While Gatorade is never far from our minds when watching or playing sports, Game 1 of the NBA Finals drove home just how critical to the fabric of athletic culture the ubiquitous drink has become. With LeBron James cramping up in the wilting heat of San Antonio’s air conditioning-deprived AT&T Center, everybody watching began to ask why this elite athlete was cramping so badly.
Thanks to their persistent and creative marketing efforts, Gatorade was the first thing everybody thought of. Never mind the blistering temperatures and insane level of effort being exerted; it had to be a lack of Gatorade that was causing LeBron to be in such distress. The company even had some of fun with the situation on Twitter, pointing out that LeBron was not one of their sponsored athletes (he’s with PowerAde) and that this would never happen under their watch.
Putting aside the inaccuracy of that statement (Gatorade is the only sports drink on NBA sidelines), it’s nevertheless true that because of its popularity, we know a lot of information about Gatorade, its current uses, and its history. But there are also some other bits of information (both good and bad) that modern fans may not realize about the popular drink. Here are 20 Things You Didn't Know About Gatorade.