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It’s no secret that Zion Williamson has had his struggles.
Nearly three years ago, the NBA star admitted to weight loss, and in a recent interview with ESPN, he said the lowest point of his career was missing his third season with a broken foot and being criticized for his “weight” and “care for the game.”
ESPN star Stephen A. Smith has previously ripped Williamson on these critical issues, and he did so again Tuesday, going so far as to suggest that the New Orleans Pelicans actually “encouraged” him to attack Williamson.
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(Left) Stephen A. Smith speaks on stage during Day 2 of the 2025 HOPE Global Forum at the Signia by Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, on Dec. 2, 2025. (Right) Zion Williamson (1) of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Jan. 26. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
“The information that came out about Zion Williamson, it came from inside the organization. It came from people even closer to Zion Williamson than I’m letting on,” Smith said on Tuesday’s “First Take.” “People who called and encouraged us to get in his a– because of some of the things he did. You got people who are alcoholics, you got people who are drug addicts and stuff like that. What was Zion’s problem? Food! Food addict!
“The joke was everybody in New Orleans who cooked, it could be anybody from a restaurant, a chef to your grandmother. Everybody who cooked knew about Zion Williamson. And he knew them! They were on a first-name basis. Because that brother ate a lot! You even have rumors, and literally, I’m thinking here that it was a joke, and somebody told me how to walk on the bed and point out that this was his food. That kind of thing happened.”
Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 1, 2024 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
Smith’s comments prompted the Pelicans’ social media team to troll him and his athleticism, which is hardly a new phenomenon. They did the same in 2024.
“Stick to solitaire Stephen,” the team wrote with a montage of Smith’s embarrassing athletic moments.
Pulling things from a decade, two decades, three decades ago, ???? No problem. See you tomorrow at First Take. Remember one thing: YOU ARE ASKING FOR THIS!!!!” Smith replied.
Host Stephen A. Smith in conversation with Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) at a SiriusXM Town Hall event at the SiriusXM Studio on November 19, 2025 in Washington, DC (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Williamson transformed his body during the offseason, and it has resulted in him playing in 46 games — his second-highest total since the 2020-21 season. His stats have taken a hit as he is averaging a career low 21.5 points.
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