NBA Star Jahlil Okafor Goes Vegan

Professional basketball player Jahlil Okafor—a center for the Philadelphia 76ers—has adopted a vegan diet. “I took initiative this offseason to try and diet and lose weight,” Okafor said at a media conference this week. “It wasn’t easy. The first drastic change I made was my diet. I became a vegan.” The 21-year-old athlete explained that he learned dairy causes inflammation and removing it from his diet has helped his knees heal faster. “I am a full-on vegan now,” Okafor said. “I feel great and I am going to stick with it.” Okafor is getting ready for the upcoming NBA season by replacing cholesterol-laden animal products he grew up eating with new healthful plant-based food. “I miss the sausage McGriddles from McDonald’s,” Okafor said, adding “a bunch of BS, man, but I cut it out and am glad I did it.” Okafor joins a host of athletes who recently adopted a plant-based diet to optimize their physical performance, including Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard and Denver Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler.