NBA fans may see a different Zion Williamson on the court next season. At least a slimmer one, if the photos posted on social media on Saturday are to be believed.
Williamson was photographed posing with children attending his basketball camp (for free) in Spartanburg, South Carolina and looked noticeably thinner, but perhaps that was due to the angle the photo was taken from.
Fans who feared Williamson might look too thin and lack the strength that made him a college basketball sensation at Duke and the first pick in the 2019 NBA Draft may be reassured by other photos and videos from training camp.
Williamson reportedly said he currently weighs 281 pounds, less than he did at Duke (285), and that he intends to weigh 272 pounds when the NBA regular season begins.
The 6-foot-6 New Orleans Pelicans star weighed 280 pounds last season, but many believed he was overweight and out of shape, especially after watching him play in the NBA tournament that season. TNT’s Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized Williamson’s weight and conditioning during New Orleans’ 133-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Spurred on by the public criticism, Williamson lost more than 25 pounds from that point on, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He played in a career-high 70 games and averaged 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists for the season.
Zion Williamson’s stepfather told C.Ruff today at his camp that he currently weighs 281 pounds (285 at Duke) and will weigh 272 pounds when the season starts 💪🏾
Let’s go, Z. Great season is loading 💯 pic.twitter.com/iaYKyw8B2W
— TimeoutSPORTS__ (@TimeoutSPORTS3) 18 August 2024
While those point and rebound totals were lower, staying healthy was a big step for the fifth-year forward, who missed the entire 2021-22 season with a foot injury. Williamson also played fewer than 30 games in two of his other previous seasons.
Big cheers for NBA All-Star and SC native Zion Williamson as he comes out of a free basketball camp he is hosting in Spartanburg this weekend. As he comes out, he jokes, “I’m a little nervous right now” pic.twitter.com/rBDMwmJ8Mu
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) 17 August 2024
“That was definitely a big moment for me,” Williamson told reporter Christian Clark about the public outcry. “I wasn’t looking at anyone else. I was looking at myself. I take full responsibility for that.”
“I wasn’t where I needed to be,” he added. “I wasn’t performing as well as I needed to. I think that was one of the things I needed to experience because it definitely changed a lot for me during the season.”
The Pelicans’ 2024-25 season begins on October 23 with a home game against the Chicago Bulls. Training camp for the team begins on October 1 at Belmont University in Nashville.
