New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson Reveals Weight Goal for 2024-25 Season

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been on an impressive weight loss journey and revealed how much more he has to lose.

Apr 19, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) talks to the ball boys during a time out against the Sacramento Kings in the second half during a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

When New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is discussed, one of the topics that always comes up is his weight. Since he burst onto the basketball scene in high school with his thunderous dunks, people have marveled at his combination of size and athleticism.

Because of how big Williamson was, many wondered if his body would be able to hold up under the rigors of an NBA season. To this point, the results have been extremely mixed.

The No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA draft out of Duke played in only 24 games as a rookie because of injuries. He was able to appear in 61 the following season but missed the entire 2021-22 campaign because of another foot injury.

Able to play in only 29 games in 2022-23, his incredible talent was on full display as he still earned an All-Star spot. This past season, he played in a career-high 70 games but suffered yet another injury that kept him sidelined for the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

That is three out of five seasons as a professional that Williamson has missed over half of the games. If the Pelicans are ever going to reach the heights they are capable of, they need their star in the lineup consistently.

Avoiding injuries will be easier given the transformation Williamson is undergoing with his body. A photo of him at his summer camp went viral because of how lean he appeared to be.

Zion looks like he’s in the best shape of his life pic.twitter.com/itoH2tMuQ8

— Ingram Alerts (@IngramAlerts) August 17, 2024

Based on an update shared by Ian Casselberry of Yahoo Sports, the weight loss is legitimate. Casselberry revealed that Williamson is down to 281 pounds, which is lower than his listed playing weight at Duke, which was 285.

He has reportedly lost at least 25 pounds since December, as he has been on this journey for over eight months. Casselberry added that Williamson has a goal to be 272 when the 2024-25 regular season gets underway in October.

Zion Williamson has reportedly lost over 25 pounds since December 💪 pic.twitter.com/wFaWZ9YemK

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 19, 2024

Offseason hyperbole about players getting into shape and working on their game always occurs. But, it is not a stretch to say that Williamson is in the best shape of his life based on some of the photos that have gone viral.

Last season, he was listed at 284 pounds, but many people would have argued that number was low. He looked out of shape at pounds and was lethargic at times on the court, which led to public criticisms from the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley and Stephen A. Smith.

Following a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament, the chatter about Williamson’s weight got loudest. That game was played on December 7th, 2023, and was the wake-up call that he needed to start taking his weight seriously to become the best version of himself.