Josh Hart was one of several Los Angeles Lakers youngsters who got a change in scenery this summer. Hart, along with Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans in the long-anticipated deal that saw Anthony Davis head to L.A. to team up with LeBron James.
All three guys get a fresh start with the Pelicans. There was a weird cloud that hung over the Lakers last year once James got injured and the Davis trade rumors began to circulate, and now, they can just focus on playing ball for an exciting young team. They can also get healthy, too, as all three saw their seasons end prematurely due to injuries.
But the biggest thing on the horizon is that the three of them get to go to perhaps the best food city in the United States. While I have never been, my understanding is that it is impossible to visit New Orleans and not gain 10 pounds, which is great for tourists and cardiologists but bad for professional athletes. Hart understands this, and after engaging in some gluttony this summer, decided to get someone to make sure he’s not wolfing down unhealthy food all the time.
A grinning Josh Hart on why he hired a chef upon moving to New Orleans: "I was having bacon-wrapped shrimp and grits, stuff like that, deep-fried oysters. I can’t eat all that during the year – I’m going to feel fat, and I’ll be slow on the court and everyone’s going to boo me."
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) September 24, 2019
Hart is going to have an important role as a shooter on a Pelicans team that could really use players who can stretch the floor alongside guys like Ball, Jrue Holiday, and Zion Williamson. Taking care of his body and making sure he’s going to be on the floor for 82 games is important, so he is certainly making the right decision to cut some of the city’s heavier cuisine out of his diet. Still, no one would blame him if he occasionally indulged in some gumbo or jambalaya or beignets or any of the other 600,000 delicious food items that are available in New Orleans.
