“His off-the-court habits are not where they should be” - Former NBA champion says Zion Williamson has been given an offensive lineman clause in his contract
Analyst Kendrick Perkins said Zion Williams’ off-court habits are "being displaced from focus" due to the youngster's recent weight clause.
Perkins said:
“That’s a clause that offensive lineman have. … His off-the-court habits are not where they should be, but, you know what, I’m glad New Orleans did that to protect themselves.”
Pelicans want healthy Zion Williamson
Rumored to have been as high as 330 pounds while off this year from injury, Zion recently weighed in under 290.
New Orleans has listed Zion at 6-foot-6 and 284 pounds.
Under his new contract, Williamson must keep his total body fat percentage under 295. If he fails to do so, it could cost him millions.
Zion signed a five-year, $193 million rookie max extension on his birthday. The contract could be worth as much as $231 million with incentives.
Kendrick Perkins, being a former NBA champion, is familiar with contracts. Following his retirement, Perkins became an analyst for ESPN and has since gained even more knowledge, even some about other sports.
Commenting that this weight clause is closer to that of an NFL contract stipulation shows the weight of New Orleans' decision.
It is not often that NBA teams will write in a weight clause for players. But for Williamson, it makes sense. As Perkins pointed out, the Pelicans are merely protecting themselves.
Zion has been injury-prone since joining the league. Being out for so long and adding extra weight just places more stress on legs.
New Orleans' ensuring Williamson stays below 295 is its attempt at keeping the young star healthy. Less stress on an injury-prone lower body is a good choice.
One of the only players to have handled being over 300 pounds while playing was, of course, Shaquille "Big Diesel" O’Neal.
Shaq registered as 315 pounds during his tenure with the LA Lakers. More recently, however, he opened up on his actual weight being much higher.
“I don’t wanna get skinny. I wanna get ‘Diesel.’” 😂💪
@SHAQ’s been hitting the weight room. https://t.co/jUICUo9Y4R
Being as high as 395 pounds while playing is almost surreal. But like Shaq said, he wanted to be Big Diesel.
However, Kobe Bryant said in the past he thought the Lakers could have won more championships had Shaq maintained his conditioning.
Williamson's new weight clause might be a good idea. Shaq is a different breed, and though there are shades of him in Williamson’s game, he is still young.
Learning how to maintain weight and conditioning is important for being at peak performance. If Zion proves to handle the weight later in his career, he may have earned it at that point.
For now, the call from New Orleans seems to be a safe one, just as Perkins pointed out.
The Pelicans showed they could be contenders last season even without their star big. Getting Williamson back at full strength, with a conditioned speed and hunger, will be dangerous.
Earning that amount of money for a young star is a big deal. Having one stipulation like this weight clause should hold no bearing. Especially when it will cost millions.