There have been a number of wild rumors about Zion Williamson’s weight in recent weeks, but one reporter disputes that there is much to any of it.
Williamson is still trying to come back from foot surgery, and with him out of the public eye, speculation has run rampant about his current weight. One recent report claimed Williamson was as heavy as 330 pounds, well above his listed weight of 284.
That’s not true, at least according to ESPN’s Andrew Lopez. In an appearance on Monday’s edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast, Lopez said Williamson is more or less at last season’s playing weight, though the New Orleans Pelicans still have some concerns over his conditioning in the longer term.
“The guy that I see right now at shootarounds, at practices … he looks like the player I saw last year,” Lopez said. “He is at his playing weight last year. If you see him without a hoodie, without all these extra baggy clothes on, he looks like the guy who played in games last season.
“That being said, if he’s 290 or 270, that’s still a lot of weight on the foot. You’re looking at this and you’re treating this and it’s like he’s basically an offensive lineman in the NFL. So he still has a ways to go in terms of long-term conditioning, but the Pelicans feel like that is a solvable issue, and things have turned a corner in that aspect in the last two to three months.”
In other words, the worst reports about Williamson’s weight sound untrue. This doesn’t necessarily invalidate some of the unflattering reports about his work ethic that have emerged lately, however.
Williamson recently suffered a setback in his rehab efforts and has been shut down for the time being. The Pelicans have no timetable for his return to game action.
Photo: Mar 4, 2020; Dallas, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) laughs while warming up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
