North Carolina State basketball star D.J. Burns Jr. has lost a shocking amount of weight in hopes of being drafted into the NBA.
Burns brought his NC State men’s basketball team to its first Final Four since 1983 and became a national sensation for his talent, charisma, and even his size.
Listed at 6’9”, 275 pounds, Burns’ impressive agility and athleticism was noted by reporters as his team made a historic run in the annual basketball tournament following their ACC championship.
However, ahead of the NBA Draft, Burns has completely changed his image with a new nutritionist and cardio exercise regimen, which has resulted in a reported 45-pound weight loss.
The forward responded to a fan who was looking to find out how he lost so much weight.
“Got any tips on weight loss?” the fan wrote.
“Work out more, eat less, stay at home lol,” Burns replied.
‘He’s been doing workout four days a week, at 5 a.m., he made a point to say there has been no Ozempic used.’
Due to the popularity of weight-loss medications, Burns wanted to make sure basketball media knew that he wasn’t cutting any corners.
Reporter Shams Charania said he caught up with Burns at an agency Pro Day, and the big man emphasized that hard work was how he shed so many pounds.
“D.J. Burns Jr. … there was a big deal made about his size, his frame, his weight, he was listed at 275 pounds when he finished the season in college,” Charania said on “Run It Back.”
“I saw him at the Pro Day yesterday, he looked totally different,” the reporter continued. “I talked to him afterwards … D.J. Burns told me that he has lost 45 pounds in the last six and a half weeks.”
“He said he’s been doing workouts four days a week, at 5 a.m., he made a point to say there has been no Ozempic used.”
Ozempic is a diabetes medication that has been famously used as a weight-loss drug, although that is not its intended purpose.
Part of Burns’ rise to fame has been his humbleness and honesty, which has included being openly Christian on social media and in interviews.
“God really blessed me with the opportunity to be able to showcase my talent more often, so it’s a blessing,” he said during his team’s run.
“Glory be to God. Through him it is always possible to overcome obstacles,” Burns also wrote before the NCAA tournament. Two weeks later, he scored 16 points in 16 minutes in the tournament opener, seeing limited time despite starting the game.
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