LeBron James is one of the biggest names in the NBA of all time. He has been the face of the league for a significant period, and his global popularity remains unmatched. So much so, that even what he eats becomes the stuff of news headlines.
Take for instance the “Taco Tuseday” trend he started during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. For those that may not be familiar with the same, it literally is just that: James and his family enjoying tacos on Tuesdays.
Along with this odd tradition's rather baffling rise in fame, the popularity of LeBron's personal chef, Dena Marino, likewise had a sharp spike. As of writing, Marino has close to 22,000 followers on Instagram, which may be minuscule compared to her clients millions of followers, but is certainly a significant number for an average Jane.
This is the fascinating lives of personal chefs in the NBA. After all, cooking for some of the most popular — and wealthiest — celebrities in the whole world does have its perks.
Another personal chef that has made quite a name for herself in the culinary world of the NBA is Traci Siegel. Some of her biggest clients include Damian Lillard, Kyrie Irving, Enes Kanter, Wilson Chandler, and JaVale McGee, to name a few.
Siegel shared some of the most important aspects of her job:
“A lot of what I try to do is recreate my clients' favorite dishes,” Siegel told theScore in a 2018.
Players move around a lot, and every once in a while, they come across a memorable dish that they sometimes want to experience again at home. This is where chefs like Siegel come in.
As expected, her client's health and fitness are of utmost importance for Siegel. Then again, so is making sure they get to eat what they want. Siegel understands the science about food, so based on her knowledge she is able to incorporate “unhealthy” yet tasty food into her clients diet without compromising their health.
“Some people think because they're eating a certain way they can't have certain dishes anymore,” she said. “It's not true.”
This is perhaps one of the most important aspects of being a personal chef to an NBA player. It's more about putting out a balanced diet which is able to satisfy not only the physical needs of their bodies, but also, their fanciful palates.
Take for instance the case of Richard Ingraham, who is a personal chef to the great Dwyane Wade, among others. Early on in their relationship, Ingraham had some difficulty in introducing vegetables to Wade's diet. He eventually figured out what tickled his client's fancy, and it resulted in a very productive and long-standing relationship. So much so, that Wade himself credits Ingraham for having contributed tremendously to the longevity of his career.
“For the past 10 years, Richard Ingraham has been an integral part of my career as an NBA athlete, helping me gain a better understanding of food, health, and nutrition,” Wade wrote, via Kristian Winfield of SB Nation. “Many probably think the basis of our connections with each other ends there, but what many may not know is that Chef Richard Ingraham — no — Rich is family to me.”
Obviously, a personal chef is a job that pays handsomely. It's also a great opportunity for aspiring chefs to add to their ever-growing resumes. However, much like any other job, this one has its challenges too, particularly on a personal level.
Given that players can be traded and move to a different city virtually at any given time, their chefs must also be prepared to make the big move with them. For Christian Bowman, aka “Chef Cbo,” whose most prominent client is All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, the sacrifices required are significant.
“You live the lifestyle of the athlete, and go through the schedule of the athlete,” Bowman said (h/t Jayvon Brown of RulingSports). “[You have to] be prepared to leave to another city at the drop of a dime.”
As mentioned earlier, being a personal chef to the stars of the NBA has its perks. In a way, it makes them a bit of a celebrity as well, in their own rights. Nevertheless, it's a job that requires a lot of commitment and loyalty.
For most of these chefs, they are required to live under the same roof as their clients. The luxury of residing in mansions worth millions of dollars is of course another benefit of the job, but this also requires them to leave their families at home. They only get to see their families maybe a couple of times a week at most — and that's if they live in the same city.
Then again, it's not as if these chefs are complaining. They understand what they signed up for in the first place, and when you look at it from a career perspective, being a personal chef to a renowned NBA star is indeed quite an achievement in the culinary industry.
Surely, the take home pay is pretty good, too.
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