Gobert, Kevin Love, Carmelo Anthony, Joakim Noah, Candace Parker, and many other private clients.

“I love the diversity, experience, relationships and ultimately the possibilities it opens when I share my knowledge to other parts of the world.”

In the American basketball culture, Fabrice has a unique position in that he is highly recognized and trusted. Trained in the fields of both physical therapy and osteopathy, his intensive education, specific to France, provided him with a holistic view and thorough medical understanding of the athlete’s body and mindset.

“I see people, not a patient with a condition or need. It’s a process of constant exchange and learning of the body, mind, and soul.”

Being an avid sports player growing up, he has a deep passion for basketball and brings his energy into his daily practice. He sees patients from different walks of life, such as musicians, elders, very young ones. This forges an invaluable wisdom that equips him with a unique sensitivity towards the mental, techniques, and tools.

BASKETBALL IS ART

Walking into Fabrice’s ultramodern and colorful office, one is taken aback by the presence of two stunning wall-size paintings, representing the Los Angeles basketball culture at its core: Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant larger-than-life personalities in full action; even though Fabrice has never worked with Magic, nor Kobe.

Created by the genius modern artist William Quigley, vivid yellow and energetic red colors dominate the paintings, showing the winning spirit, passion, and joy of the game. Movement. Extension. Reaching goals, gracefully and magically, under the care and guidance of the osteopath… Working with Fabrice is sharing his story, extensive human skills and a personality rich in knowledge and culture. Curiosity. It’s a teamwork between the athletes and the osteopath: relationship based on trust, understanding, long-term goals, and flexibility. Everything in Fabrice’s path seemed to have been set there as a challenge and appreciation of life, and beauty.

The work of William Quigley is collected all over the world. He is well known for his oil paintings portraits of American icons, including basketball players. One of Fabrice’ friends bought forty pieces from the artist early on and Magic’s painting was one of them. Fabrice and his friend shared that love and admiration for Magic. Five or six years later, his good friend surprised him and offered the painting for his birthday, a special gift. The only thing missing: the artist had not signed the painting! So, Fabrice went on a quest to find him to add the original artist’ signature. Fabrice met Quigley, and Magic’s painting was finally signed, thus complete. “Quigley had also painted a beautiful picture of Mohammed Ali, who I’m a fan of, but someone else had acquired that painting “.

“I have always been a fan of Magic Johnson; I had a childhood devotion for him. Magic represented everything about California, for a kid from Paris: with his dashing smile, that I could only see on the cover of Maxi Basket- before the venue of the NBA in France, before the time of the internet. Magic and the Dream Team represented the American dream: success, passion, sunny California. I am here because of Magic. 1992 was the Dream Team era.”

Fabrice had two idols growing up: world class elite athletes, Magic Johnson, and Mohammed Ali. His dream was to play in the NBA with Magic. Quigley created the painting of Kobe Bryant, in the hope that Kobe himself liked the artwork and wanted it. His tragic death happened while the painting was still in progress. William went on to finish it, and by then, him and Fabrice had grown close friends. Fabrice, a great Lakers fan, wanted to acquire the painting, even if he never had the opportunity to work with Kobe. As I’m sitting in Fabrice’s office, admiring the painting, one can feel those vibrations, the energy of basketball and passion of the game.

A CHILD’S DREAM TO A MAN’S PURPOSE

Childhood dreams often grow to become poetic and imaginary worlds as adults. For Fabrice, who was born with a natural inner drive, his dreams fueled his future. Sport always played a major role in his life. It defined his purpose, driven by instincts and passion.

He grew up with parents’ avid sports players: his mother was a volleyball player, and his father excelled in soccer as a striker. What Fabrice calls the transition from a child’s dream to a man’s purpose is a modern thought that illustrates how we have the capacity to build our dreams, regardless of our personal background.

“This was a turn in my sports life. I started playing basketball, started immersing myself in the culture, with the different French teams.”

Fabrice’s impressive trajectory is a reflection that talent and drive are the best assets to create a successful reality. Aside from loving practicing sports, Fabrice was always attracted to a large medical encyclopedia, that was sitting there in his parents’ library. He was instinctively drawn to it, and used to carry Velpeau, or ACE bands, everywhere he went, at all times wrapping around his ankles, including while playing basketball later.

Growing up, Fabrice was always kicking the ball on the soccer field. He was taller than the other kids, so he was usually playing in the back during soccer games. He grew frustrated not to be able to be in the striker position though, he truly wanted to score goals, play forward, just like his father did.

