“Us big guys are sensitive when you talk about our weight”: 7-foot Shaquille O’Neal cautions NBA of Zion Williamson

NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is all praise for Zion Williamson and is confident about the New Orleans Pelicans being a solid playoff contender.

Heading into the 2022-23 season, the Pelicans look like a serious contender, having made significant changes to their roster. To make matters worse for the opposition, Zion Williamson is looking in his best shape as he gears up to make a comeback after missing an entire season due to a fractured foot.

Despite the former Duke sensation’s absence, the Pels turned out to be a surprise package of the season, flipping the switch at the flag end of the season. The arrival of former Blazers guard CJ McCollum amid everything worked wonders.

The Pelicans earned a spot in the play-in tournament and would proceed to the playoffs, where they almost caused a scare, giving the first-seed Phoenix Suns a tough fight. The likes of Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas, and Jose Alvarado elevated their game to the next level.

Also read: “Zion Williamson looks like Shaquille O’Neal and I had a baby!”: Charles Barkley talks about the Pelicans’ star during the half-time show against the Suns

Nonetheless, Zion continues to be the talking point of the team, given his recent 5-year $193M deal with the New Orleans franchise. During a recent episode of the Big Shaq podcast, the Diesel spoke about the 6ft 6 physical specimen having a dominant season.

“Big boy is back, he’s looking good”: Shaquille O’Neal warns the NBA of Zion Williamson.

The 2021-22 season was a turmoil time for Zion as he recovered from a fractured foot. The 2021 All-Star’s durability has always been a matter of concern, with injuries only adding to his woes. The 22-year-old looked visibly out of shape during his courtside appearances.

Reports in the media suggested that this was his way of forcing out of New Orleans to play in a big market. However, Zion would shun these reports, signing a 5-years extension with a media presence. The Pelicans forward looks to make a solid comeback, aiming to silence all his naysayers.

As Zion looks to have a dominant season, he already has former Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal rooting for him, who had the following to say on his podcast.

When asked to reveal the team that missed the playoffs this year but would be a force to reckon with in the 2023 postseason, “I’m going with the New Orleans Pelicans,” said Shaq.

referring to Zion, the Diesel said, “Big boy is back, he’s looking good. I’m going with big Zion to dominate this year, not play well, dominate. See, us big guys are sensitive when you start talking about our weight, so I know he coming back with that force to show people,’ Yeah I’m big, but guess what, I’m the best big at being big.”

(Timestamp: 26:00 mark)

Given his latest pictures circulating on social media, Zion looks in his best shape, looking for vengeance.

Also read: “Zion Williamson has frequented the free-throw line more than Shaquille O’Neal and James Harden”: Pelicans star tops the list for the most visits to the free-throw line per minute since 1999