“You better have the LeBron type of body fat” - NBA analyst says the Pelicans want Zion Williamson to be the leanest 280-pound man ever seen
Nick Wright said Zion Williamson’s weight clause is the New Orleans Pelicans enforcing their young star to be the leanest 280-pounder since LeBron James.
Wright said:
“If you want to play it 280 like LeBron did one year, I believe you better have the LeBron-type body fat. If you want to play it 280, it better be the leanest 280 we’ve ever seen.”
Wright added:
“So, my guess is the Pelicans said we don’t ever want Zion above 275 and that we want him to be at 270. ... And his agent almost assuredly pushed back: ‘Well, that’s not fair. Like, what if our guy just gets crazy jacked up, right?’”
The analyst explained this as the reason why the Pelicans moved to allowing 280. But if Williamson is to hold that extra weight, it has to be in a lean mass rather than fat.
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New Orleans Pelicans want Zion Williamson at a lean 280 pounds
After reaching almost 330 pounds while off from injury, Zion Williamson’s weight became an issue. As a result, the Pelicans infused a weight clause into Williamson’s rookie max extension. Not staying under a body fat percentage total of 295 could cost Zion millions.
Williamson now has the motivation to stay in shape, which should help the injury-prone player. Holding too much weight on a problematic foot is an issue. The contract clause removes that while keeping Zion within the bounds of being explosive.
Staying at 280 pounds with a 295 body fat max percentage means Williamson will have to be very lean. As analyst Nick Wright pointed out, LeBron James has sat at 280 before and was just as explosive as always.
If Williamson can maintain this stature while becoming explosive, the Pelicans are in for a huge upgrade. With their additions last season, the squad made waves much larger than most expected.
A healthy and newly toned Zion would add exactly what New Orleans is lacking. Before his injury, the former Duke star was a great asset for the Pelicans. This is a move for them to ensure he remains that great.
Maintaining James' body fat level might be difficult for the young star. Williamson reaching almost 330 while sidelined is alarming, as James has never been close to that weight. To reach LeBron’s level of explosiveness is going to take an immense amount of conditioning.
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LeBron spends quite a bit on his health and fitness annually to ensure his body stays at the level it has been for so long. With the money from Zion’s new contract, Williamson will be able to do the same thing.
If Williamson takes this clause seriously and becomes one of the league's leanest big men, players like Giannis, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid may have company.