Deandre Jordan
basketball player
Deandre is an established player in the NBA, representing Los Angeles Lakers. He was the 35th pick of the 2008 draft, aged 20.
- Three time all-NBA team member
- NBA record for best field goal percentage
- Vegan TV chef
He’s known for rebounds, averaging 10.6 rebounds per game and leading the league in two seasons. Deandre is a three time all –NBA team member and two time All Defensive Team member. He’s been an NBA All-Star once (in 2017). The record for best field goal percentage is his – 67.39%.
Deandre is also known as a strong post-defender with a career average of 1.6 blocks per game. His endurance has been noted, and at one point he had played 360 games without being rested.
He was known for having one achievement elude him – winning the NBA title. In 2023 he was part of the title winning team (more here).
Vegan
…being able to take care of the planet—not only for ourselves but for our children and their children and so on—I just wanted to be able to have some kind of impact…
In 2018, Deandre went vegan. He made the transition rapidly, motivated by environmental and health concerns.
“I just was like, ‘This is what I’m doing,’” Jordan said. “It’s been great for me ever since … Once you educate yourself a lot on what you’re putting in your body and where the protein is actually coming from, [going vegan] was an easy decision for me. And also, environmentally, being able to take care of the planet—not only for ourselves but for our children and their children and so on—I just wanted to be able to have some kind of impact on us bettering our environment.”
As a professional athlete, Deandre works hard. He usually eats early and is lifting weights by 8:00. At 11:00 he turns to practice and cardio. He makes sure he stays hydrated. Working on defensive versatility is a focus, and he’s also working on becoming a better foul shooter.
Fueling this often starts at breakfast with a JUST Egg scramble with tons of vegetables: spinach, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. He says: “they try to get me to eat tomatoes even though I am not the biggest fan.” Alternatively he might try a burrito with Beyond sausage or waffles.
“For lunch, I take a protein shake right after practice, then a small salad and Beyond Meat which is very flavorful, savory, It is a big part of my diet”.
“For dinner, a big salad with tons of vegetables and a pasta, with sauce and vegetables or sometimes I add Beyond Meat, as Bolognese style sauce”.
He also admits to some less healthy ‘cheat’ meals. “It would be a waffle with peanut butter in the morning or a gluten free pizza for dinner. I also love cookies.”
Vegan on the TV
DeAndre has also had his own cooking show, ‘Cooking Clean’. The initial eight episodes featured on PlayersTV, which is owned by sportspeople. The shows sees Deandre joined by guest chefs who prepare a plant based meal while discussing plant based food.
He’s also one of a number of high profile investors who have invested in Beyond Meat. East Just (who brought us JUST Egg) have also recruited him as a brand ambassador.