Stephen A. Smith Called Zion Williamson A 'food Addict,' Is Now Feuding With The Pelicans On Social

Williamson has been listed arsenic 6-foot-6, 284 pounds since New Orleans selected him retired of Duke pinch nan No. 1 wide prime successful nan 2019 draft. His weight and fittingness level person been regularly criticized, and nan magnitude of clip Williamson has missed because of injuries hasn’t helped (including each of nan 2021-22 play pursuing offseason correct ft surgery).

After playing only 30 games past play because of a near hamstring strain and a little backmost injury, Williamson reported for 2025-26 looking trim and successful shape. He told reporters that he and Pelicans trainer Daniel Bove had travel up pinch a strategy to reside his fittingness while rehabbing his hamstring and that he stuck to it.

“I haven’t felt for illustration this since college, precocious school,” Williamson said astatine nan time, “where I tin locomotion successful nan gym and I’m for illustration just, ‘I consciousness good.’”

Williamson has played successful 46 of nan Pelicans’ 63 games this season, already nan third-most games he has played successful his 7 NBA seasons. In a caller question and reply pinch ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Williamson addressed really nan past disapproval affected him mentally.

“I would opportunity nan astir difficult constituent was erstwhile I missed my 3rd twelvemonth pinch a surgery foot, and location was a batch of disapproval connected my weight, my attraction for nan game, etc.,” Williamson said. “But ... while group were saying what they’re saying — and everybody’s entitled to their ain opinion, it is what it is — I’m successful Portland rehabbing, not knowing if my foot’s gonna heal, and it was frustrating. It was very frustrating.

“I was low. I was really debased because I conscionable wanted to play basketball. I conscionable wanted to play nan crippled I love, but each clip you move nan TV on, each clip I cheque my phone, it was thing but antagonistic criticism, man. At nan time, it did a lot, for illustration I said, it did a lot, but it was a blessing successful disguise, and I learned from it and I grew from it.”