Here’s The Diet Paul George Credits His Remarkable Comeback To After That Horrific Leg Injury

Paul George’s horrific leg injury is one of those that will probably never be forgotten.

Innocently enough, as he had thousands of times previously in his career, the Indiana Pacers All-Star went for a come-from-behind block during a USA Basketball showcase ahead of the 2014 FIBA World Cup, only to come down awkwardly wedging his right leg against the base of the basket, which was far too close to the baseline to begin with. The result was a compound fracture of the leg, and it kept George sidelined for the entire 2014-15 NBA season.

Improbable as it may be after sustaining such a gruesome injury like that, George has remarkably made a full recovery, retaining all the playing potential which he boasted before, and then some. Returning for the 2016 campaign, not only did Paul George lockdown another All-Star selection this season, but his game has found the Pacers in the playoffs, too. And the kicker? Well, the guy who saw his leg snap in half just about a year and a half ago hasn’t missed one single game all season long.

If that’s not an amazing comeback, I don’t know what is.

In a recent sit-down with GQ, the Pacers forward opened up about how he tackled the long road to recovery to reclaim his game, and among other things, how important his changing his diet was to his efforts.

“I was working out every day with a lot of isolation stuff,” says George. “It was the hardest I’ve ever worked out just because I was trying to strengthen one leg while maintaining strength in the other leg. It was really a total body workout every day. ”

Like a lot of athletes have had to deal with health setbacks, George has totally reevaluated his diet since his recovery. Snacking on candy is way down, and despite a dinner of chicken wings every week or so, the emphasis is on balance and clean-eating. Having a chef helps, especially one who’s open to feedback (“We’re really close.”). But even for George, who admits he’s “not a huge vegetable guy,” the change has been tremendous.

“With the injury, it was so hard every day to have energy to continue with the workouts and find that motivation,” he says. “Once I changed my diet I noticed I had a ton of energy—I was more lively and ready for the workouts, my body was better. I noticed it was definitely the stuff I was putting in my body that made me feel better.”

Breakfast
Omelette with spinach, ham and cheese, hashbrowns, fruit smoothie

Post workout

Gatorade protein shake

Lunch
Pasta and fish

Snacks
Cashews

Dinner
Chicken breast with green beans

Doesn’t seem that difficult to chef up, huh Bros?

Who knows, maybe if you start eating like an All-Star, you’ll start playing like one, too.

[via GQ]