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The diet and workout regimens that each NBA All-Star follows to stay in shape and dominate the basketball court

The diet and workout regimens that each NBA All-Star follows to stay in shape and dominate the basketball court
LifeScience1 min read
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
  • All 24 NBA All-Stars make a lifestyle commitment to play the best basketball in the world.
  • Chris Paul follows a fully plant-based diet, while Kevin Durant eats fish before every game.

LeBron James says he drinks wine every day to strengthen his heart

LeBron James says he drinks wine every day to strengthen his heart
LeBron James at the July 2021 premiere of Warner Bros "Space Jam: A New Legacy" at Regal LA Live in Los Angeles      Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

LeBron James told ESPN he has been drinking wine every day since he turned 30, and sees it as a healthy practice because he says that wine is good for promoting heart health.

Margarita Rohr, a cardiologist who is also the clinical instructor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, told Insider that red wine has antioxidant properties that may make blood less likely to form clots.

Still, regular alcohol consumption can offset those benefits and increase a person's risk of heart disease if they aren't exercising regularly and following healthy eating patterns, Rohr said.

Kevin Durant eats seafood almost every day

Kevin Durant eats seafood almost every day
Kevin Durant.      Matt Slocum/AP Images

Kevin Durant will captain his own team in the All-Star game, but won't be playing in it as he sits out to avoid injury.

When he is playing, the 33-year-old superstar eats fish before every game, his personal chef Ryan Lopez said in a press release for Seafood Nutrition Partnership.

Lopez says Durant eats an eight-ounce serving of fish at least six times per week, and his favorites include salmon, sea bass, scallops, and shrimp. The hope is to reduce inflammation in Durant's body, according to Lopez. Seafood, like the ones Durant favors, has been said to help with, according to studies.

Giannis Antetokounmpo drinks a celery juice smoothie every morning

Giannis Antetokounmpo drinks a celery juice smoothie every morning
Giannis Antetokounmpo      Jon Durr/AP Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a six-time All-Star, and now he gets to add the title of reigning NBA Finals MVP for the first time this year.

The 27-year-old Milwaukee Bucks superstar has leaned on a daily celery juice smoothie with fruit and protein. Some experts say celery juice can reduce inflammation.

Antetokounmpo has stayed healthy and fresh on the court all season, and now he is set to compete in another All-Star game before even turning 30.

Steph Curry eats meat and dairy in the morning, but has a plant-based lunch and dinner

Steph Curry eats meat and dairy in the morning, but has a plant-based lunch and dinner
Stephen Curry.      Ashley Landis/AP Images

Steph Curry has said he sought out diet advice from Tom Brady, and one possible tip that Curry inherited from the now-retired NFL legend is to go mostly vegan, but not all the way.

Brady followed the 80/20 rule that set his meals up to be 80% plant-based food and 20% lean meat or fish protein.

Curry follows his own method, albeit with a time-of-day twist, as he eats protein in the form of eggs and meat for breakfast, but his lunches and dinners are entirely plant-based, according to Fitness Reaper.

Joel Embiid runs full-court sprints between each shot in practice

Joel Embiid runs full-court sprints between each shot in practice
Joel Embiid.      Matt Slocum/AP Images

Joel Embiid will be playing in his fifth all star game in Cleveland, and this time he's taking a new degree of conditioning into the game after changing up his training routine this offseason, according to FiveThirtyEight.

The Philadelphia 76ers player made it a rule this year to run full-court sprints between each shot he makes during shooting practice to simulate the momentum shifts of actual games, his trainer Chris Babcock told FiveThirtyEight.

Jayson Tatum uses dumb bell squats to build muscle in his entire body

Jayson Tatum uses dumb bell squats to build muscle in his entire body
Nick Wass/AP Images

Jayson Tatum, now a three-time All-Star, added muscle to his frame this offseason via a squat variation.

Squats, especially back squats, are known to build muscle in the lower body but core and upper body too. However, variations of squats, like Tatum's dumbell squat can be an effective way of getting those physical gains while limiting the potential strain on the back and joints.

