New Orleans Pelicans forward and 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year finalist Zion Williamson isn’t bothered by the criticisms against his body weight.
In an interview with Pelicans insider Will Guillory, the ROY hopeful dismissed these “fat-shaming” comments.
“Everybody is entitled to their own opinion,” Zion Williamson said. “I'm just going to stick to the opinions of the people closest to me and my team, and just go from there.”
https://twitter.com/WillGuillory/status/1293940601831006208
Zion Williamson has recently received a new wave of these awful remarks during the season restart. The 6-foot-6 power forward was listed at 285 pounds in January, the third heaviest in the league. But reports have revealed that he has since put on “more work” on his physique.
This isn’t the first time the 19-year old rookie has received criticism on his weight. During his 2019 NBA Summer League days, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg expressed his “concern” about Williamson’s body.
“My concern isn’t about his game, my concern is about his body. You can’t improve unless you’re in shape, and he is not in shape… Whatever his weight is, it’s significantly overweight.”
Greenberg believed the Pelicans star's weight may put him at a greater risk of being injured. You can watch the talk here:
On the other hand, sports writers and fans have also defended Zion Williamson, saying that the rookie’s figure may be an advantage to him in the court.
“Williamson is a player we’ve never seen before in basketball. His dimensions don’t make sense. He jumps way too high to be so average in NBA height. He dunks so powerfully for someone that stocky and box-shaped… Williamson’s first game showed he can be great because of his figure, not despite it.”
Sure, his weight may be a factor on the injuries that have marred his debut season, but Zion has shown fans and the league great potential and impressive stats despite that history. Unfortunately, the Pelicans have already been eliminated in the play-offs after a 2-4 record in the bubble. So we'll have to wait a bit more before we see Zion back in the court and proves his doubters wrong.
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