JB Blair was featured in a recent article about his vegan diet. | Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
The Washington Wizards assistant coach recently spoke about how his diet has helped him live a healthy lifestyle.
Washington Wizards assistant coach Joseph (JB) Blair was profiled by VegNews.com last week for his vegan diet. Blair also adds that it also helped him live a healthier lifestyle.
In an article by Anna Starostinetskaya, Blair noted that he has been vegan for nine years, and started becoming a vegetarian and pescatarian when he was a college basketball player at Arizona in the early 1990s, helping him stay in shape. He ultimately made the decision to become a vegan after seeing documentaries on animal cruelty in agriculture.
Though Blair is not an NBA player (the closest was when he played a preseason game for the Chicago Bulls), there are other players who are making the switch to becoming vegan, most notably Chris Paul.
Blair also said that a vegan diet, and the discipline to remain vegan has more benefits. Here’s a notable quote from the piece:
Mentally, I have clear thinking and focus. And, I truly do believe that the discipline it takes to follow a plant-based diet bleeds over to other aspects of your life, as well.
I personally am not vegan, though I have tried some vegan dishes which taste really close to the meat-based alternative, like plant-based burgers and chicken tenders. It will be interesting to see how veganism grows within the NBA in the years to come.