"Fat kid becomes fat adult" - Shannon Sharpe berates Zion Williamson's conditioning amid another injury-troubled season
Talking about Zion Williamson's weight has become a delicate issue at this point. But if there's anyone who is unafraid to get delicate, it's Shannon Sharpe.
The First Take analyst recently spoke about Williamson's physical status in a guest appearance on Par 3 Podcast.
"Ain't nobody trying to fat-shame him," said Sharpe in a conversation with hosts J.R. Smith and Stephen Malbon. "We're having a healthy conversation about why this man stays injured. Fat kid becomes fat adult."
Sharpe is not the first—nor will he be the last—to comment on how Williamson's frame affects his durability. As of December 5, the top pick of the 2019 NBA Draft has missed 210 out of a possible 400 games in his career. Though there is certainly a variety of factors that affect an NBA player's conditioning and vulnerability to injury, the pace of Williamson's weight increase just can't be ignored.
Zion's physicals: A roller-coaster ride
After all, this is an athlete who told GQ in 2019 that he went from 175 pounds as a college freshman to 250 pounds in his junior year. That admission came just four months before the NBA Draft that year, but that didn't stop the New Orleans Pelicans from using the first overall selection to pick the Duke forward.
At the time, no one batted an eyelid when Williamson was selected ahead of other promising talents like Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, and Darius Garland. Though Williamson ended up making the All-Rookie First Team at the end of that season, he did so with the caveat of having just played a total of 24 games due to a knee injury.
Like his rookie season in the NBA, the next four years would be a mixed bag of results for the 24-year-old stud. Twice, he played upwards of 60 games; on the other hand, he logged just 29 games in 2022-2023 after missing the entirety of 2021-2022 as he dealt with a foot injury.
Through it all, his weight and conditioning remained significant concerns for a New Orleans franchise with high expectations for their star player. At the start of the 2022-2023 season, Williamson reportedly weighed 284 pounds, indicating that the upward trend of his personal weight was still ongoing. A year later, multiple sources claimed that the All-Star forward refused to listen to "constant pleas to improve his diet and conditioning."
This season, Williamson has averaged 22.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. Here's the catch: He has only played six games and missed the other 17.
To Uncle Shannon, the explanation for that is clear as day.
"I'm talking about his weight, him being undisciplined," said Sharpe. "He spent more time on the tattoo table than he has on the court this year."
Until Williamson figures out a plan to get things in order, analysts like Sharpe will have no choice but to bring up the delicate conversation regarding his physical condition—and, by extension, his fast-growing NBA legacy.