What’s in a successful Los Angeles Lakers postgame recovery routine?
Chocolate milk.
No, seriously: Chocolate milk.
Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com penned a wonderful piece on how many Lakers get a much-needed fix of organic chocolatey goodness following every game. The entire thing is worth a read, as it goes into more detail about the drink itself, how it’s made and what it does. But here’s a snippet of proof that, yes, the Lakers team is heavily vested in having these postgame refreshments readily available:
The final buzzer sounds, the Los Angeles Lakers stride into the locker room and the hunt for chocolate milk begins.
It’s the first item many Lakers players reach for after games, and it can often be found in or in front of their lockers — up to 16 ounces of creamy cocoa goodness in a clear plastic container. Each jug bears players’ initials so that no one grabs someone else’s. At least, that’s the plan.
“Guys get furious if their chocolate milk is taken,” Lakers rookie forward Larry Nance Jr. recently said with a straight face. “Nick [Young] and Roy [Hibbert], if they don’t get their chocolate milk, they throw a hissy fit.”
The postgame treat isn’t your average store-bought milk. It’s a low-sugar concoction with organic cocoa and whole milk from grass-fed cows specially made by a Whole Foods based in whichever NBA city the team is in.
To answer your question, yes, Kobe Bryant drinks it.
To answer your next question, yes, I’m sure he also steals extras from the rookies.
And to answer your third question, no, I have no idea if Nick Young’s batch is mixed with warm bourbon.
There’s a joke in here somewhere about the Lakers being the second worst team in basketball despite taking their chocolate milk so seriously. But this is a team that has taken exceptional measures for years, especially with Kobe. And he played at a high level until he was 35. So, you know, the Lakers must be doing something right.
At the very least, they’ve provided us with a mental image of Hibbert and Young throwing hissy fits when they’re deprived of their chocolate milk.
I’d say we owe them a thank you.
