Despite his superior playmaking skills, Zion Williamson has had several fitness and health-related problems while playing for the New Orleans Pelicans. This was demonstrated in the team’s previous match against the Los Angeles Lakers during the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. According to reports, the 23-year-old forward has turned a deaf ear to the repeated demands for him to amend his dietary and training regime.
According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans keep appealing to Williamson “that he starts listening.” Some supporters have also pointed out the alleged weight gain the player had.
During his 25 minutes of action against the Lakers, Williamson scored 13 points and pulled down just two rebounds. LeBron James, 38, outperformed him, scoring 30 points in just 22 minutes. Williamson stated,
I've got to do more things to get my team going. I think I was too laid back tonight. I can't do that. And defensively, I've got to be better.
Afterward, Zion’s ex-trainer, Jasper Bibbs, posted a questionable message on his Instagram page on Friday. He posted on his Instagram account an article about Zion’s nutrition and training with a shrug emoji.
What does this message mean? Nobody knows except for the ex-trainer. We only know that he probably was aware of those issues for a long time.
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal shares sympathy for Zion Williamson’s struggles and emphasizes the importance of conditioning
On conditioning, Shaquille O’Neal, another basketball star and New Orleans Pelican was worried for Zion Williamson. After the Lakers-Pelicans game on TNT, Shaq sympathized with Zion’s struggles by sharing instances of his body weight challenges during the initial stage of his career.
Shaq empathized with the young star of the Pelicans. He also observed that Zion had no real determination to succeed. His weight gain and history of injuries have put his health front and center. Zion has spent more months sitting on the bench than any other player in his age group.
Shaq’s understanding of this situation made the analysis all the more better. He knows, as a big man, how the system works and how he had to lose weight and then gain weight. It’s familiar territory for Shaq and wants current players to avoid it.
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