LeBron James' Taco Tuesdays could have a negative impact on his performance, stats reveal

LeBron James' love for taco's and his 'Taco Tuesdays' has been around since 2018. The Los Angeles Lakers started his Taco Tuesdays tradition right before he started playing for the Lakers, and has since then consistently shared moments of his day with tacos on his social media accounts. James has tried to trademark 'Taco Tuesdays' in the past, and has sent a taco truck to California wildfire first responders while getting the crowd to chant 'Taco Tuesday' during a Lakers game against the Memphis Grizzlies in October. 

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LeBron James Taco Tuesday affected his game the following day, says Reddit user

#TacoTuesdays have eaten into LeBron's productivity and I have the data to prove it.https://t.co/zokjkOsO2V@KingJames @NBAonTNT @barstoolsports @Lakers pic.twitter.com/1sxGoZiFkD

— Ryan D Sullivan (@TheSull_Ryan)

Also read | LeBron James gets crowd to chant 'Taco Tuesday' in Lakers vs Grizzlies: LeBron James Taco Tuesday

This week, a user on the NBA subbreddit – angrycentrist – laid out the reasons why the LeBron James Taco Tuesday tradition has affected his own game, as well as his team's. The user's extensive research analysed James' pre-Taco Tuesday stats (before August 2018). He analysed performances for each season, taking averages for each day of a week and how those performances have affected his entire season's averages. 

Per his analysis, James scored his best on Tuesdays before he started the weekly taco fest. “Meaning, Tuesday is the day he was least likely to perform worse than his season average, and the day he was most likely to perform better than his season average,” angrycentrist explained. He further pointed out that on Tuesdays, James' team won 71%, which is 4% better James' overall win rate for all those seasons. 

The Reddit user then highlights all stats after James began with Taco Tuesday, where his performances have been worse than all his seasons at Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. As per user angrycentrist, James' performance has reversed after his 'taco titillations' as his averages have dropped for most key stats. Per the numbers, James' team win percentage on Tuesdays is now less than the Lakers' overall win percentage. 

Users commented on the Reddit post, pointing out that James' diet should ideally affect his games on Wednesday, and not Tuesday as NBA games tend to eat after games. If compared to Tuesdays, James has performed well on Wednesdays. The commenter added that the three-time NBA champion's performance most likely receives a boost after Taco Tuesday, and declines over the week as he hasn't eaten them for six days.

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LeBron James diet and Taco Tuesdays at the NBA bubble

James last spoke about the Taco Tuesdays on ESPN's Rachel Nichols' Instagram story, where the 35-year-old star yells Taco Tuesday into the practice room at the NBA Buble while his teammate Anthony Davis turns his head to look at James. After the NBA suspended the 2019-20 season, James had resumed his Taco Tuesdays by feeding around 1,300 people through the LeBron James Family Foundation. His diet was also broken down by Ladder Chief Nutrition Officer Adam Bornstein, who stated that a taco dish packed with protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats is a ritual, and is not limited to Taco Tuesdays. 

Lakers restart schedule

James, along with the Lakers, is currently at the NBA Campus at Walt Disney Wolrd in Orlando, Florida. The Lakers are currently leading the Western Conference with a 49-14 win-loss record, while James was averaging 25.7 points and career-high 10.6 assists before NBA's suspension. The Lakers will officially resume their NBA 2019-20 season with a matchup against he LA Clippers on July 30, 9:00 PM EST (July 31, 6:30 AM IST). 

Also read | LeBron James continues Taco Tuesday tradition by feeding 1,300 people for COVID-19 relief: LeBron James Taco Tuesday

(Image source: LeBron James official Instagram – @kingjames)