As mesmerizing as New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has been early in his NBA career, weight issues have always plagued him so far. In fact, there were rumblings that the 6-foot-6 supreme athlete was even heavier than usual when he entered the bubble at Walt Disney World following that unprecedented hiatus in play.
As revealed by ESPN's Brian Windhorst on the latest episode of his podcast on Tuesday, the Pelicans made their best effort to keep Williamson's weight issues under wraps. The former Duke standout reportedly was 25 pounds heavier than his current playing weight — which greatly affected his game once play resumed.
“I was told that Zion, and I don’t think they really wanted to publicize where he was physically when he came back to the bubble, but I have heard that it’s in excess of 25 pounds that he’s lost from where he was in the bubble to where he is now. He is not as svelte by any stretch of the imagination, but he definitely is moving better.”
Fortunately for NOLA and its fanbase, Zion Williamson has lost all that extra baggage for this new season. While the 20-year-old has always looked light on his feet despite his massive size, Williamson appears to have an extra pep in his step in New Orleans' first four games.
Last year's All-Rookie First Team Member tallied 21.7 points and 11.7 rebounds in the Pels' three initial matches. He put up 20 points in 29 minutes in a losing effort against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. The Pelicans are currently 2-2.
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