Boris Diaw has been one of the best role players in the NBA for years, and he's a fundamental part of what makes the San Antonio Spurs so successful.

In the paint, Diaw takes on centers and power forwards much bigger than him, and if he needs to, he can step out to utilize his deadly mid-range jumper.

Now in his 13th NBA season, Diaw continues to log 18.2 minutes per game for a team stacked with talent across the roster. Apparently, it's not just his performance that's keeping Boris on the court.

Gregg Popovich
Getty Images

In a recent interview with Andrew Sharp of Sports Illustrated, Diaw said that he and head coach Gregg Popovich regularly bicker, in a friendly manner, about his fluctuating weight. In fact, Diaw confesses that he gets more minutes as a result.

“Sometimes we’re up 30,” Diaw says, “and he's like, ‘I’m just going to leave you on the court so you can lose some weight.’”

This actually doesn't appear to merely be a joke. Point guard Tony Parker speculated that this was the case a few months back.

When asked why he thinks Diaw never receives a game off despite his age, Parker quipped, ”I think it's because Pop wants him to lose weight.”

Right on the money, Tony.

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