Vegan Center JaVale McGee Wins His Second Straight NBA Championship With Golden State

Vegan center JaVale McGee is a back-to-back NBA champion! The Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-85 in Cleveland on Friday, June 8 to complete a 4-0 sweep in the NBA Finals, according to the series record.

McGee, the 7ft center, started three of the four games and shot 80% from the field, averaging eight points in under 14 minutes a night. Stephen Curry scored 37 in the clincher and Kevin Durant was named Finals MVP for the second year running.

It's the second straight title for the Warriors and the second ring for McGee, who went fully vegan at the start of this season. He first tried it a few years ago simply to lose weight before the season, but after last year's championship run he decided to go all in.

“I've been fully vegan for about five to six months now since the season started, and probably a month before,” he told GQ in February, in an interview republished by Yahoo Sports. And the energy boost was instant:

You definitely notice it immediately. You just feel really good, lighter. And there is a lot more energy you have throughout the day.

His typical day is simple: oatmeal, avocado toast and a shake for breakfast, a big salad with sunflower seeds for lunch, and pasta with mushrooms for dinner. His biggest complaint is room service: “Gimme some asparagus but absolutely no butter.”

Plant-based athletes are making their mark across American sport. Nike promoted a vegan diet in an advert starring Kyrie Irving, Colin Kaepernick received Amnesty International’s top honor in April, and last week 72-year-old Pat Reeves broke her own world deadlift record.

Two rings and counting. No meat, no problem.