Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul says it was nothing for him to enjoy a pregame burger and fries before going out and leading a point-guard masterclass early in his career. But now, at 37 and heading into his 18th NBA season, he eats a lot cleaner—including making the transition to a plant-based diet in 2019. 

The future Hall of Famer initially made the plant-based switch with only performance in mind. But given how quickly his body responded, he decided to make the transition a permanent one. Not only did his numbers and efficiency go up the following season, but he says the routine inflammation and body aches that come in the course of an NBA season aren't as big of an issue for him compared to seasons past. Paul finished last season’s ‘22 campaign as the second-oldest player to lead the entire league in assists proving that he's not done teaching his point guard. 

GQ caught up with CP3 on how he trains in the offseason, his latest investment in Move Insoles, and the benefits—and the sacrifices!—of making the full-time transition to a plant-based lifestyle.  

GQ: After the season ends, how long do you give yourself time to just forget about basketball before getting back into your routine?

Chris Paul: When you’re in it like this, you can never forget about it. For me, there’s been all of these different stages of my career. When I first came into the league, as soon as the season ended, I was back home, playing pickup and there really was no offseason. Now, it’s about taking care of my body. I don’t even know if I took a week off from lifting. It’s not so much the on-the-court shooting and moving, but I’m constantly stretching and in the weight room. I never really took a full week off from that.

Over the 17 offseasons you’ve had, how has your offseason program altered?

My eating is the biggest thing that has changed. This is going to sound crazy, but you probably have to watch what you eat even more during the offseason than during the season because it’s not as much cardio. I'm managing my time, because I do have kids and a wife and trying to make sure you make times for the things that really matter. Health and wellness matter to me. Yesterday, me and my wife dropped my daughter off at Wake Forest’s soccer camp in the morning and we went into the gym and worked out together. I’m getting the time with her and getting the chance to get my workout in.

Do you maintain a plant-based diet throughout the year now?

Absolutely. When I first went plant-based, it was for performance purposes but once I saw how my body changed and how I felt—it was for life. Years ago, I probably wouldn’t have even gone outside to run around with my kids and all the other activities because my body would be aching. Now, with the constant lifting and making sure that my body is always ready, it’s been a good lifestyle change for me. 

What was the toughest thing to give up?

Definitely fried chicken and pulled pork. I’m from Winston Salem [North Carolina]. I was just home—that’s where my wife and kids are now. It’s crazy to drive by Bojangles now and not even be able to give it a look [laughs].

Are cookies still a favorite?

Absolutely. There are vegan cookies now, so I still love cinnamon and raisin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, churros, and all those kind of things. 

What’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like nowadays for you?

There are so many different foods that you’re able to eat. I have pancakes all the time. A lot of people don’t realize that the only difference between plant-based pancakes and regular ones are eggs. Breakfast usually includes a JustEgg scramble with vegetables, Beyond Meat sausage patties, a side of fruit and my vitamins. Lunch would be salad, a sauteed vegetable bowl with rice and a protein drink. For dinner, my chef prepares meals that give me nutrients I need to perform the next day. I eat a variety of beans, grains, and veggies. The biggest thing when I went plant-based is it opened me up to the diversity of foods that you can have.

It’s the offseason, but can you give me an overview of your game-day routine?

I’ll get up and eat breakfast. I’ll get to the gym and get a lift in before shoot around. After shootaround, I’ll come home, have a mini meal, and then get body work for about two hours. Right after that, I’ll take my nap for about two hours. I’ll get up, get dressed, eat my pregame meal and head to the arena. I’ll get there, do all my stretching, an activation lift, and then it’s game time. 

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten before a game?

When I came into the league, it was nothing for me to have a burger and fries or chicken wings and fries before a game. When you’re that young, you don’t know. I probably still went out and had 30.

What does recovery look like nowadays at 37?

It’s still a lot of body and tissue work and stretching. I think reducing inflammation has helped me. I’m not saying going plant-based is for everybody but for me, that was one of the first things I focused on. To play the amount of games and minutes that I’ve played and still feel good is a win for me. 

You're now an investor for Move, an insole company. What made you want to become an investor?

Being involved in grassroots basketball, I just wanted to be able to share the knowledge that I gained over the years of being in the NBA. One thing about Move—and the body overall—is that everything begins with your feet. One of the things that a lot of fans don’t necessarily see is they don’t see what happens in the locker room or when guys get to practice - the first thing they do when they get a new pair of shoes is they look for their orthotics or insoles. To get that information, not only to younger athletes but to the masses is very important. 

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At what point in your career did you really start focusing on your foot health?

During my second year, I rolled my ankle and missed 18 games. I think that’s the same year that I also had a stress fracture in my foot also, so I had to get a screw put in my foot and that was a huge wakeup call. It’s funny because even at this point in my career, because of that injury, I’m still always trying to work on my foot intrinsics. Before a game, everything is about my feet—do I feel grounded, how do my orthotics feel in my shoes—it’s very important. It’s ironic because Jamal Crawford, who is also an investor in Move—when we played for the Clippers, during the pregame speech from coach, Jamal would be sitting on the ground, and I would always see him bending his toes constantly to make sure his feet were right. I used to look at him and like, “What is ‘Mal doing?” Now, I’m the guy who’s doing that. 

Many of your investments focus on the health and wellness space. Why have you focused so much of your energy into that space?

One of the biggest things that excites me about these different investments in health and wellness is spreading the knowledge—you don’t know what you don’t know. I’ve been blessed and fortunate to be around a lot of people who are a lot smarter than me. When it comes to health and wellness, the one thing we can’t purchase is health. You can buy cars, houses, clothes, and jewelry but not health. The only way to get more educated on health and wellness is by communicating with one another and finding out things that you’re not necessarily taught in school, and a lot of times aren’t taught in the black and brown communities. I was blessed to be able to find this information out at 34 and I’m still learning.

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