Food, health and MVPs: An interview with Zion Williamson’s personal chef

New Orleans Pelicans: Interview with chef Christian Green

-Do you think it’s more nerve wracking to play in the NBA playoffs or stand in front of the judges on MasterChef?

“Oooooh (laughs), that’s a good question. Ummm, honestly could I pick both? To be honest, I’d say it’s a little bit different because when you’re standing in front of judges, you may be 100 percent about your dish, but you really don’t know what the judges are thinking, right, like you really, really don’t know what they’re thinking because their palate is at a high and they’re looking at your food in such a different way versus a team that’s been studying another team getting ready for the playoffs. So, the judges don’t study me, they study me maybe as I’m cooking or putting it together, but in regards to having time to, we are going to study Christian to see if he can really nail this dish, you can’t really do that for a MasterChef versus a guy that has been in the NBA for X number of years…you know how to study your opponent, you know how to study the guys you’re about to play against, so I think it’s very different, but I’ll tell you this, it’s nerve-wracking on both sides, both sides of the ball.”

-Any advice for aspiring young chefs in New Orleans?

Definitely. And I say this all the time, I was nominated best chef in Louisiana in 2020 would have never thought in a 1,000 years I’d be nominated the way that I have been and also recognized the way I’ve been recognized. I just tell these young chefs, just stay focused, put God first, keep your faith and just work hard, always be a student and in anything that you do, it could be tying your shoe, just be focused and be committed and be confident. Have confidence in the work that your doing and love what you do, and work hard. One thing about these young chefs nowadays is that they think it’s just going to come, and I feel like success doesn’t just come overnight, you really have to put in the work. I’m a living witness, I’ve put in the work for X amount of years, I’ve been cooking since 1999, so for me to be where I’m at today is truly a blessing, so for chefs that are currently coming up, trying to fill the shoes and go through some of the doors I’ve opened with working with professional athletes, actors, actresses, you just gotta stay confident, stay confident within yourself, keep your faith and just work hard, always put your head in a book, there some things you’re not going to always know, so always be a student to the game. That’s it.

-Just to put you on the spot: Make one bold prediction about the Pelicans or Zion’s upcoming season.

MVP.

Thanks again to Chef Green, and If Zion does win MVP we’ll know one of the people behind the scenes who helped him get it done.