Los Angeles Lakers forward Corey Brewer played the 300th straight game of his career in the team’s loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.
Brewer’s streak is the longest current streak of any current NBA player. Former Lakers power forward A.C. Green has the league’s all-time record with 1,192 straight games played.
Brewer isn’t one of the Lakers’ top players and only ranks 11th on the team in minutes per game (12.3), but he’s contributed to the team with his defense and energy while averaging 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds per game on 42.9 percent shooting.
The Lakers don’t have a ton of options at small forward, meaning that Brewer will likely continue to play a role for the team for the rest of the year as long as he stays healthy, and his endurance is no small feat.
NBA basketball is a grind on players’ joints, and even more so when they play with as much hustle and throw their bodies around as often as Brewer.
Brewer said he had to change his diet to avoid diabetes in 2010, a health choice that’s potentially contributed to his durability, via Men’s Health:
Now Brewer sticks to lean proteins like chicken. He downs a lot of fruit and vegetables, whose fiber helps him feel fuller for longer. It isn’t difficult, he says. He knows his priorities—and eating well makes him better on the floor. “If you’re super healthy, it’s not going to affect you if you splurge every once in a while,” he says. “But most guys watch what they eat, because it’s hard to play 82 games and not be healthy.”
Whatever has led to Brewer’s longevity, players don’t stay that healthy without some semblance of professionalism and veteran experience.
If Brewer can pass some of that along to his young Lakers teammates during his time with the team, anything he gives the team in the final year of his contract will be gravy in the long run.
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