Nikola Jokic gave up soda, which he says he used to drink more than water, to lose weight for the NBA

Nikola Jokic gave up soda, which he says he used to drink more than water, to lose weight for the NBA
Nikola Jokic.      David Zalubowski/AP Images

Nikola Jokic is the reigning NBA MVP and will be playing in his fourth All-Star game at the age of 26. Jokic said he would have never made it that far if he didn't give up soda when he came to the NBA in 2017, according to Reuters.

Jokic told Reuters he used to drink three liters of Coca-Cola per day when he was playing overseas in the Adriatic Basketball Association, but had his last can on the plane to the United States for the 2017 NBA Draft.

Still, Jokic was overweight compared to his Denver Nuggets teammates that year and said he made strict changes to his diet to lose weight and achieve his MVP potential.

Trae Young drank five protein shakes a day to get a calorie surplus and build muscle onto his smaller frame

Trae Young drank five protein shakes a day to get a calorie surplus and build muscle onto his smaller frame
Trae Young.      John Bazemore/AP Images

Trae Young said he was undersized for an ideal NBA prospect when he was coming out of college at Oklahoma, but was able to add muscle to his frame by drinking tons of protein shakes during his draft process in 2018, according to GQ. He increased his weight from 164 lbs in college to 178 lbs in time for the NBA Draft.

Young said he would drink up to five shakes per day in order to create a calorie surplus, which his body needed to build muscle mass so he could handle the contact of NBA opponents.

"At the end of the day, I knew I had to sacrifice if I wanted to get something I wanted. Drinking those shakes? Part of the greater sacrifice," he said.

DeMar DeRozan did power lifting workouts at 5:30 am to build lean muscle without bulking up

DeMar DeRozan did power lifting workouts at 5:30 am to build lean muscle without bulking up
DeMar DeRozan.      David Zalubowski/AP Images

DeMar DeRozan is headed to his fifth All-Star game, and his first as a Chicago Bull. The 32-year-old point guard hadn't been voted and All-Star the last three seasons after making it in four times from 2014-18.

During his prime years, DeRozan said he would do powerlifting at 5:30 am, which he said helped him build lean muscle, he said in interview with The National Post. He added that if he got too heavy he would cut fats and carbs out of his diet to bring it back down.

Andrew Wiggins says bowling and ping pong keep him fit between seasons

Andrew Wiggins says bowling and ping pong keep him fit between seasons
Andrew Wiggins.      Jeff Chiu/AP Images

Andrew Wiggins is a first-time All-Star for the Golden State Warriors, but on the side, he is a FitBit blogger.

In a blog post, Wiggins outline the five physical activities he does during his time away from the basketball court or training room:

  • Taking his dogs on walks
  • Working out in his home weight room
  • Bowling
  • Ping pong
  • Jogging and running

Ja Morant lets his parents take care of feeding him the right food, and it's worked out well so far

Ja Morant lets his parents take care of feeding him the right food, and it
Brandon Dill/AP Images

Ja Morant is the youngest starter in this year's All-Star game. At just 22-years-old, Morant just lets his parents take care of preparing his meals, he said in an interview with GQ.

Morant told GQ that the only thought that goes into what he eats is "see it, and eat it." The only difference he knows regarding his diet since coming into the NBA is that he now eats his parents' cooking instead of college cafeteria food.

Morant says his parents feed him, spaghetti, lasagna, and chicken alfredo, courtesy of his mom, and chicken wings, fries, barbecue ribs, baked beans, and dirty rice, which is made by his dad.

Luka Doncic said he was overweight for his position, and has started to do more conditioning to get back in shape

Luka Doncic said he was overweight for his position, and has started to do more conditioning to get back in shape
Hector Vivas:Getty Images

Many assumed Luke Doncic was a shoo-in to be an All-Star starter at the start of the season. But Doncic will be coming off the bench after a regression in his performance to start the season compared to his previous two seasons.

