NBA Legend Sends Message to Zion Williamson About Weight Concerns

Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony has a message for Zion Williamson
NBA Legend Sends Message to Zion Williamson About Weight Concerns
NBA Legend Sends Message to Zion Williamson About Weight Concerns /

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has faced a lot of criticism for his weight, and those discussions have continued this season amid his up and down start to the year.

There have been some incredible moments for Williamson this season, but there have also been some disappointing stretches that have been met with discussions about his level of conditioning. Speaking extensively on this during his 7PM in Brooklyn Podcast, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony shared a message for Williamson:

"I think from the beginning there was so much put on Zion, like thrown at him. You have to be the next - you are the logo, you are the next guy. We haven’t seen [anything] like this since ‘03. So because of that… this kid is [coming in at] 18 - this kid still wants to eat McDonald's, this kid still wants to eat Chick-fil-A, this kid still wants to drink iced tea, man he’s from South Carolina… this is what they do, they eat… The fans want him to be Zion Williamson, the greatest thing since Wilt Chamberlain… but that’s not who he wants to be yet. So now he’s dealing with the mental aspect of I just want to be 19, but it’s so much pressure… So you start battling that and now injuries come… so now it’s [that] he’s too heavy, he’s this, he’s that… He needs to be disciplined… You [are] not gonna have that longevity that we are talking about if you don’t have that discipline… my message to Zion is discipline."

Understanding what it's like to have huge expectations as a young player, having come into the league as a highly touted young star with the Denver Nuggets, Anthony sympathizes with Williamson, but wants to see him stay disciplined.

Related Articles

Michael Malone Reveals Hilarious Moment With Nikola Jokic After Ejection

Victor Wembanyama Makes History vs. Nuggets

Nuggets Starter Shares Amazing Message About Nikola Jokic


Published
Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.