Denver Nuggets rising star Nikola Jokic has transformed his body in the past few years. In an interview with ESPN's Zach Lowe, he gave Nuggets strength and conditioning coaches Steve Hess and Felipe Eichenberger credit for this. Surely, the twice-daily workout sessions he did with them helped, but Jokic also mentioned another lifestyle change that couldn't have hurt:
Is it true you used to drink a gallon of Coca-Cola every day?
Yeah. Maybe three liters or so. It was a lot.
How early in the morning did you take your first hit?
Never in the morning, because we had practices in the morning, and I could never drink before. But after practice, it was glass after glass. I couldn't stop.
Ever dabble now, or have you totally kicked it?
I haven't had any in the last one-and-a-half years. On my flight to come to Denver, I had my last Coke ever.
Any withdrawal headaches?
No. Nothing. It was easy. It felt really good, actually. It was good to know I didn't need it.
Congratulations to Jokic! Giving up soda can be difficult, and he did it cold turkey. That probably helped him get through those two-a-day workouts in Denver before his rookie season. When he makes his first All-Star team, he should have a Coke in celebration.
