Jrue Holiday is quietly building a Hall of Fame resume. The crafty veteran has always had a reputation as one of the best defenders in the NBA, but in recent years, major accolades have started to come his way. He made his first All-Defense team in 2017-18, his ninth season in the league. Another followed in 2018-19, when he first averaged 20 points per game. From there, the material started to pile up. His first year with the Milwaukee Bucks, in 2020-21, ended with his first championship. A few summers later, as part of the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade, Holiday was sent to Boston. Just like he did with the Bucks, Holiday earned another chip in his first year with the Celtics.

Now in his 16th orbit around the NBA, Holiday has both rings, six All-Defense teams, and posted a career-high percentage from the three-point line last year. There are also the two gold medals – at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics – which solidify his position as one of the most accomplished players of his era. Holiday attributes this in part to her tireless dedication to maintaining her body. He is a firm believer in Thorne’s line of supplements, which keep him sharp on and off the field, as he also raises two young children with his wife, Lauren, herself a gold medalist and Women’s World Cup winner .

Holiday and the Celts are the top candidates to repeat this year. To get there, Holiday knows he’ll have to master his sleep and hydration routines, and stay away from the nerve-wracking screens that christened him as a 19-year-old rookie fifteen years ago.

For Real diet, GQ speaks to athletes, celebrities and other high-performance athletes about their diet, exercise routines and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them may not necessarily be healthy for you.

GQ: You already had a short offseason this summer after winning the championship, and you still chose to go to the Olympics. You also went to the Olympics in 2021 after winning the championship with the Bucks, so I’m curious what you learned from this offseason that you applied to this one, in terms of training and recovery.

Jrue Holidays: Something I’ve learned is not to overdo it. Being able to recover – to step away and spend time with my family and be with my people, or be alone – is extremely important. During the season, you are torn in every direction, especially during the playoffs and the finals. It’s super mentally intense. The same is true for the Olympics. Mentally, we have to prepare as if it were us against the world, especially this last match against France.

This is where Thorne comes in with all the supplements I take. Whether it’s sleep, hydration, or gut health, it all keeps my body feeling healthy and strong. I twisted my ankle during the Olympics. I’m not sure anyone knew that! I think it’s because I’m doing preventative things and taking these supplements to help me recover a lot faster and take care of my body. Recovery is the most important part – mental recovery, physical recovery – to get back into the season smoothly like I never even stopped.

What type of supplements do you take and when did you become a supplement specialist?

I started after I got injured in New Orleans in 2014 and ended up having surgery. It was my first. There’s not much you can do when you’re injured. The recovery time until I could actually start doing things physically was about four or five months. My coach and I were thinking about ways to optimize my recovery and performance. That’s when we started talking to Thorne and taking their supplements. Multivitamins, fish oil, something for gut health, they contain things to help you sleep (fall asleep faster or stay asleep longer), amino acids for hydration and performance, protein powder after training or as a meal replacement.

How did you find Thorne?

We did our research. My trainer, his name is Mike G, has researched many different companies. But you know, with the NBA, they all have to be clean and NSF certified. Thorne always seemed so sturdy, and once I started taking them I felt really good. When I ended up getting traded, I saw that other teams were also using Thorne, and I was already with them. So it was like, I chose the right supplement company if NBA teams use them!