Boris Diaw gets extra minutes during blowouts to make him lose weight

Gregg Popovich leaves Boris Diaw in blowouts to make him lose weight.

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Boris Diaw is the subject of a profile in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated, and the Spurs utility man holds up his reputation as one of the most interesting men in basketball.

Andrew Sharp chronicles the veteran’s quest for the finest cups of coffee in every NBA city, as well as his playful relationship with Gregg Popovich. The two have a friendly ongoing battle regarding Diaw’s fluctuating weight, with the forward revealing his size actually gets him extra minutes on the court. 

 “Sometimes we’re up 30,” Diaw says, “and he's like, ‘I’m just going to leave you on the court so you can lose some weight.’”

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The story also talks about a photo essay Diaw created for French magazine L’Equipe to document the 2014 French national team, in which he compared himself to the portly but dangerous hippopotamus.

• Boris Diaw says he wants to go to space

Diaw and the Spurs will seek to take the series lead over Oklahoma City on Friday night in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals matchup.