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.
"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."
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
