We know two things for sure about Justin Anderson after one season in the NBA: 1) He’s a world-class athlete, 2) with a world-class appetite.
The next thing we are beginning to learn about the 22-year-old wing is he has a deep appreciation for his teammates. Monday night Anderson hosted most of the new Mavericks at Texas Land & Cattle on Lemmon, also inviting some 80-plus fans and media for a dinner benefiting the C5 Youth Foundation of Texas.
Those of us who either spend a lot of time in the kitchen or watch a lot of cooking shows know that by eating prepared food, you can gather something about the creator. In Anderson’s case, he worked with executive chef John Imbriolo to prepare a six-course meal, each selected by Anderson to combine elements of his Virginia childhood and professional career in the big city.
“I’m just giving an opportunity for Dallas to get to know a country kid from Virginia, and just see how we live, and I guess to bring a taste of Montross to Dallas,” Anderson said.
The second-year pro picked up a penchant for cooking early in his childhood. Montross is a small town of just 384, per the 2010 Census, and Anderson said once the streetlights came on outside, there wasn’t much to do. Life moves at a different pace in the country. But he, along with his siblings, would gather around the kitchen table and watch their parents cook dinner, and Justin and his brother E.J. would occasionally sneak in some seasoning or an extra ingredient to see how it would change the taste.
His experience would prove valuable in college, when he’d often cook for his roommates or teammates, most of whom — as is the case with just about every college student out there, myself included once upon a time — didn’t know which way was up when it came to operating in the kitchen. Anderson said one of his teammates would cook frozen chicken nuggets in the microwave and crinkle-cut french fries in the oven. “You’re doing it all wrong,” he’d bemoan.
“People ask sometimes, ‘What do you do outside of playing basketball?’ My first answer is always cooking,” Anderson said. “I just love it. It’s something that takes the mind away from everything. If you’ve been having a long day, and you make a dish that you love, you almost forget about it.”
Familiarity with Anderson’s roots helps to understand his menu, which began with a crab bisque with “just the right amount of spice,” as the Anderson-autographed menu stated, along with a grilled king crab leg. Imbriolo said crab was the first thing Anderson mentioned as he imagined the courses. Then came a Buffalo chicken dip and a tomato and cucumber salad before the meats came out.
And, my, the meat was good. To say Anderson has been impressed by Texas beef would be an understatement: There simply aren’t enough sources of local beef in his hometown, so his first real introduction to fresh beef, such as the salt block prime tenderloin or chipotle sugar bacon-wrapped ribeye courses, came when he moved to Dallas. That’s one more reason he’s happy to be a Maverick.
The highlight of the meal was “Justin’s ABJ,” his spin on the traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich, in which he substitutes almond butter in for peanut butter “for health purposes,” served on pan-seared Texas toast, which he has said has always been his preferred choice of bread with any sandwich. But there’s more on it which he won’t divulge. “I’m not gonna say what I do from there, because hopefully one day I can make that mine,” he said, visions of future Executive Chef Justin Anderson in his head. “But it’s ridiculous. It’s so good.” (It is.)
After the meal, head coach Rick Carlisle introduced each player to those in attendance as this was the first opportunity for many of them to speak to the community. This is a much younger roster than the Mavericks have put together in recent seasons, so it’s important for the young guys to get to know each other, their coach, and their community as soon as possible to ease their transition to the NBA. Assistant coaches Melvin Hunt and Kaleb Canales also attended.
The mission of the C5 Youth Foundation of Texas is to change the odds for high-potential youth from risk-filled environments, inspiring them to pursue personal success, and preparing them for leadership roles in college, work, and their communities. Of more than 200 kids to complete the five-year program, each of them has graduated high school and all of have been accepted into colleges, including one at Stanford and one at Dartmouth. Former NHL goalie and Dallas Stars legend Marty Turco is among those spearheading the efforts of the foundation.
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