Then, things changed during a medical visit when the doctor noticed he had a kyphosis. He suggested playing basketball instead, and Fabrice tried right away. Showing up at the gymnasium next to his home, the basketball coach handed him the ball: “Shoot in the basket!” Fab did a straight shot, right there and then, he didn’t realize that this was called a Sky Hook (Bras Roule). Coach: “He’s so tall! Give him the ball, we’ll score”.

He started following the basketball culture in France, which at the time meant reading Maxi Basket, with pictures of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and their rivalry. Fabrice fell in love with Magic and all that he represented: California, the West coast, the magic of basketball, hoops and dream, sun and sports. Winning!

That was Fabrice’s first connection with the L.A. culture. In Maxi Basket magazine, there was a story about the French basketball player, Richard Darcoury. Richard was preparing his exams as a physical therapist in case an injury would happen to him while playing sports. Fabrice loved the idea and started following kinesitherapy studies as well. While playing sports competitively, he was preparing professional licenses for physical therapy and osteopathy.

BASKETBALL AND THE CALIFORNIA DREAM

At thirteen years old, Fabrice already knew what he wanted to do. Early on, he shared his dreams and ambition with his parents. He had the project to move to the US.

At seventeen-and-a-half-years-old he received his baccalaureate and had the opportunity to spend one year in the US in Minneapolis. There, he was playing basketball while reviewing his exams for his physical therapy diploma. Then, “I went with my best friend for a trip to L.A., back in 1992, in Venice beach. The first morning I woke up, I was in front of this infinite blue Ocean, and I had that gut-feeling Los Angeles was going to be home.”

“I wanted to live in the world of basketball and sports; with an unexplained attraction to the human anatomy book at home, my passion for basketball, and Los Angeles that Magic represented so well. I knew I had to travel to the US, experience the culture.”

Coming back to France, after the year spent overseas, he tried out for the pre-season with Levallois (current Metropolitans 92, Paris), but then got injured on the shinbone. “That’s when I decided to focus on working with athletes, to help them come back from injuries and stay healthy.” Along the way, he worked as the physical therapist of a French rugby team, who noticed his athletic skills and asked him to join as a player during their second season. “That was so much fun, playing rugby semi-professionally was awesome. It’s a unique team culture and mindset.”

In Paris, when Fabrice met his then future wife, Alexandra, he shared right away about his plans to move to Los Angeles. “Like me, she trained as a physical therapist and osteopath. When we moved to L.A., we arrived with six suitcases, some cash, and the necessity to redo our professional licenses here. If we wanted to be able to practice in California. This was a huge challenge. This was before the events of September 11.”

We did many, many round trips LAX to Paris, while finishing our professional licenses in France and completing the American ones too. Finally, we received our degrees! In 2003, we opened the office in the heart of Beverly Hills. By that time, I wasn’t playing that much basketball anymore.”

BASKETBALL COMES BACK TO FIND FABRICE

I came back to the game via a client, who happened to be the mother of one of the owners of the Sacramento Kings. My client thought I’d be the only person capable of resolving her physical issue.

Indeed, I was able to bring her back to full functioning mode, and she was so happy she referred me her son and daughter, who were running the Sacramento basketball team. They naturally had me work on some of their injured NBA players. I was healing them and keeping them in strong shape. That was only the beginning.

Basketball would find me back all around. In L.A., one of my first patients was Christophe Carmarans, one of the earliest French sport’s correspondents for NBA exports in Los Angeles for l’Equipe magazine. “There is a French guy that was drafted by the Lakers, who plays in Long Beach during the summer league. He’s quite impressive. Let’s go see him.”

We went to watch him play and were supposed to have lunch all together on the following Friday. But doctors discovered he had serious heart condition, requiring emergency open heart surgery. We still shared that lunch, only six months later. This player was French NBA player Ronny Turiaf (who went on to win a NBA Championship with Miami Heat.)

The lunch happened at the then super popular French Lilly’s restaurant on Abbot Kinney, in Venice. Missing France, Ronny was longing for Foie Gras and “my friend being the Chef, no problem! He also noticed that old 1966 Mustang sitting outside the restaurant, I offered him a ride: that old car was mine! We quickly became the best of friends.”

