10 Weirdest Pre-Game Meals of NBA Stars

When it comes to food, athletes often have interesting habits and traditions aimed at providing the energy they need to run, jump and perform at their best for as long as it takes to win.

In the NBA, most players have a unique answer when asked about their pre-game meals.

And some of them are pretty weird.

We’re going to look at the 10 weirdest pre-game meals from past and present NBA stars.

10. Metta World Peace: Beans

The career of Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest and now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest, was a very interesting one. He had his ups and downs, his suspensions and his antics, but he was an NBA champ at his peak, playing with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and the Lakers.

In his early days with the Chicago Bulls, he actually used to drink Hennessy at halftime. He even wrote a rap about it.

His spot on this list though, is due to the fact that he ate beans before games. Nothing else. Just beans.

Certainly an interesting individual from his early days to the late part of his storied career.

9. LeBron James: Peanut Butter & Jelly

What’s a Top 1o list in the NBA without an appearance of LeBron James? Though his habits are not as weird in the food game as others, he’s generally spent a whole lot of moola to feed himself right.

While he focuses on an overall healthy diet with lots of protein and veggies, his pre-game meal is actually a common food choice for many NBA stars before the game or at half-time: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He told another outlet that a protein shake and some fruit is another common pre-game option.

After the game, James is a big fan of salmon and even shared a recipe for a honey-lime sriracha salmon.

8. Bernard King: Cookies & Milkshake

Though it was not a regular habit for the Hall-of-Famer, Bernard King admitted that cookies and a milkshake were the secret to the greatest stretch of his career.

King had back-to-back 50-point games in 1984, and when asked about it, the four-time NBA All-Star said it began with his pre-game cookies and milkshake.

7. Paul Pierce: Peanut Butter & Jelly Exactly 55 Minutes Before Tipoff

It’s not so much the food choice itself but the details that are weird: Paul Pierce had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich exactly 55 minutes before he ran on the court for every game.

There were few players more clutch than Pierce was in his career, making key game-winners in Boston, Washington, and Brooklyn.

And it looks like The Truth knew just what fueled him: the right sandwich at the right time.

6. Russell Westbrook: 2 Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

What might be weirder than one PB & J exactly 55 minutes before tipoff? Try having two of the sandwiches before each game. Russell Westbrook doesn’t do anything halfway.

Known for his outrageous pre-game outfits, each of which he claims he never wears twice, Westbrook seems to be just a very interesting individual.

Plain pasta. Fruit. And two peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Russ has had this pregame meal going all the way back to his high-school days. And he’s gone on to be one of the most energetic players to ever suit up in the NBA.

5. Jason Terry: Something Involving Chicken

Jason Terry could end up on a number of “curious choice” lists. The NBA champ got a tattoo of the Larry O’Brien trophy before ever winning. He was once seen dapping up J.R. Smith to distract him from the play (and it worked).

And when it comes to pre-game meals, The Jet had a standard: chicken. From fried chicken earlier in his basketball career to grilled chicken as he got older, “I can’t deviate from chicken,” he told The New York Times. “It has to be chicken.”

And that’s just one of Terry’s game-related superstitions.

4. Josh Hart: Mike & Ike Candy, With Caffeine

Josh Hart has certainly made a great name for himself in New York. He’s also made public just how he gets himself ready for each game.

And the answer lies in the form of a green box of candy. Mike and Ike candy has been his favorite since high school, and he used to sneak it as a college player at Villanova. He has the candy before every game, along with “300-400 milligrams of caffeine,” he told the New York Post.

The outlet reported in 2023 that he accompanies the candy with a bag of popcorn.

The company even made him a special box featuring his likeness. The dedication from both sides here is fantastic. It’s excellent marketing. And it seems to give him the energy he needs to play 40 minutes a night.

3. Cody Zeller: Popcorn & Power Bars

Among the pre-game food choices, Cody Zeller may be the first to explicitly not recommend his.

The day of his first NBA game, Zeller was told by veteran Al Jefferson that he had to provide his own food and that there was no pre-game meal.

As a result, he ended up having popcorn, popcorn, and even more popcorn from the team concession stand. He mixed in some fruit and PowerBars for good measure, he said.

Zeller wouldn’t make the list for his choices today, but the 2015 version absolutely earned his spot here.

2. Darrell Armstrong: Pig Intestines

Generally, playing 14 years in the NBA means you did something right. Darrell Armstrong was the 1998-99 Sixth Man of the Year as well as Most Improved Player in Orlando.

Armstrong told the Los Angeles Times in 1999 that he had a cup of coffee with “seven lumps of sugar” ahead of every game, plus Hershey’s Kisses at halftime. But there’s one particular stretch when his pre-game food routine took an interesting turn.

During the 2003 NBA Playoffs, the Magic won against the Pistons after Armstrong had eaten chitlins — pigs intestines — before tip. He kept doing it, and the team kept winning. With a 3-1 series lead, it looked like he had his superstition and the team would advance.

Detroit actually rallied to win the series, taking the final three games. And Armstrong did not go back to the pigs intestines.

1. Gary Payton: McDonald’s, in a Jacuzzi

The career of Gary Payton has long been remembered fondly. He was a staple of the Seattle SuperSonics’ success in the 1990s. He helped bring a title to the Heat in 2006. He won wherever he went.

But it’s  his pre-game story that we’re here to discuss. GP believed that in order to perform well, he needed to eat McDonald’s before the game. Not only that, but he had to eat it in a jacuzzi. His orders featured a Big Mac, fries, and a six-piece McNugget.

Payton was healthy for the majority of his impressive 18-year career, and played 1,335 games in the association. McDonald’s did the trick for the nine-time All-Star and Hall-of-Famer.

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