“You gonna have to lose some weight” – Charles Barkley has some career advice for Zion Williamson

All-Star forward Zion Williamson has had his fair share of criticism due to his injury woes, some of which were perhaps caused by his weight. NBA legend Charles Barkley, who had similar problems in his career, shared advice for the young forward.

Williamson played only 29 games in the 2022-23 season, mostly due to an early January hamstring injury, after missing all of last season after foot surgery.

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"You see what's going on down in New Orleans with Zion," Barkley said. "I wish Zion had a vet on the team or like a coach who could say, 'Yo, man, you gotta get in shape. You can't play basketball at your weight.'

"I was so blessed and fortunate that Moses (Malone) told me, 'Chuck, son, you fat and you lazy.' And I did what any grown man would do, I went to my condo and cried like a little woman ... and then Moses said, 'If you want to get in shape, I'll help you get in shape.' And he helped me lose 50 pounds.

"When these guys are young, they gon' have so much power. Zion got so much power. Same thing with this fool down in Memphis, Ja Morant. The coaches are afraid of them instead of telling them to grow up and get your crap together.

"I wish I could sit down with Zion and say, 'Yo, man, you got so much talent, but you gon' have to lose some weight and get in shape, because unless you get in shape, you can't play basketball.'"

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“How many players have you seen eat their way out of the NBA? A lot of them!”

Charles Barkley would like to share his experiences with Zion.

@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8

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“How many players have you seen eat their way out of the NBA? A lot of them!”

Charles Barkley would like to share his experiences with Zion.

@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 https://t.co/UFxNrSbVQL

Barkley, known as "The Round Mound of Rebound," was able to control his weight to become an 11-time All-Star and the 1922-93 MVP during his NBA career.

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How did Zion Williamson play this season?

Zion Williamson had trouble staying healthy for the Pelicans this season. He missed 53 games and wasn't able to be much of a contributor. Despite being selected as an All-Star starter, he averaged 26.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists while making 60.8% of his shots. The injury kept him out of the All-Star Game.

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In the 29 games he played, New Orleans captured the top spot in the Western Conference. But due to Williamson's unavailabilty, the Pels weren't able to hold their place for long. Eventually, they finished tied for eighth and missed the playoffs after losing 123-118 to the OKC Thunder in a play-in game at home.

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