One French basketball guy to another in L.A., Ronny introduced Fabrice to Boris Diaw, who in turn introduced him to Tony Parker, back in 2005. Best friends Boris and Tony, won together as Spurs teammates in the 2014 NBA Championship. The three French NBA players met as youngsters at l’INSEP, the French National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance, which combines a rigorous high school education and elite sport training. L’INSEP prepares future Champions, to compete in the Olympics and professionally; the popular French web series CHAMPION(S) (Blackdynamite Prod/Director Florent Bodin) showcases the important role that l’INSEP plays in creating a path for future Olympians; it portrays the stories of several young athletes, some are already new NBA exports!

THE PARTNERSHIP WITH TONY PARKER

Before working together, Fabrice and Tony learned to get to know each other, developing a tight friendship over the years. Fab started taking care of Tony in 2009, when he was hit with a shoulder injury.

That same year, Fabrice made the decision to join the medical staff of the French Basketball Men’s Team. Tony was also training with the French National Team, and after only two weeks of practice, he badly injured his ankle. That was a serious problem, as Tony was soon to start his NBA season (the Spurs) afterwards. Nevertheless, Fabrice treated his ankle and in less than two weeks, Tony was back on the court. Fabrice credits Tony as being “a quick healer”.

Back in the US, Tony’s team and Coach Greg Popovich were worried about the injury. They could hardly believe Tony’s ankle healed so quickly. So, they flew both Fabrice and Tony to Texas to check on it. At that time, the situation was tense between France and the US, with the Irak war, the freedom fries, and Fabrice wasn’t quite sure what to expect while flying to San Antonio. There was a big risk that Tony could not return to play with the French National Team. “The meeting among the three of us ended up with diner, and thankfully, everything went great. Popovich is an extraordinary Coach. He put his full trust in me and gave me total control over working with Tony. He was also excited that I spoke perfect English! As I was already taking care of NBA players, and doing a good job, I had some credibility built up before we met.”

“Following this episode, that turned out to be a blessing in disguise, Popovich always let Tony freely play with the French National Team. I took care of Tony during the next five years after that. It was very interesting. And I’ve had great cordial relations with Greg Popovich. Funny how I thought it was going to be different.”

One play one day. One day, one play.

Fabrice remembers one episode during the day of the final at the European Championship game, Tony needed to talk. As usual, he would do his weight training at 6pm sharp each day. Before the game during daytime, the players would take a nap. Tony couldn’t sleep that day. He was so excited, at the same time calm and ready to win. He already had the feeling they would become Champions.

“It’s important to be present, available, and simply be able to talk with these champions, about everything and anything. They are under tons of pressure, mental, physical, and emotional. Levels of stress are paramount. As part of the medical staff, we are here to support them mentally as well. Say the words that are needed, choosing them well. It’s only acting like a human being, but this is super important: Communicating, understanding what goes through the mind of the players, understanding the small detail. That can make a huge difference in the end.”

The athletes get inspired by our personalities; we influence them as well as they influence us. It’s a mutual exchange, we feed from each other’s energies. We work as a team to stay motivated. There is a certain type of confidence. For example, the day of the NBA Title 2014, game 5, there was no arrogance, it was pure calmness, the games were already done, we knew we would win. It’s about being even keel; never too high, never too low. Our first quality is to be capable of understanding this, to be able to manage it.

“As physical therapists working with the athletes, we are here to transport the word. The words that we choose are extremely important. We share the trust we have in the winning process, there’s a certain sobriety.”

HOW IS BEEING PART OF THE MEN’S FRENCH NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM?

Working among a team of medical professionals, during the Olympics or at the European championships, each person has a different role to play. There is a lot of talent in the team, and our group became very tight and supportive.

We all strictly focus on the athletes. Think “high performance club Med” with days and activities planned and scheduled in advance. The goal is to prepare to win. You show up, pick the color of the T-shirt; the breakfast is ready. Nothing can replace that feeling of pride as you compete for your country.

You focus on your skill, your art, your healing power, and you need to bring your part to the winning club. Compared to the daily work environment at the office, it’s a bit un-pressured. You relax a little bit more. The rhythm is different. You only focus on what you are doing, we often finish at three in the morning.

It’s a great teamwork spirit: two osteopaths, two massage therapists, two physical therapists, and a medical doctor. We are a family for one month, and when the games are over, everyone is ready to go back home to their real families.

“The idea of the Olympic staff medical team is to offer the best access to the largest care possible. Some moments of intimacy with the athletes, tons of work; I compare it to Formula 1. Each person has their expertise and is of utmost importance. Without one, the other would not be able to perform to their highest performance.”

The relationships among the medical staff are legitimate. We are here for each other. The players see that. They feed from that. A strong and united team, medical staff, reflect on the mental and energy of the full team. The ambiance is of conviviality, trust, and respect. It’s positive and, extremely performance driven. This is why I really love the French national basketball team. There are many young people, and there is a lot of joy and fun exchange among all the staff.

