PB&J Sandwiches Are Kevin Garnett’s Secret To Playing Well
The NBA is not relying on performance enhancing drugs to do well during the run up to the NBA Playoffs. Kevin Garnett has gotten the whole basketball league hooked on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s his little-known secret to playing well on the basketball court.
In fact, the Minnesota Timberwolves star is addicted to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s not strange for NBA players to have pre-game rituals. For Kevin Garnett, he calls a typical PB&J sandwich his “secret addiction,” according to NPR. The former star “decreed one day when he was hungry – after a fellow teammate likewise said he was hungry – and wanted a PB&J – that, ‘Let’s get on that,” ESPN reporter Baxter Holmes told Scott Simon.
And it was because of that very sandwich that Garnett played well. That’s when he decided to get the whole NBA hooked on the idea. The former Celtics player helped his team win in 2008 because of it. Holmes noted that the increase in PB&J snacks was helped by the 2008 members of the Celtics leaving for other basketball teams.
Along with their sharp athletics, the players brought along the secret of enjoying PB&J as a pre-game snack.
“We’re going to need PB&J in here every game now. It spread from there,” Holmes said. “And that’s not to say that peanut butter jellies haven’t been consumed by athletes for a long time, but I’m certainly talking about on a mass-produced scale.”
What is it about PB&J sandwiches that make players do well on the court? Not only is it comfort food, but it also boosts players’ mentality and sportsmanship. According to experts, the health benefits from eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich including improving one’s mental health when the opioids are released from the brain.
“It’s calming players down, making them happy. … There are some healthy fats and proteins and that gives them a little bit of energy. But the mental side of things, I mean, it truly is a comfort food.”
Kevin Garnett isn’t the only one who swears by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Many players have turned to this healthy and gooey snack. Some even put their own twist on the typical PB&J.
“Russell Westbrook likes to butter the inside of the bread and then put peanut butter on after it’s toasted,” Holmes said.
Carmelo Anthony revealed that he enjoys his on a cinnamon bagel.
“I fell in love,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “I grew up on PB&J’s as a kid — it fueled me.”
NBA players will be happy to hear about this; National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day has been given its own holiday on Sunday, April 2, reports Jersey Bites. You can have your own twist on the classic snack from enjoying Freshica’s PB&J shake to snacking on PB&J flavored macarons from Sickies Market in New York City.
Kevin Garnett and his Minnesota Timberwolves teammates may love this recipe. The only way to make the PB&J sandwich better is to make it on French Toast, according to the Macaroni & Cheesecake blog.
Some NBA players may need a boost on the basketball court. Well, now peanut butter and jelly coffee exists. Bones Coffee Company, a Florida-based company, have released its new Peanut Butter & Jelly coffee beans, according to Food & Wine magazine.
“When it comes to the classics, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches are on the top of the list,” Bones wrote on its Facebook page. “We’ve infused that classic flavor with our smooth medium roast Arabica coffee to create a truly unique sipping experience. A sweet aroma of grape jelly and creamy peanut butter fills the air during the brew. The first sip delivers sweet grape with the richness of the coffee and finishes with roasted peanut.”
The story of Kevin Garnett is one that Celtics fans will never forget. Garnett’s sportsmanship will always be tied to his love for the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Luckily for players (and fans), the sandwich can come in many forms.
[Featured Image by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]
