Lang’s World: MUSCLEWATCH (Bubble Edition)
Lang WhitakerThe NBA is on the way back, which for many of us means only one thing: It’s time for MUSCLEWATCH!
For the uninitiated — and at this point, who among us hasn’t been initiated? — MUSCLEWATCH began over two decades ago, when my friend Matt and I noticed at the start of each season that some player would report to NBA training camp having added “15 pounds of muscle.” For whatever reason, it was never 12 pounds, never 17 pounds, but always “15 pounds of muscle.” And this always made us laugh.
Once I started covering the NBA, and as Google became sentient, I was able to compile MUSCLEWATCH data from around the league. Over time, MUSCLEWATCH became about more than just the requisite 15 pounds of muscle, but about which players showed up for training camp having gained or lost weight.
These days, as players show up and face the media each fall, I get inundated with tweets from fans who scour their local news for reports relevant to MUSCLEWATCH. And honestly, this is my favorite part of MUSCLEWATCH, how a dumb word my friend Matt and I made up has become a integral part of the NBA lexicon. Many news sites now use the word freely, as if it’s their own, which I am completely fine with. Over the last few weeks, I got texts from NBA players, GMs and team officials alerting me to MUSCLEWATCH stories from around the league. MUSCLEWATCH fans are on Twitter calling for MUSCLEWATCH updates, so we have no choice but to fire up the MUSCLEWATCH machine!
Looks like we’re gonna need a #LockdownEdition of the annual NBA #musclewatch. @langwhitaker https://t.co/38Yi2mdWTM
– Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 10, 2020
Of course, this MUSCLEWATCH report is a little different than in previous years. This is the first-ever in-season MUSCLEWATCH, as teams regather after a few months off because of the coronavirus. Players have had the chance to let their bodies heal from injuries they dealt with during the season, and some players were able to add or subtract pounds from where they were last season.
Let’s turn our eyes to the scales for a new edition of MUSCLEWATCH…
First of all, we learned at the very outset of the quarantine period when we were blessed with “The Last Dance,” that the GOAT himself, Michael Jordan, may have unwittingly helped pioneer MUSCLEWATCH. As MJ’s trainer Tim Grover explained, when Jordan was physically getting beat up by the Bad Boy teams of the Pistons, Jordan went to the weight room and added 15 pounds of muscle.
Back to the present day, our own presumptive Rookie of the Year Ja Morant has apparently spent the quarantine in the weight room…
.@JaMorant coming battle-ready once the season resumes pic.twitter.com/LRw4KTBw66
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 6, 2020
I do find it suspicious that Ja gained 12 pounds of muscle, his exact uniform number. In related news, Ja said he was comfortable with the food options at Disney World inside the bubble, since he was actually “a ramen noodle guy.”
I’m not sure any NBA superstar has ever said anything so relatable to me, personally. I feel like we gotta turn this into a “Cooking With Lang” segment down the road.
Utah Jazz back-up Tony Bradley reports that he accidentally added a lot of MUSCLE during the time off…
Utah Jazz reserve center Tony Bradley said he unintentionally put on a bunch of muscle during the NBA’s hiatus, and that he’s been getting compliments for “leaning up.”
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) July 6, 2020
I actually did the same thing, completely by accident. Don’t you hate it when that happens?
Down the road from Memphis in N’awlins, all sorts of MUSCLE-related things have been happening. Let’s begin with Zion Williamson, who initially looked like he lost some weight and added some MUSCLE during the time off.
Looks like he lost weight and got jacked. Good luck to the rest of the nba pic.twitter.com/Jlv39eTah5
— Scott (@Scott83016646) July 7, 2020
But upon the Pelicans’ landing in Orlando, things weren’t quite as clear.
Zion and the media catfished all y’all pic.twitter.com/x8WikNtQNI
— x – (@SmoovShai) July 9, 2020
I’m really looking forward to getting some crack NBA reporters inside the bubble to get to the bottom of this.
Elsewhere from New Orleans, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports a plethora of MUSCLEWATCH news…
Zion Williamson not only member of New Orleans Pelicans whose body has gone through a transformation during hiatus. League sources say rookie Nickeil Alexander-Walker is now 3/4 of an inch taller, Brandon Ingram added weight/strength and JJ Redick at his lowest weight since Duke.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 10, 2020
The common thread here seems to be the former Duke players are all over the place. JJ Redick, meanwhile, seems to have found a way to put some weight back on…
CONFIRMED. @jj_redick shotgunning a beer at 5 on the course.
(@PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/URQHfLZYEZ
— theScore (@theScore) July 12, 2020
Something must be in the water in Orlando. First of all, Magic forward Isaac Bonga used the time off to get his “nutrition right,” and he’s put on 8 pounds of MUSCLE.
Isaac Bonga has put on some noticeable muscle. “One good thing about quarantine was that I had time to get my nutrition right.” He’s put on about 8 pounds.
— Ben Mehić (@BenMehicNBA) July 9, 2020
Eight pounds is impressive, of course, but it’s nothing compared to what his teammate Mo Bamba was able to do during the quarantine. Bamba managed to add a record 28 pounds during the hiatus, and he says “a lot of it is muscle.” How much is “a lot,” is the real question here.
Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has apparently been in the weight room and looks “like he’s 21 years old again,” according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. Here’s a video of Rondo shooting free throws and he does indeed appear to have put on some MUSCLE. Although I’m not sure Rondo was this jacked even when he was 21.
View this post on InstagramPlayoff Rondo has arrived, and he has NOT been skipping workouts during quarantine.
A post shared by Silver Screen & Roll (@lakerssbn) on
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum wants to be on MUSCLEWATCH, but he doesn’t want to share specifics…
Jayson Tatum said he put on muscle weight during the hiatus, but declines to share how much.
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) July 11, 2020
To each his own.
Sacramento big man Marvin Bagley hasn’t been part of the rotation for the Kings this season, but he’s apparently trying to MUSCLE his way back into things…
Marvin Bagley III has added weight to his body. Says he feels great and is now up to 240 lbs. Said he hasn’t lost any speed either.
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 2, 2020
Toronto’s Chris Boucher has added 15 pounds during the quarantine. I’m going to assume it’s MUSCLE.
Chris Boucher says he’s put on about 15 pounds since the NBA’s COVID-19 shutdown.
— Lori Ewing (@Ewingsports) July 6, 2020
And finally, a little news from outside the bubble, where Bulls point guard Coby White has added ten pounds of muscle…
I had the chance to talk to @_jeremyjeffers who has been training Chicago Bulls point guard Coby White for several years.
He tells me that White has been training 4 days a week and has gained about 10 pounds of muscle since the season ended.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) July 11, 2020
Published on Jul 13, 2020