Boris Diaw confirms legendary cappuccino workout story

Boris Diaw is without question one of the most interesting players in the NBA.

Among the many stories told about the fabulous Frenchman, one tale from his days with the Phoenix Suns stands out as the perfect encapsulation of Diaw's aloof personality and unassuming ability.

The story, according to ESPN's Marc Stein:

"Boris walks into the gym one day wearing flip-flops and holding his customary cappuccino, which was a staple for him every morning," former Suns assistant general manager David Griffin recalled. "It was during pre-draft workouts, so he sees the Vertec (machine) and asks what it is.

"We tell him it measures your vertical leap by determining how many of the bars you can touch. He asks what's the highest anyone has ever gone, and we tell him Amar'e (Stoudemire) cleared the entire rack.

"Boris puts down the cappuccino, takes off his flip-flops, and clears the entire rack on the first try. Then he calmly puts his flip-flops back on, picks up his cappuccino, and walks away, saying, 'That was not difficult.'"

Diaw, now with the Utah Jazz, confirmed parts of the story to Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune on Thursday.

"It's kind of a legend," he joked. "I remember that day. I don't know if I set up the record, but I remember being in flip-flops with a coffee in my hand and jumping."

Now 34 years old, with flecks of white dotting his patchy beard, Diaw says his days of besting leapers like Stoudemire are behind him. The elegant big man now almost exclusively plays below the rim.

But once in a while, when it's really needed, Diaw will hop in the time machine.

"Obviously. That was a while ago. ... I've got some (hops), but usually you see it like twice a month maybe. I'm going to get a block or something and you'll be like, 'Where's that from?' You'll see it happens every now and then."