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Everyone is looking for an edge. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get an unfiltered glimpse into the real strategies of some of the world’s most successful athletes? Well, now you can. To paraphrase Michael Corleone, just this once, they’re gonna let you ask them about their business. ESPN’s Baxter Holmes is finally spreading the word about the NBA’s secret addiction. To get the full story, you need to go back to what seemed like an ordinary night in 2007 when, following a particularly vibrant performance, Kevin Garnett uttered the words that would reverberate through NBA locker rooms, team planes, hotel rooms, and court-side meetings for a generation. “We’re going to need PB&J in here every game now.” Forget protein powders, artisanal ancient grains, bone broth, coconut oil, acai berries, chia seeds, turmeric, kale, or Kombucha. “No matter how you slice it, it’s hard to swallow: The NBA is covered in experts, obsessed with peak performance — and still this pillar of grade-school cafeteria lunches is the staple snack of the league. An exorbitantly wealthy microclique, backed by an army of personal chefs, swears by a sandwich whose standard ingredients boast a street value of roughly 69 cents.”
+ Somewhat related: “The sound of shoes skidding on hardwood can be explained by shoe designers, rubber scientists, mechanical engineers and a biologist.” From the NYT: Why Are Basketball Games So Squeaky?