"When you give him $100-200 million" - Shannon Sharpe asserts Zion Williamson should be 'embarrassed' for catching flak over weight
NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe didn't mince his words on Friday when referring to New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson. Sharpe, a three-time Super Bowl champion, called out the former No.1 pick for not taking care of his body and missing games because of his injuries.
"If [Zion Williamson] loved the game of basketball, he would get his weight under control, he would take training serious," Sharpe said on ESPN's 'First Take.' "There is no possible way you say you love something and then get out there and do the exact opposite of what you are saying.
"College kids don't have money. If you find a kid that is overweight in college with no money, what do you think will happen when you give him $100-200 million? It is embarrassing. This is about Zion Williamson lacking personal accountability."
Now in his fifth season with the Pelicans, the star big man has appeared in 29 or more games only once (2020-21, when he played 61 games). Zion Williamson missed the entire 2021-22 season, while he played 24 games in 2019-20 and 29 in the 2022-23 season.
Zion Williamson's future with the Pelicans uncertain as contract is no longer guaranteed
Zion Williamson's status with the New Orleans Pelicans is unclear now that his contract with the franchise is no longer guaranteed. According to a report from The Athletic, the Pelicans have activated a clause that makes his contract not guaranteed for the final three years.
The reason for that clause is the games that Williamson has missed over these four years, especially last season. Thus, the franchise can part ways with him in the summer of 2025. Williamson is under contract with the Pelicans through the summer of 2028.
Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas spoke about Williamson during an appearance on "The Right Time with Bomani Jones" podcast.
"Zion really needed to push everything away, he needed to look like Zion at Duke," Arenas said. "That’s the Zion he needed to be. Zion at Duke before he blew out of the shoot.
"That’s the Zion that needed to come back when he said in the summer, and he lost about 265-270. If he was 265-270, everything we see in Ja, we will be seeing in Zion at a more explosive rate. But he is all of 310, and I am being nice."
This year, Williamson has appeared in 23 of the Pelicans' first 29 NBA games with averages of 22.0 ppg, 5.8 rpg and 4.6 apg. New Orleans is seventh in the West with 17 wins and 12 losses.