New Nike Commercial Promotes Plant-Based Diet

Professional basketball player Kyrie Irving of top Eastern Conference team Boston Celtics promoted a plant-based diet in a new Nike commercial. The advertisement featured a number of athletes and focused on Irving, who dribbled a ball with background music provided by the Boston Philharmonic. During the closing scene of the one-minute commercial, football player Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots asked Irving how he dribbled so fast. “Simple,” Irving responded. “Plant-based diet.” While the shoe line promoted in the commercial is not vegan, Irving—an early contender for the coveted MVP title in 2018—has praised his newly adopted plant-based diet in recent months. “I mean,” Irving told sports media outlet Bleacher Report in November, “I’m not eating a whole bunch of animals anymore. Once you become awake, you don’t see that stuff anymore.” A growing number of professional athletes—including fellow professional basketball players Damian Lillard, Jahlil Okafor, Wilson Chandler, and JaVale McGee—have adopted a plant-based diet to boost their performance and longevity on the court.