FABRICE’S EXPERTISE AT PLAY: THE ADDITIONAL FRENCH TOUCH

“NBA idols are regular people too. You need to relate to them in that way. Do not give different treatment, because to be able to win, they need the truth. They are extraordinary by their activity and how they do it, and my role is to help them achieve their highest level of performance. Being realistic in expectations so we can adapt the workouts, providing necessary guidance and therapy, with training exercises and diagnostic.”

Fabrice’s gift goes beyond the physical healing. For athletes, it requires intelligence and sensitivity, a special energy that is conveyed to the player, for the athlete to feel confident and positive. His expertise is 80% osteopathy (the readjustment of the body) and 20% physical therapy (the therapy of the body). That complementarity is extremely important because we can realign bodies. France requires about sixteen hundred hours of internship training, where US is about eight hundred and fifty hours, about half. This big difference impacts the knowledge, practice, and results. How quickly (which matters for elite players whose presence on the field is prime) we treat. Fabrice is trained in both countries, and his success and recognition among all professional athletes (NBA, NFL, soccer) talks to his excellence. In addition, he brings the French mindset to medical practice: the caring, the long-term health aspect. The goal is to have patients come back only a few times a year, as their bodies are back in full working mode, the rest is to keep them well and healthy.

“What I learned in school, the way teachers taught the osteo concepts, full of common sense, simplicity, it’s a global ensemble. Often, it is said “don’t get attached to the patient”. That’s not true. That personal and mental connection creates the basis for successful results. It occurs naturally, it’s an organic process.”

When you do that kind of work, you get close to your patients. Some of my closest friendships started as I helped some athletes recover from bad injuries, and then working with them during their successful career. Joakim Noah is a great example. “Joakim works non-stop, all the time. Together we focused on getting him quickly to play again on the court, after his severe foot injury. For his first game back, his entire family, friends and coach were present to see him win! It was very special and emotional, also because his coach passed away only two years after the play. That time on the court was unvaluable.”

“Working with patients is an extension of family. It’s an emotional system. With Joakim Noah, we changed his life and improved his pains. “

“Another example is with one of my closest and dearest players, Las Vegas Aces Candace Parker (two times WNBA winner, MVP, twice Olympic winner). Candace is like my little sister. She came to see me at a pivotal time in her career, with bad injuries.” We worked on realigning her body first and managed dietetic habits. Then the real work started. Fabrice is known for his unique gift of working with the human body. One of Fabrice’ secrets: when working with world class athletes, he doesn’t sugar coat his diagnostics. He is straightforward and explains what needs to happen before moving towards the next step, when the body can process changes and improves.

“Candace went on to win the WNBA Championship (with the Chicago Sky); Fabrice maintained her in great shape throughout her career. He’s like a magician with practical, common sense, speaking the truth and deeply caring for his patients. His humanity shines through his work, and patients quickly reaching their full potential.”

“I also feel a close friendship with Kevin Love (newly with Miami Heat)”. Kevin described Fabrice as “the Swiss army knife when it comes to optimizing your health and performance”. “In our line of work, the energy conveyed is important. It goes through the body, the vibrations, travel from our hands to the patient’s body.” “I worked with young players, before they get drafted, high school athletes, NBA players. We are helping elite athletes aging gracefully. They can finish their career on their own terms.”

WHAT IS YOUR PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE?

I believe it is important to fully live and enjoy each single day, and let the universe do his thing. My passion for Magic Johnson as a child carried me 9,000 km away from Paris all the way to Los Angeles (about 5,600 miles), where basketball came back to find my purpose in adulthood.

There is a difference between sports the athletes play, but they are all human beings. “My grandparents were from the region of Burgundy in France, so they were very much from the terroir, this love of the land, the soil, very practical and realistic. It is rewarding to heal the ankle of an athlete. It is gratifying to be able to heal someone with a neurological issue.”

“Passion drives my work. The next soccer World Cup, FIFA2026, will partly take place in Los Angeles, at the SoFi stadium. It would be an incredible adventure, if I could share the beautiful game as the osteopath of the French national soccer team. The young kid in me would be kicking the ball all over again! We all try to do things that we love doing, from the moment we start doing it, if possible.”

DURING MOMENTS OF DOUBTS, WHAT KEPT YOU GOING?

