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Former Spur, Antonio Daniels, knows basketball, but he also knows a few things about food and fitness.
There is nothing San Antonio locals love more than Spurs' basketball. Well, except maybe the local cuisine. I had the unique privilege of eating cheesecake while conducting an interviewing of a man who knows just as much about those topics as anyone, former Spurs' guard Antonio Daniels.
Daniels played with the Spurs for four seasons, and he instantly became a fan-favorite after playing an important role during the Spurs' first championship run in 1999. After his stint with the Spurs, Daniels journeyed through the National Basketball Association. He took his talents to teams including Seattle, Washington D.C. and New Orleans, but when the 13-year NBA veteran retired from basketball, he ultimately returned to San Antonio.
Daniels, who now hosts The Hardline (noon-2p.m., Monday-Friday on ESPN Radio 1250 AM) with Ari Temkin is keeping busy since retiring from the NBA. In addition to being named San Antonio Magazine's 2015 Radio Personality of the Year, Daniels continues to be a positive influence in the San Antonio community. Through his work with Hoops for the Heart and the American Heart Association, as well as his own organization, The Daniels Family Foundation, the former Spur is continuing to actively inspire the San Antonio community to remain active and to stay healthy.
The Daniels Family Foundation, which is run by Antonio Daniels and his wife, writer and speaker, Sonia Daniels, stresses the importance in three areas of life: faith, family, and fitness. Daniels and his family have spoken to parishes, including, Westover Hills Assembly of God (9340 Westover Hills Blvd., 210-523-1505) and discussed their relationship with Jesus and Christianity. Daniels' strong ties to faith and family can also be seen through his regular church attendance with his wife and daughters. It is easy to see that Daniels is a faith-filled family-man, but you'd be right to assume that the NBA Champion is also a faithful fitness-man.
During my discussion with Mr. Daniels, not only did we talk about events that promote physical fitness, such as Daniels' annual summer basketball camp, but we also discussed nutrition and the importance that a well-balanced diet plays in keeping fit.
So what does a breakfast for a champion consist of? Well, for NBA Champion Antonio Daniels breakfast consists of egg-whites and Kiolbassa Sausage. Daniels loves the taste of the San Antonio sausage company and stated, "If you mix anything with scrambled egg-whites you can get something healthy out of it."
That advice is definitely something you should remember. Firstly, because is it a great to way to make sure you begin your day with a healthy breakfast, and second, so you're not disgusted with yourself for eating cheesecake at 11 a.m.
After downing another bite of my mid-day dessert/snack, I asked Daniels where I could find a healthy meal while out and about in San Antonio. The former Spur responded, "If you really look hard enough you can find a healthy meal at most places, but I really enjoy Paloma Blanca [located at 5800 Broadway, 210-822-6151]." The restaurant, which specializes in Mexican cuisine, also has a paleo gluten-gree menu that Daniels often orders from. His favorite entree from Paloma Blanca are the Fajitas A La Parrilla. Paloma Blanca's fajitas can be either vegetarian, chicken or gulf-shrimp and are served with bell pepper, pico de gallo, grilled onions and guacamole.
Just as I scooped out a second slice of cheesecake I thought, "You can't fool me, Antonio Daniels, not even NBA Champions can eat healthy all the time." Then he revealed to me, what I consider, the most interesting and relatable information that I have ever heard: 13-year NBA veteran, former-Spur, and NBA Champion, Antonio Daniels loves those little flat cookies from Subway! I would just like to take a brief moment to thank Subway for providing evidence that Antonio and I have a more similar diet than I ever thought. But then again, who doesn't absolutely love those cookies?
