Stephen A. Smith dedicated a scathing monologue Saturday to call out New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson over his weight.
Smith was in attendance during the NBA In-Season Tournament semifinal round matchup between Williamson’s Pelicans and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers thrashed the Pelicans on Thursday 133-89 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
In the Saturday episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” the longtime ESPN personality blasted Williamson for his bulging belly during the Lakers-Pelicans game.
Smith noted how Williamson was significantly outworked by Lakers star LeBron James — both on the court and in the gym.
“He looks fat. … Zion Williamson, who’s more than 15 years younger but 40 pounds heavier [than LeBron James] went to the free throw line. I saw a belly,” said Smith. “Like, when he took a deep breath, his belly bounced. That kind of belly. … What’s up Zion?”
Smith added that Williamson failed to galvanize his squad to prevent the 44-point beatdown they received from the eventual-champion Lakers. Instead, Smith said Williamson looked like he had just arrived from a trip to a buffet.
Williamson tallied 13 points and 3 assists in the loss against the Lakers. James more than doubled him up with 30 points and 8 assists.
Williamson’s fitness and weight has long been a topic of discussion regarding the Pelicans star. A recent report even said the Pelicans were frustrated with Williamson over the issue.
The Duke alum has seen his numbers dip across the board this season. Through 19 games this season, Williamson has posted averages of 22.2 points on a 57.4% shooting clip to go along with 5.6 rebounds — all career-lows.
