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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jack Snape

‘I feel like I’m 21’: Joe Ingles on the NBA, life in Australia and 1,500 days without drinking

Joe Ingles warms up for NBL club Melbourne United
‘I think it is a bit of a culture thing in Australia. When you catch up with your mates, you grab a beer or a coffee,’ Joe Ingles says as he returns to play in the NBL. Photograph: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Basketballer Joe Ingles appears as the archetype of the Australian larrikin. There is one box, however, he no longer ticks. The 39-year-old gave up alcohol in 2022 after suffering a serious knee injury, and he has now gone more than 1,500 days without drinking.

“Stopping – that part of it – during rehab was very easy,” he says from Melbourne, after moving back to the NBL following 12 seasons in the NBA. At that point, it was just one aspect of aiding his recovery. Like staying healthy and avoiding junk food.

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