Rockets center Dwight Howard has attributed his improved health from last season to better eating habits and he’s encouraging his new teammates to follow suit.
H/T: Pro Basketball Talk
Q: Since you’ve been here, have your teammates been curious about what you’re doing and wanted to try it? Or do they think you’re crazy?
A: They think I’m crazy. They’re young and they want to have the candy and stuff like that. But I just tell them, ‘You might not feel it now. But once you get a little bit older, stuff is not going to work like you want it to work. You’re not going to be able to just come in the gym and be loose and stuff like that. So you’ve got to start doing little things now that will prolong your career.’ They were more receptive to that. But they hated the fact that there was no candy on the plane. I just tell them I’m just trying to look out for their well being because I don’t want them to get injured and have to sit out, miss games or miss a season or miss a summer because of an injury. So if they can kind of tackle that problem early, they’ll be fine.Q: So you’ve had an influence on what kind of food is available on the plane and in the locker room and hotel?
A: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.Q: How so? How did you get that done?
A: I just talked to the trainers and also talked to the GM about it, making sure that guys eat healthy. They might not feel it now during the season, but when the playoffs come and they’re eating healthy, the more they eat the stronger their bodies will get. And that’s when they’re going to feel the difference. When other teams are tired, we’ll be able to go that extra mile because we have that extra energy that’s been stored by eating the right food.
How nice of Howard to give advice to his younger teammates. I’m just shocked he’s just now realizing the importance of diet to a professional athlete. Seems like a no-brainer to me.