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Billionaire LeBron James revealed the ‘worst shape of his life’ with 67 days of questionable dieting

Samir Mehdi
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Billionaire LeBron James revealed the 'worst shape of his life' with 67 days of questionable dieting

LeBron James tried out a paleo-style diet when with the Miami Heat that led to him shedding a considerable amount of weight.

LeBron James lived up to ‘The Chosen One’s hype and actually surpassed it by the time he had even completed his sophomore year with the Cavaliers. It was clear from the jump that ‘The King was set to reign over the NBA for years to come and with his on-court excellence came off the court success. Very quickly, James built an empire off if endorsement deals, savvy investments, and his own media companies.

He has since accumulated a net worth of over $1 billion according to Forbes and he deserves every last penny of that money with the way he has carried himself for 2 decades. A large chunk of his yearly salary however, goes towards maintaining his body and keeping himself in shape. Mav Carter actually once said that LeBron James spends well over $1 million on his body to make sure he can stay at the top of his game going into every single season.

This budget includes everything from state-of-the-art equipment to multiple chefs along with the newest innovations in recovery such as cryo-therapy.

Despite being one of the greatest players of all time, you can’t get everything right at all times. LeBron lived and learned with one of his diets many years ago.

Also read: There is no way Dennis Rodman could stop 6’9″ LeBron James, Gilbert Arenas shockingly claims

LeBron James on his diet prior to the 2014 season.

LeBron James has almost always maintained a weight of around 250lbs give or take 10lbs going into a particular season. 250 became the Golden number for ‘The King’ after he came into the league at around 230lbs and stayed there until perhaps he met the likes of Detroit and Boston in the Playoffs.

His most impressive physique was most certainly during his early Miami Heat days and his entire 2nd stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers (especially the 2018 season). There was however, a moment in his days with the Heat entering the 2013-14 season that he took his diet to another level.

“I had no sugar, no dairy. I had no carbs. All I ate was meat, fish, fruit, and veggies. That’s it. For 67 straight days,” said James about how he entered that season before leaving Wade and company.

Having no carbs results in the body trying to use up valuable fat storages and even protein banks that are kept as reserves for energy. So while James may have felt as though him eating meat and fish was getting him bigger, he was actually using up a lot of protein for energy consumption rather than building out his muscle fibers.

In another interview with Business Insider, LeBron talked about his pre-game meal, saying, “Before competition for me would be like a chicken breast and maybe a little pasta. The carbs help because you’re going out and playing a lot of minutes. But a salad and some veggies will have me perfectly fine. And before the game I might have a protein shake and some fruit, and I’ll be ready to go.”

Also read: LeBron James silently made $700 million from Apple’s move

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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