The 22-year-old Dallas Mavericks superstar reported to his team's training camp 30 lbs above his listed playing weight according to NBC Sports, then said in a December press conference that he was overweight and had to do more conditioning to get back in shape.

Doncic's performance since December has resembled the fit version of him, as he's earned his third All-Star nod.

Devin Booker quit his favorite fried chicken restaurant to focus on a fish-heavy diet

Devin Booker quit his favorite fried chicken restaurant to focus on a fish-heavy diet
Devin Booker.      Rick Scuteri/AP Images

Devin Booker has helped lead the Phoenix Suns back into contention for the NBA title after reaching the Finals last year, as they currently hold the best record in the NBA.

Booker's journey to NBA fame included a dramatic elevation of his diet after coming out of college Kentucky in 2014, when his diet consisted of eating fried chicken from the chain restaurant Raising Canes multiple times per day, according to ABC Arizona.

But Booker hired a private chef who now designs most of his meals around fish and vegetables, similar to Durant and Love.

Chris Paul follows a strict vegan diet, and he credits it for his late-career resurgence

Chris Paul follows a strict vegan diet, and he credits it for his late-career resurgence
Chris Paul.      Ross D. Franklin/AP Images

Chris Paul became the face of veganism in the NBA when he switched to a vegan diet in 2019 at the age of 34.

The switch helped him return to the NBA All-Star game for the first time in four seasons, he told Men's Health, and has now gone back each year since, bringing his career total to 12 at the age of 36.

LaMelo Ball's trainer says single-leg squats are the most important workout that's helped his transition to the NBA

LaMelo Ball
Chris Carlson/AP Images

LaMelo Ball is the youngest player in this year's All-Star game at just 20 years old.

Ball's preparation to excel in the NBA as just a second-year player is credited to his trainer Mike Fox, who helped get the then 19-year-old in shape for the 2020 NBA Draft.

Fox said the key to Ball's development for the pro level was single-leg squats, in an interview with DKM. The single-leg squat was essential for building up the power in his lower body and core to make his vertical competitive with pro players, so he can contend for the ball at a higher point.

James Harden eats pasta and grilled chicken before games for energy and protein

James Harden eats pasta and grilled chicken before games for energy and protein
James Harden.      Eric Gay/AP Images

James Harden will be playing in the All-Star game on behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers despite starting the season on the Nets.

The 32-year-old shooting guard will be playing in his 10th All-Star game in Cleveland, and the pre-game meal he says has gotten him there throughout his career is grilled chicken and pasta, he told Sports Illustrated.

Jimmy Butler puts avocado in every meal. It's a good source of healthy fats.

Jimmy Butler puts avocado in every meal. It
Michael Reaves/Getty Images, Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Jimmy Butler, who will be playing in his sixth All-Star game, has a strict avocado requisite for each meal.

The 32-year-old Miami Heat star said he can't eat meal that don't contain avocado, and he instructs his private chef Christopher Casan to include them in every meal, he said in an interview with GQ.

Avocados are among the healthiest fats, and just one can provide 21 grams of monounsaturated fat, which helps reduce cholesterol.

Khris Middleton doesn't follow a strict diet, but stays away from fast food

Khris Middleton doesn
Tony Dejak/AP Images

Khris Middleton will be playing in his third All-Star game, and like his Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo, he will take the floor as a reigning NBA champion.

The 30-year-old point guard is one of the more laid-back stars in the NBA when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, as he doesn't follow too many rules except staying away from fast food, he previously told Insider.

Jarrett Allen gets ice baths and massages to recover after games

Jarrett Allen gets ice baths and massages to recover after games
AP Photo/Ron Schwane

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen will play in his first All-Star game at his home arena.

The 22-year-old star has put together a career-best year this season, but he brought some of the practices he learned while playing in New York with the Nets from 2017-21.

Allen reportedly started taking better care of his body with regular massages and ice tub baths in March 2020 with the help of Nets trainers, according to the New York Post. Two years later that recovery commitment has helped him earn his first All-Star nod.

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