Winslow on cooking, mental health, waiting
Grizzlies’ new forward eager to make long-awaited debut
New Grizzlies forward Justise Winslow has used his time at home to work on his cooking. His food of choice? Beyond Meat burgers.
During an interview with Grind City Media on Friday, Winslow said he's preparing to go vegan after his 25th birthday next March. So while he's looking forward to eating his share of Memphis barbecue, he's also getting creative with his vegan dishes.
“I'm marinating (the patties) in barbecue sauce, jerk sauce, some Creole seasoning, hot sauce,” Winslow said. “Sit them out, let them thaw out and then I got a little grill in the kitchen.”
Of course, Winslow also has focused on basketball and other hobbies like photography. While he's in South Florida, he's worked out with a basketball goal set up outside his home.
Just before the NBA season was suspended on March 11, Winslow was cleared to make his debut the following night in the Grizzlies' game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He hasn't played since suffering a back injury on Jan. 8 while with the Miami Heat.
On Friday, The Athletic reported that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told the league's Board of Governors he's setting a target date of July 31 to resume the season. ESPN reported the Board of Governors is planning to vote Thursday to approve Silver's recommendation on a format to restart the season.
Winslow said he's been anxious to return to the floor but he's appreciating team meetings on Zoom or followup chats with assistant coach Brad Jones. The team chemistry, he said, reminds him of his 2015 Duke team that won a national championship.
“I've just been waiting to put on that jersey,” Winslow said. “I've been grinding, but I miss the team. There's just something special about this team.”
After the NBA season was suspended, Winslow partnered with the Midsouth Food Bank to help distribute 14day food boxes. He also shared that he's becoming a better advocate for mental health awareness.
Last fall, he spoke at his former high school in Texas and he nearly backed out because he got nervous. But when he spoke, he found strength in sharing his story and understanding he wasn't alone.
“I just know I have a bigger purpose than basketball and that's just to help everyone reach their potential and that mental health aspect is a huge part of it,” Winslow said. “We don't need to talk about it all day, but we need to make time for it every day.”
Winslow said he's looking forward to sharing another of his passions with music. He has plans to possibly release a hip-hop album in July that he's worked on with several friends.
But if the NBA does plan on returning by then, he's just as excited to return and finally suit up for the Grizzlies.
“Whenever they let us lace it up, whenever they let us compete, the whole NBA is going to put on a show like we always do. It's going to be fun,” Winslow said. “The games are going to be weird, there won't be fans, but we're going to make it worth it.”