Baron Davis Says He Did Not Intentionally Get Fat

By BRETT POLLAKOFF

Updated 9:49 AM PDT, Thu, Dec 11, 2008

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At first, the reports about Baron Davis allowing himself to get a little chubby during the offseason were only slightly amusing. The comedy train then picked up a little steam, when Davis announced that he'd be going on the Jenny Craig diet plan to take off the unwanted pounds.

As it turns out, Davis was paid by the weight-loss company to use their product (and speak publicly about it), but did he really need it in the first place?

A recent report claimed that Davis intentionally put the weight on to earn his sponsorship fee, and that the Clippers were (predictably) not thrilled by this. Now, this wasn't front-page news, and in fact, it was kind of a throwaway piece of information located on the right side of a busy web page where the primary article was discussing the NBA and its policies on gun control. Still, the people at Jenny Craig -- and Davis himself -- felt that they had to address the rumor, and did so by issuing a statement. Here's an excerpt:

Jenny Craig has never – and will never – encourage someone to gain weight for the purposes of then going on the program. This would be irresponsible and contrary to the brand’s comprehensive food/body/mind approach to safe, effective weight management that has helped millions of people worldwide learn how to create a healthy relationship with food, build an active lifestyle and develop a balanced approach to living for more than 25 years.

Davis adds, “In no way did I gain weight on purpose. I became a spokesperson for Jenny Craig in the off-season to incorporate something new into my training regimen and to inspire others to join me in getting healthier.

Since the company is in the business of helping people lose weight responsibly, it's not surprising that they issued a statement completely denying the accusations. But given the nature of where the rumor appeared, it seems to be a bit excessive. Something about protesting too much, and all that.