Former NBA champion and Hall of Famer Dwight Howard is widely regarded as one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. Despite being relatively undersized at 6’10”, Howard dominated with his intimidating physical presence and athleticism.
There is a general expectation that athletes put in a tremendous amount of work to build and maintain their physiques. Given the impact on performance, it is only fair for athletes to be concerned with their diet, too. While there is no denying the importance of a healthy diet, Dwight Howard recently revealed that he had some of his most dominant performances while eating McDonald’s before every game.
During an appearance on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” Howard began by recalling how he developed a sweet tooth as a child, stating:
“I used to eat a lot of candy. Just coming from the South, my granddad, when we went to visit him, he would give us a big 10-pack of fun-size Snickers and Baby Ruths, and that’s why I developed that sweet tooth.”
“Then, as I got older, it just kept going. I just started to love Skittles and Starburst. Then I couldn’t stop. Then I fell in love with honey buns. I would eat at least four or five of them a day, maybe more. Just heat them up and have some ice-cold water with it. It was so good.”
From Dwight Howard’s recollection, it would be easy to picture such behavior from an adolescent boy or a high school student. However, the eight-time All-Star confirmed that this habit carried over into his professional career.
Needless to say, this is quite shocking. When considering that his pre-draft measurements came in at 6’10” and 240 lbs, he was an imposing specimen early on. Still, it is evident that his diet not only had little effect on his performance, but it also boosted it.
“My routine one season was McDonald’s before every game,” he continued. “I would get two double cheeseburgers, a large fry, a small fry, a strawberry chocolate milkshake, a large Coke, and go have the best game of my life. So I was like, I got to keep this up. It’s working. Then I got older, and I was like this is not right.”
Dwight Howard’s McDonald’s order is jarring in itself. Although the belief that it improved his performance seems laughable, the numbers are quite staggering.
Sources suggest that Howard maintained his McDonald’s diet from 2004 to 2011, which is roughly the time he spent with the Orlando Magic. During this period, Dwight Howard asserted himself as one of the league’s best defenders and rebounders, winning three DPOY awards, five rebounding titles, and two block titles.
It is also worth noting that, in his eight seasons with the Orlando Magic, Howard averaged 18.4 points, 13.0 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.2 blocks per game.
As one of the NBA’s most dominant centers, Dwight Howard was peerless. However, even the big man knew this kind of lifestyle was not sustainable. Thus, he made a drastic change.
“I want to live for a long time,” Howard claimed. “I told myself I was going to have to change up what I eat and what I drink. I used to have a big pantry full of candy from Sam’s Club. We would get Tootsie Rolls, lollipops, Skittles, Starburst, Twix, Snickers, and every candy you could think of. It was like a gas station at my house. I got rid of all the candy. I can’t do this no more.”
According to the timeline, Howard’s shift would have been when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Given that he was partnered up with Kobe Bryant, one of the most disciplined athletes in sports history, the emphasis on a good diet and recovery was inevitable.
In some respects, this change paid off as Howard continued to play at a superstar level for another two years. Unfortunately, injuries eventually caught up to him.
After finishing his tenure with the Houston Rockets in 2016, Dwight Howard struggled to carve out a consistent role with any team in the NBA. Despite this, he had a vital part in helping the Lakers secure a title in 2020.
Although he was 36 at the time of his last NBA season (2021-22), Dwight Howard was in phenomenal shape. Although his performance had dipped considerably, he was still effective, posting 6.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game.
Dwight Howard’s aim to improve the longevity of his career shines a light on the physical demands on athletes playing at the highest level. While several, such as LeBron James, have been largely successful in this endeavor, it is safe to say that it isn’t for the faint of heart.
