Zion Williamson came into the NBA as arguably the most hyped prospect to enter the league since LeBron James did in 2003. The 21-year-old had been popular since his days in high school, having broken the internet with videos of high-flying dunks and dominant performances. He was drafted first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans with hopes that he would become the next great superstar in the league.
While he has definitely shown the potential to do so, having already been picked as an All-Star last season, Williamson has been unable to consistently showcase that potential. He has suffered from a number of injuries to his feet as well as his knees. The power forward hasn’t featured in the NBA since May 2021, with his latest foot injury now having led to Zion rehabbing away from the team.
He has received a lot of criticism over the course of the last few months for his weight, with rumors saying that it has crossed 330 pounds and pictures emerging of Zion looking noticeably heavier than before. Now, another superstar who struggled with his conditioning in Shaquille O’Neal has given some advice to the young Williamson, addressing what he needs to do on TNT’s Inside the NBA.
“I totally understand what you guys are saying about veterans and the people around him. But at some point, he’s (Zion Williamson) gonna have to say what do I wanna be known as.
“‘Do I want to be known as the best player in the league, do I want to be this? Do I want to be that?’ He needs to tell himself that. He needs to look in the mirror-like ‘you know what? I don’t look like I did in high school or Duke. I’ve put on a few pounds. This is what I have to do to get it off.’ And get to that next level.”
The updates from New Orleans about Williamson’s injuries have been vague and there doesn’t really seem to be a return date set for his season debut. Williamson is currently in Portland as he continues to rehab and will really need to work on his body if he wants to return to the NBA and dominate. The Pelicans are currently 1.5 games out of the 10th spot in the West and desperately need Zion to return soon if they are to make it to the playoffs somehow this season.
