Sports | February 13, 2018 12:05 pm

Inside the NBA’s Wine Culture

A passion for wine has swept through the NBA, consuming everyone from LeBron to Carmelo to Steph.

Dwyane Wade #3, LeBron James #23, Carmelo Anthony #7 of the Eastern Conference pose for a photo with Chris Paul #3 of the Western Conference after the 64th NBA All-Star Game presented by KIA as part of the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend on February 15, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

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By Jake Greenberg

A new ESPN long-read brings us inside the vast world of NBA wine connoisseurship, as wine obsession has gripped many of the association’s biggest stars. LeBron has inspired a passion for grapes amongst the Cavaliers, while Dwyane Wade produces a red blend and a cabernet sauvignon of his own. As for other stars, Jimmy Butler and Chris Paul love a good pinot noir, as does Kevin Durant, who prefers his richer and full-bodied. Steph Curry has become a fan of Bordeaux’s, while Damian Lillard is something of a Riesling fanatic. The NBA’s wine culture has its origins on the Banana Boat, the famous summer 2015 vacation taken by James, Wade, Paul, and Carmelo Anthony. It was Carmelo, the league’s most avid wine-freak, who inspired the other superstars to explore their love of wine.