The diets of the best basketball players in the world show how insane Tom Brady's lifestyle really is

• We asked NBA players at All-Star Weekend about their diets, and while most try to eat healthy, they don't necessarily have super strict diets.
• The answers only served to highlight how insane Tom Brady's diet is, which sees him avoid some vegetables, fruits, caffeine, and dairy, while taking in very few fats.
• Even someone like LeBron James, who is fanatical about taking care of his body, doesn't eat as strictly as Brady.
• Brady's longevity in a contact sport may inspire others to take care of their bodies, but for now, few seem as willing to go as far as he does.
• Follow all of Business Insider's NBA All-Star Weekend coverage here >

Many professional athletes are strict about what they put into their bodies. To get to the highest level, athletes look for any minor advantage, and that often includes avoiding unnecessary ingredients from food and drinks.

When many of the best basketball players in the world gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the NBA All-Star Game, we asked them about their diets and what they try to avoid.

Few players went into detail, but what became clear is that even while these athletes watch what they eat, perhaps nobody in professional sports is as strict as Tom Brady.

"I don't really have a diet," Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton said. "I just try and stay away from fast food. That's my only thing. Try to eat clean for the most part. No real diet for me."

Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who once divulged that he eats as many as 10 pancakes over two breakfasts each day, plus several pieces of grilled chicken, said he just tries to keep everything in moderation.

Read more: Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns has an insane diet that includes 10 pancakes a day

"I got my diet. I stick to it," Town said. "The biggest thing is [you] have to make sure you take everything in moderation. Just stick to the plan. Sometimes there are days when you're hungrier and it's tough, but you gotta just stick to the plan."

The NBA's youngest stars also know they can work off bad food a little more easily. Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox said he has to eat a lot to keep weight on. He said he tries to eat clean, but doesn't all the time. In his media availability, Fox discussed why he likes Whataburger more than In-N-Out.

Meanwhile, New York Knicks point guard Dennis Smith Jr. said he doesn't really watch what he eats. He joked that Bojangles is the key to his leaping abilities.

Read more: Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr. talks being in the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster, what fans don't realize about trades, eating octopus, and jumping over J. Cole

"I eat whatever is good to me right now. I'm sure that'll change as I get older, but I just work whatever I eat off."

Tom Brady is in a league of his own

All of this only reinforced how unique (and maybe even over-the-top) Tom Brady's diet is.

Brady's diet, of course, has become a fascination in the sports world. He's divulged his stingy eating habits before - lots of natural, vegetable-based meals, and very few fats.

What may be more interesting is what Brady avoids. He doesn't eat nightshades like tomatoes, peppers, and mushrooms for fears of inflammation.

Read more: Tom Brady's diet is so strict that it excludes an entire group of vegetables

Brady also doesn't drink coffee. He doesn't eat strawberries, doesn't eat many bananas, and avoids dairy. He very rarely has alcohol.

Now, there aren't many similarities between 41-year-old Brady and the 21-year-old Smith. Brady plays a contact sport and is almost twice Smith's age. His extreme diet, he says, is to help his recovery, which he says will help his longevity.

However, even LeBron James,at 34 years old, one of the league's elder statesmen, doesn't eat like Brady. And James is fanatical about taking care of his body.

James broke down on Tim Ferris' podcast what a day's worth of meals might look for him, and it wasn't terribly strict. It included things like egg-white omelets, gluten-free pancakes, whole wheat pasta, lots of salmon, and even chicken parmesan. James is also a notorious wine connoisseur.

Read more: Here is what LeBron James eats to stay at the top of his game at an age when many other NBA players decline

Brady's teammate Rob Gronkowski, who is also a follower of the "TB12 Method," told Business Insider that while he eats clean, vegetable-based meals, he is not as strict as Brady.

Read more: Rob Gronkowski says his career changed by following Tom Brady's lifestyle, and it even got him to love avocado ice cream

Perhaps if Brady is still winning Super Bowls at age 45, as he has said he wants to do, the rest of the sports world will follow suit. In the meantime, it appears most others aren't willing to go quite as far as Brady.

• Read more:
• The NBA's best players struggled to remember what they were doing the first time LeBron James played in the All-Star Game
• LeBron James had a great answer for why he doesn't talk about his NBA career with his kids
• Shaquille O'Neal explained why his father's advice about staying 'broke' changed his life

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