NBA players — even with all that money and all those professional trainers and nutritionists at their fingertips — fall into some bad eating habits like the rest of us.
Coming out of college — where they had buffets of food in the dining hall and coaches trying to get them to bulk up for the more power-based collegiate game — guys eat a lot and it’s not good. And they keep doing that for a few years because when you’re 21 you can abuse your body in ways you just can’t do by the time your 27 or 28. It’s in their mid-20s you generally see players starting to really change their diet and take care of their bodies.
Case in point, John Wall.
Michael Lee and the Washington Post have a great look at John Wall and his life off the court. Which basically involves playing a lot of Madden at his apartment not far from the Verizon Center in Washington.
But watch the video or read the story about Wall’s cupboard of snacks.Wall opened his pantry door to display bags of Doritos and Funyuns and boxes of oatmeal cream pies, Honey Buns and Cinnamon Toast Crunch bars, which he sometimes packs with him on road trips. “I got all the snacks. All I do is eat snacks,” Wall said, before revealing more junk food options in his freezer and refrigerator. “I don’t eat vegetables. My mom got to make those.”
Wall rubbed his stomach, “I weigh a lot more than when I got here. I got to work on my diet.”
Wall said he has considered hiring a personal chef but for now, his mother has assumed that role. When she is not around, Wall and Williams can be spotted eating at Legal Seafood or getting takeout from P.F. Chang’s.
I’d like to tell you this is unusual. It’s not. Save for the fact there was little discussion of McDonald’s or some other burger joint, it’s pretty common.
Eventually, Wall will get serious about his diet. He’ll find he needs to for the energy. Not that he is going to go Steve Nash diet, but he will eventually start to get serious. But for now, Funyuns. Lots and lots of Funyuns