Festus Feasts: Warriors champ shares flavorful new journey around the Bay
Festus Feasts: NBA Champion highlights Bay Area eats and culture
Former Warriors center Festus Ezeli is turning his passion for food into a mission to uplift Bay Area restaurants through his Instagram Festus Feasts. He's using flavor, storytelling, and heart to spotlight local culture and community.
SAN FRANCISCO - Former Golden State Warriors center and NBA champion Festus Ezeli is known for his plays on the court, but these days, he’s bringing that same passion to the plate.
Ezeli is building a loyal following through his Instagram Festus Feasts, where he shares his enthusiastic, play-by-play reactions to dishes across the Bay Area. His videos are a mix of bold flavors and personality, offering play-by-play commentary that fans find both entertaining and relatable.
"The guava barbecue sauce is amazing. How do you even come up with something like that?" he exclaimed on Monday while biting into pork wings at Cha Cha Cha in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.
Ezeli doesn’t just taste the food - he celebrates it.
"I wanted to use my platform to share these amazing restaurants that we love that are the backbones of the community here - amazing stories, mom-and-pop restaurants, amazing chefs, who are immigrants," he said.
The former NBA star, who also serves as a basketball analyst on NBC Sports Bay Area, grew up in Nigeria and moved to California as a teen, an experience that shaped both his worldview and his palate.
"I grew up in Nigeria, it's still my favorite food," he said. "But I moved to Yuba City, California - my city - it was a lot of Mexicans, a lot of Indians, so I started to get introduced to that food, and then I went to school at Vanderbilt and I got introduced to barbecue."
Sharing culture and building community
At Cha Cha Cha, Ezeli shared a Caribbean tapas spread with KTVU, including jerk chicken, plantains, and cajun shrimp. He reflected on how his global travels have shown him that food is a powerful way to connect with new places, people, and cultures.
"This feels like a warm hug," he said. "When I first saw this restaurant, I saw that it was Caribbean tapas, and I was like, ‘what are you talking about?’ And that's the beauty of the Bay."
He says part of the reason he launched Festus Feasts was to help bring visibility and foot traffic back to local restaurants, especially those that struggled during the pandemic.
"This is one of the reasons why I started this, because a lot of the restaurants that I knew and loved as a player, when I moved back a couple years ago to the Bay Area after retiring from playing ball, a lot of these restaurants closed, in large part due to COVID," Ezeli said.
One of his most viral videos featured a stop at San Tung, located on Irving Street in San Francisco, which is known for serving "the best wings in America." The clip racked up more than 1 million views and brought fresh attention to a longtime local favorite.
What's next
Ezeli is currently developing a new version of his show Festus Feasts, which will feature not only local restaurants but also notable guests, including Mayor Daniel Lurie and entrepreneur Ayesha Curry. He’s also working on branded merchandise tied to the project, with proceeds benefiting local charities.
"This is the whole point - through food we can all be family," he said, pointing at his hoodie. "This is why I wear this - it's some merch, still kind of secret... the whole idea is to support the community."
Restaurant owners say the impact is real.
"I love what he's doing. Not me - everyone in San Francisco loves what he's doing. He's supporting all the small businesses," said Oz Ozkaynak, owner of Cha Cha Cha.
Ezeli says sushi spots are next on his list, and he's continuing his serious and delicious hunt for the Bay Area’s best breakfast burrito.