Robert “Tractor” Traylor recently went through about 15 McDonald’s triple-double burgers in a five-hour span.
Before summoning Morgan Spurlock to Cleveland to film a sequel to his “Super Size Me,” let it be known the Cavaliers’ biggie forward did not eat a single bite. The triple cheeseburgers–which should carry a Surgeon General’s warning–were mere props for a McDonald’s commercial featuring Traylor and teammate Drew Gooden.
How ironic that the ad’s star, the 284-pound Traylor, is trimmer now than any time in recent years. He’s certainly more svelte and effective than in his first stint with the Cavaliers four seasons ago.
“Oh, definitely,” said veteran teammate Scott Williams, when asked if Traylor’s weight reduction is in inverse proportion to his productivity increase.
“He’s got a quicker second jump, he’s quicker at getting offensive position and he explodes and finishes a lot better than he did earlier in his career.”
Traylor isn’t going to win any NBA Sixth Man awards, but he has been a constant coming off one of the league’s most flaccid benches. While he doesn’t possess Anderson Varejao’s potential or boundless energy, Traylor provides a toughness and consistency in short supply.
He also gives fans something else–inspiration. In an XXL nation in which the chicken wing has become a fifth food group, Traylor is proof that a little self control and a commitment to exercise pays dividends.
Let’s face it–we are a country of big eaters. Our kids are overweight. Our pets are overweight. I spent much of my 30s revving up bags of Tostino’s Pizza Rolls at 1 a.m. and working myself into a state of Kirstie Alley.
Tractor feels our pain. He grew up in a Detroit home filled with love and artery-clogging food. Chicken fried steak. Fried chicken. Banana pudding. Peach cobbler.
“My grandmother taught me how to be a great cook,” said Traylor, who along with his fiance plans to open a soul-food restaurant in Detroit.
But the sixth overall selection in the 1998 draft was on the verge of eating himself out of the league. The 6-foot-8-inch power forward swelled to 330 pounds early in his career. Traylor’s inability to keep his weight down cost him jobs with the Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2000) and Cavaliers (2000-01), an organization haunted by memories of “Dinner Bell” Mel Turpin and Shawn Kemp.
It was former Cavaliers coach Paul Silas, not exactly a soup-and-salad guy himself, who gave Traylor another chance with the Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets. It was also Silas who helped convince general manager Jim Paxson to sign him to a one-year deal in August.
“Paul pushed for it more than I did,” Paxson said.
It was hardly a popular move.
Fans recalled an out-of-shape player who struggled to keep pace with the rigors and demands of the game. But Traylor has proved many wrong and blossomed into Paxson’s best free-agent signing of the LeBron James era.
He arrived at training camp in good shape. He curtailed late-night meals and learned to say “No” to sweets. Insiders say Traylor now passes on the team-flight dessert tray.
If he does indulge, Traylor tries to burn the excess calories on a treadmill.
“It’s not what you eat as much as what you do after you eat it,” he said.
Here’s a seventh-year pro who finally gets it. Miscast as a high first-round draft pick out of Michigan, Traylor understands his role and is willing to accept it. He can make a comfortable living coming off the bench, giving his team quality minutes like a Mark West or Dale Davis.
He is averaging 5.0 points and 4.3 rebounds. Beyond the numbers, he is not afraid to sacrifice his body. He sets screens. He battles aggressively. He treats the key like a mosh pit, slamming into unsuspecting opponents used to driving the Cavaliers’ lane without consequence.
It’s the kind of grinding style the Cavaliers will need in the playoffs, assuming they make it.
“You’ve got to do anything it takes to win,” Traylor said. “If it means putting someone on their back, so be it.”
Traylor has given the Cavaliers an honest effort. Coaches know what to expect from him.
“He’s had stretches where he gives us a real lift,” Paxson said.
See what shedding a few pounds can do? Almost makes you want to put down that fast-food burger.
