Zion Williamson has shown flashes of the MVP-level talent he possesses, but injuries have hampered his progress through four seasons.
The Pelicans star has appeared in 114 games in his NBA career, including just 29 appearances in 2022-23 after a hamstring injury in January cut his season short. At the time of his injury, he was putting up All-Star numbers of 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals on .608/.368/.714 shooting splits, with New Orleans sitting third in the Western Conference standings.
Coupled with injuries to other key players, the Pelicans tumbled down the standings and missed out on the playoffs altogether after losing to the Thunder in the Play-In Tournament, bringing another frustrating season to an end in New Orleans.
The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft dropped in on Gilbert Arenas' show "Gil's Arena" during Las Vegas Summer League and discussed his frustrations, as well as his plans to get back on the floor.
"Man, I’m a hooper, so when I’m sitting on the sideline watching my teammates in certain games and they losing, I’m like, ‘Man, s—, I know if I was out there, I can change the outcome of it.'
"...When I'm on the sideline, that hurt me more than anything. I just want to hoop."
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Zion Williamson takes criticism of weight in stride
Williamson's conditioning has long been a subject of discussion with his 6-6, 284-pound frame and fluctuating physique drawing commentary from NBA legends Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal. However, he says he takes any criticism in stride.
“I do respect brutal honesty,” he said. “I'd rather somebody be brutally honest with me than try to sugarcoat it. At the end of the day, if they honest with me, I know what I need to do to fix it.”
In the candid conversation with Arenas and co., Williamson admitted that earlier in his career it was hard for him to stick to his diet.
"There are times when I wasn't — that s— hard, man. I'm 20-22, have a lot of money, feel like all the money in the world, man. It is hard," Williamson said.
"I am at that point now because of certain things and the wisdom around me — I don't wanna say older, but the people around me with wisdom put me on game to certain things and go from there."
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Zion Williamson following LeBron James' example
As he ramps up his preparations for the 2023-24 season, Williamson says his goal is not just losing weight to lighten the burden on his frame following successive injury-derailed seasons, but focusing on strength and conditioning that will help extend his career.
Lakers star LeBron James has long been an example of incredible longevity and avoiding serious injuries, coming off his 20th season in the league at age 38. Williamson says that type of preparation is what he wants to emulate.
"I'm always able to come back each summer feeling good, looking good, but I'll say it's more of locking in on flexibility, band work because I think it's those things that will be able to keep me on the court longer versus just losing a bunch of weight and then coming to play and not being able to maintain that.
"Bron got the blueprint and I'm going to try my best to follow it."
