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Kelly Olynyk is in the midst of his sixth NBA campaign, having started a career-high 29 of the 72 games that he has appeared in this year. It's just his second season as a member of the Miami Heat, and while it may not be classified as the South Beach diet per se, Olynyk has trimmed down significantly to the tune of losing 30 pounds since his arrival, per the Miami Herald. What has shedding those pounds done for Olynyk?
“It’s allowed me to play a lot of minutes and play them at a high level, and not get fatigued anymore or as fatigued as you would. It’s more of a lifestyle now. You’re just kind of ingrained in it and trying to keep your body at the highest level it can operate at. I think that’s really important. For us and our team, that’s kind of what it’s all about.
“I enjoy it. I embrace it. The weight and the body fat stuff, it’s kind of like a competition to me. It’s like a game, a challenge. Can you do it? Can you not do it? What does it take?”
It also helps that Olynyk reportedly pocketed an additional $1 million bonus for logging 1,700 minutes last season. This year, he has averaged 22.7 minutes per contest, but that's due primarily to the log jam of talent that Miami has on their roster. In two years with the Heat, he has averaged 10.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, both building on top of the player he once was and also making himself into something entirely new.
