Getty Image / Thearon W Henderson
4 years ago, Zion Williamson entered the NBA with quite a bit of hype behind him after a successful college basketball season at Duke.
He was drafted 1st overall by the New Orleans Pelicans and was expected to become a star in the league.
When he has been on the court, he has lived up to the hype.
So far in his career, Zion has averaged 25.8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game when he has been able get onto the floor.
Unfortunately, actually being on the court has been a big problem for him. Zion has played just 114 of 308 possible games over the first 4 seasons of his NBA career.
In that time Williamson has struggled with injuries and with staying in shape.
As he has struggled, Charles Barkley has been vocal about Zion’s issues.
That didn’t change this week.
Charles Barkley made an appearance on SportsCenter and called out Zion for not keeping in shape.
“He needs to get in shape, plain and simple. This is professional basketball, we’re not babysitters. To make the kind of money these guys are making today, I don’t think it’s a lot to tell guys to get in shape.”
Charles Barkley on Zion Williamson 🗣️pic.twitter.com/UbcbFTAVG1
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 15, 2023
“He needs to get in shape, plain and simple. This is professional basketball, we’re not babysitters. To make the kind of money these guys are making today, I don’t think it’s a lot to tell guys to get in shape.”
Zion has been saying the right things this offseason about his diet and doing what he needs to avoid injuries, but fans and Barkley are going to need to see it to believe.
Zion Williamson has been creeping into bust territory over the last couple of years as he has struggled with his availability.
At just 23 years old, Zion has plenty of time to change the way his career is perceived, but it’s clear Charles Barkley thinks he needs to make some major changes to the way he approaches his NBA career.