Kevin Garnett was one of the most intimidating players to ever step foot on an NBA Court. From the legends of his trash talk to his dominating playstyle, one would imagine that his pregame routine would consist of something as hardcore as his persona on the court. However, that is far from the truth because the Big Ticket was chomping up PB&J’s while tuning in to his favorite show – Family Guy.
In a recent episode of the KG Certified podcast via All The Smoke Productions, Kevin Garnett joined Paul Pierce to reveal what his pregame routine looked like. He detailed how his entire focus for a game would depend on the 6:00 PM timeslot during which Family Guy would air on cable TV during Garnett’s era. He would need to watch the show before every game to get into a calm and collected mindset on the court.
Every day that I would get to the Arena, it all revolved around Family Guy at 6, having my peanut butter and jellies, and getting my ankles taped.
Kevin Garnett said.
Ticket was stopping by Quahog every pregame to get his mind straight 💯
KG breaks down his pregame routine, and how it helped him calm down before tip off. pic.twitter.com/6izf4b4ed6
— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) January 22, 2025
When asked about his favorite characters from the show, Garnett revealed that he was (obviously) a fan of Peter, although Stewie and (rather unapologetically) Quagmire were his favorite characters. Coincidentally, Paul Pierce chimed in with his own opinion on his favorite TV show – The Simpsons.
Both answers were certainly surprising picks by two players whose careers revolved around a stern and locked-in mindset on the court. Contrasting to their on-court personas, both stars were fans of two of the popular adult comedy animated shows on television during the late 90s and early 2000s. This shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, however, given the cultural relevance of both Family Guy and The Simpsons in pop culture and media.
How Kevin Garnett and the rest of the NBA found their favorite pre-game meal
It’s interesting to consider what the favorite snack across the entire NBA could be. Given that athletes in the NBA are uber-focused on their diet and health, most hire professional cooks to keep them on track with their meals. So, given these circumstances, one would imagine that the favorite snack across the league would be a bag of Kale chips or something – right? The answer is actually a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich.
Kevin Garnett is often recognized as the founding father of the PB&J sandwich, which is the ultimate pre-game meal across the association. The story goes that Garnett once declared that he wanted a PB&J sandwich prior to a game, and after finishing with a great performance in the game, it became his regular go-to snack before every single game for the rest of his career.
Given its homely and simple nature, the sandwich didn’t just catch on with Kevin Garnett but soon the rest of the league. The innocuous high-school snack spread like wildfire across the league and has since become a staple, with teams supplying an entire catering of different types of PB&J sandwiches to locker rooms before games.
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