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Stephen A. Smith is going viral for his words about Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. The sports show host has gone on an attack of Williamson’s work ethic and eating habits, criticizing the former first-round pick on a national stage.
It’s a narrative seen before regarding Williamson’s NBA career.
His time in the league thus far has been riddled with nagging injuries, leading to his appearing just 133 games over his five-year professional career. In four of those five seasons, he’s played in less than 30 games, including missing the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign with a foot injury.
After having surgery for that setback, a number of media outlets became weary of his weight gain.
Reports claimed that he’d ballooned north of 300 pounds, leading the Pelicans to put a clause in his contract requiring he stay at 295 pounds or less.
According to league sources, Williamson’s contract stipulates that he will have weigh-ins periodically throughout the entirety of his new deal. The sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295. If it is not, the amount of guaranteed money in Williamson’s contract can be reduced.
According to Stephen A. Smith, Zion Williamson could be in jeopardy of breaking that obligation.
Smith blasted the basketballer on his radio show, saying that he’s “addicted to food.”
“Zion Williamson, he looks fat. He looks fat… Zion Williamson went to the free throw line the other day, ladies and gentlemen, I saw a belly. When he took a deep breath, his belly bounced. That kind of belly.
“You looked like you showed up to the game having just ate a buffet. Not something from the buffet, I said, ‘The buffet.’ Like you ate the damn table…
“I know they’ve got a weight clause in his contract; they’ve got to. He’s violating that. So, he’s addicted to food!”
It’s not the only time he’s bashed the NBA star this week.
He shared a similar opinion on First Take Monday morning.
Oh my God😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/t4jHP1SpQL
— mancala (@guerlainguerier) December 11, 2023
According to Williamson’s NBA bio, he currently sits at 284 pounds. He’s had a strong season thus far, averaging 22.2 points per game.
New Orleans is 12-11 through 23 games, and this could be a storyline to follow as the year progresses.