This wasn't the season Jeremy Lin envisioned when he signed with the Brooklyn Nets last summer. With an opportunity to start, and returning to the city where he rose to prominence, he foresaw proving himself capable of leading the Nets back to respectability. (And all while continuing to push the boundaries of his mane.) Instead, he missed 46 games due to hamstring and ankle injuries. So, we caught up with the point guard to discuss a season where the focus was mostly on recovery and rest, and what he learned along the way.
GQ: On most game days, there might be a shootaround in the morning and a lot of guys don’t get meals in their body until right before the game and afterwards. Are you the same way?
Jeremy Lin: Mostly, I just have two meals before the game. It does change from two to three meals, depending on when I wake up. I definitely eat in the morning, and in the afternoon and once before the game for sure. If I’m up early, I’ll have an even earlier breakfast. With any meal, it's just clean everything; lean proteins, veggies and clean, good carbs.
So what’s an earlier breakfast look like?
Something light, like a ham, onion and avocado omelet.
I did see your tweet a couple of weeks ago about dreaming about In-N-Out Burger. How much not-so-good performance food do you allow yourself to have throughout the season?
I’m still thinking about it. With that, I think it’s all about timing and you have to be smart about when you do that. So usually, if I have a cheat meal, it will be after a game or if there are days in between games. You don’t want to have a cheat meal right before a game. Even the night before (a game), you still have to be careful because you could be putting something in your system that would inflame your body and make you feel sluggish the next day.
Have you found a go-to spot to eat in Brooklyn?
There’s this place called Carnem’s. I like them a lot. They have this delicious bone marrow and I always try and get some of that when I go. There's also the chicken and veggie stock to help with recovery. They also have really good steaks and seafood also.
Being a fan of bone marrow gives me an idea of just how broad your foodie palate is.
Oh yeah. A bunch of restaurants make it. It usually comes with bread and you can put whatever you want on it to kind of dress it up. (Carnem’s) usually puts uni on there, so it usually looks like this [he shows me a photo on his phone]. You can just scoop it up, and put it on some bread and if you haven't tried it. I recommend it.
You missed a lot of time this season with injuries. How much more conscious do you have to be with what you’re putting into your body while rehabbing?
I think with any injury, what you're putting in your body is very important because most injuries consist of some type of inflammation or swelling. Food can definitely contribute or aid in that. Also, with the rehab process, the better you eat, the less work you have to make up for. If you don’t take care of your body [when you’re injured], and then you’re trying to get back in shape, that can create more risk of re-injury that can create a longer rehab process and create a lot more issues. You don't want that.
With an extended offseason and the injuries this season, are you going to take more time to heal your body or try and get right back into the gym?
Usually, that's all mental for me. Obviously, I need the physical rest but when my mind gets locked in to getting ready, I’m ready. That usually takes only two to three weeks. Within two weeks, I’m already really missing the game a lot. Within three weeks, it gets really bad and no matter what’s going on, I just really want to touch a basketball and do anything to be around the game. I have to really push myself not to workout because the urge comes back pretty quickly in the offseason. So, I don't think there will be too much time off for me.
While injuries suck, it also teaches guys to really pay more attention to their bodies. Would you say that’s true?
I would definitely agree with that. I think with every year you go through in the league, there’s more focus on maintaining your body. Every year, I learn a little bit more. Every year, my body changes. This year, I did a lot more sleeping. I spent a lot more time focusing on sleep. I slept more this year than I ever have in my life, in terms of any other year since being in the league. Man, I slept a lot. [laughs]
Was that a conscious effort on your part or have you just done all you can in New York?
It was a focus of mine. I worked with Cheri Mah [Sleep Research Fellow at the UCSF Human Performance Center], and she has taught me a ton about sleep and we’ve done a great job with that. It has pushed me to be a better sleeper. Her studies showed that [better sleep] improves shooting percentages and performance. I had a career-high from three this season (37.2 percent). Sleep and obviously recovery are two major things I focused on this year.
What are some of the specific things you had to do?
Well, she taught me like 1,000 things. [laughs] The most important thing was just the emphasis on a ton of sleep every night and remaining consistent with my sleeping routine.
What other areas did you notice improvement in with better sleeping habits?
You know it’s important, but you don’t realize how important it really is. [Mah] was teaching me everything from deep sleep and REM Sleep. When I get the right amount of sleep, I definitely feel better during the game and throughout the day. I’m more aware and it helps solidifies my memory in remembering things and patterns during the course of the game. I feel sharper and I feel better with my shot because it’s more in tune and in rhythm.
So, is it safe to say you're in favor of more rest for players?
[Laughs] I'm in favor of getting the proper rest.