Serge Ibaka is a pro basketball player who recently won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors – but he’s also an outspoken proponent of edible insects who uses cricket protein in his daily post-workout smoothie!
“Maffuzy Chef”, as the African-born (Congo) Ibaka is known on his popular YouTube show, How Hungry Are You?, has been revered by those of us in the insect industry for several years since it came out that he is a big fan of insect nutrition.
He’s fed worms, caterpillars, and crickets to other NBA players who were guests on his show, and he attributes part of his otherworldly sports performance to consuming cricket protein as a staple in his diet.
But Ibaka is no longer just an NBA player – fresh off winning his first NBA Finals, he’s now being called the MVP of Paris fashion week as well!
This after being on the cover of ESPN’s “Body Issue” back in 2014. Is he setting himself up for a possible post-NBA career in hollywood?
Those of us who love eating bugs and believe in insect nutrition can only hope so, because this would give him a new audience of hollywood A-listers to share his love of edible insects with – and then the message of insect protein will spread even faster! And that would be great for insects as the future of food.
Check out the videos below of Serge talking about his cricket protein shakes and cooking up some bugs for other NBA stars to eat.
(Above: Serge Ibaka talks about putting cricket protein in his smoothies; Below: Cooking bugs for NBA all-star Demar DeRozan)
And one more pic series because, I mean, come on – #inspiration!