Family first

The role that my family and my wife played, was essential. This supporting system was everything and played an important part in accomplishing our goals. “Try one more time, take one more step” Alexandra would always say. We stuck around; our dreams started becoming a reality as we open the new office.

Books as guides

The Alchemist: it’s about finding one’s destiny. When I took the position of osteopath with the French Olympic Team, that meant less money but more credibility. And a lot of passion, joy. During the summer Olympics, we were able to have our kids stay with the grandparents. You find your way as you go. Energy is Passion in Motion, is Joy.

I also like The Power of Now (Eckhart Tolle), and The Four Agreements (Toltec wisdom, Don Miguel Ruiz). Each book was an important part of my life. It’s about being able to live in the present and removing any negative or limiting self-belief. Destiny is shaped by our freedom of mind, staying open to new opportunities, and believing in abundance.

I’m a fan of Stoicism: Marcus Aurelius. This is a simplification of life caveats that allow to live a happier life, as full as possible. Some of his truths about happiness: Man chooses his destiny. Challenges make you grow. Without possessions, man can focus on what truly matters: his essence. The research for self, listen to your heart. The voyage is more important than the destination. It about learning about yourself, the quest for self-knowledge.

I’ve always admired Mohammed Ali. I am passionate about history, and I was very impressed by his citations and his strength of character, especially during the Vietnam war. A Champion with an exceptional brain, exceptional mind. He’s a very important person of the American history. Boxing is a very difficult sport. I have tons of admiration for this sport, one can only be humble in front of it.

WHAT SUGGESTIONS AND TIPS FOR THE NEWCOMERS?

“Go towards a sport that you love. Do your homework, you need to work sometimes for free early on, to gain diverse experiences and learn. Give with your own person. The key is to be open. Be open to different opportunities, projects that you would not have thought of, show up everywhere. Don’t be focused on one specific thing only.”

When Fabrice was young, he replaced a physical therapist for a summer, and learned about grass hockey. He learned a lot. Working in his office as well, is a teaching opportunity.

Working with people who are not professional sports players allows Fabrice to develop different skills and relativize things, bringing a larger array of doing and knowledge with athletes. You need to be open on what is coming up. You need to evaluate. Learn to say no also. And sometimes, you will work for free.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN QUALITIES NEEDED TO WORK WITH ELITE ATHLETES?

Humanity

Empathy, learning to listen and understand. You play the role of a psychologist in a way, even though you’re not one.

Confidence

Being healthy and feeling well: we convey confidence, and don’t want to bring personal issues to the athletes. When the osteo puts his hands on someone’s body, there is a transfer of energy that operates. This is one of the items that you learn school training. If you are not in a relaxed disposition, the player feels it. Especially the newer and younger generation, who does a lot of energy work. A lot of the healing goes via the personality, this is prime. The athletes have so many more worries. and lots of pressure, to perform and optimize their mental for the game. When they trust you, they put their mental and physical under your care. They cannot see you doubting under any circumstances, especially when you are working on the body. The transfer of energy works both ways, everything needs to be very positive.

Simplicity

Understand that there’s a need to be a certain level of simplicity. Because athletes run on overdrive to perform, strategize the game, and focus emotionally and physically. They have a lot of things to do. So, when you give exercises, only choose three or four different workouts, that are excellent yet simple exercise. Repetitive. Simple. Effective. This avoids overload.

Notion of Results

I recently took care of a player with a stress fracture of the shinbone. We did four sessions. After the last one, I sent him a text to check up on him (he’s on the East coast). He called me right back to say he couldn’t believe that he was “unlocking” (he was able to move). “Fabrice, I feel like a new man!” We heal them, and after that, the only thing left to do is to prevent another injury.

AS A CHILD, DID YOU EVER IMAGINE THIS?

No! Working with one athlete only would have been great, this goes beyond my hopes. But one thing I did was to never limit myself mentally.

In Los Angeles, vision and dreams create realities, there are no limits. In France, things are a little bit different: the system is more rigid, and the opportunities are narrower. There is a contradiction between the solid and thorough French osteopath and physical therapist training, detailed and holistic, and the growth opportunities. Which is changing now, however, with the widespread use of digital platforms, the mentalities evolving, and with the American culture embracing France.

My son Mateo made me discover the meaning of “Fabrice”: it means “working with the hands”. That made me think about my childhood and how I loved basketball and that anatomy book at home.

I’m grateful about what destiny gave me so far. One tries to control what we can, I didn’t do too bad. I always made the choices with my wife who supported me from the very beginning. We started this adventure together and it’s a teamwork. I’ve lived my passion to the best.