Zion Williamson has had a rough six weeks. As per the reports about weight clauses in his contract, the New Orleans Pelicans star’s final three years of contract, totaling over $126 million in salary, are no longer guaranteed. Moreover, Pelicans insiders revealed that the team had been trying to curb their young star’s poor eating habits to no avail. On the ‘Big Podcast with Shaq’, Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal gave his two cents about Williamson’s situation.
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He first revealed that he was surprised by how poorly he played in the In-Season Tournament semi-final against the Los Angeles Lakers in Las Vegas. Explaining what Williamson’s thought process should have been like, O’Neal said,
“We’re out here and it’s all ‘LeBron, LeBron, LeBron.’ I am thinking to myself, ‘Zion, what are you going to do?’ He the king, but at some point, the king gotta go. The king got all these [adulation]. I want all that s**t.”
O’Neal expected Williamson to attack LeBron James, the player he was compared to during his high school days. But in an anti-climax, he had an awful outing. The Pelicans forward finished with 13 points, three assists and two rebounds.
O’Neal also claimed when he came into the league, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley were on top, and he wanted to go right after them and take their spot. He claimed he doesn’t see the same attitude or desire in Williamson, making him conclude,
“He (Williamson) ain’t ready…What you gonna do about it. The fact that you don’t get mad shows me that you don’t care.”
In the aftermath of the game, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith humiliated Williamson by alleging that every chef in New Orleans is eager to meet the Pelicans star. Smith said,
“The word out on Zion Williamson is that he’ll eat the table.”
“I’m not exaggerating, I’m quoting people. You got chefs in New Orleans who love him. They’re looking for him. Every chef there wants to meet him… The word out on Zion Williamson is that he’ll eat the table.”
– Stephen A. Smith pic.twitter.com/V17iDI3Ge4
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 11, 2023
O’Neal also criticized Williamson after the game, which he brushed off, but did not mention the Pelicans star’s weight issues. The former Lakers superstar explained that he was criticized for being “too fat” but he responded by dominating night after night. O’Neal did have weight issues and allegedly weighed as much as 415 pounds. But a league MVP award, four rings, and three Finals MVP shut down all the chatter about his size.
O’Neal added that Williamson’s lack of response to critics who question his weight issues showcases his mental weakness. Having an athlete mindset requires one to have a sense of competitiveness, and the ability to take criticism and fuel it to empower the performances. The former Lakers superstar called out the Pelicans but gave him invaluable advice. It remains to be seen if he pays heed to it.
Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley break down Zion Williamson’s game
Last season, Williamson averaged 26 points, seven rebounds, and 4.6 assists. This year, he’s averaging 22.3 points, a career-low, with 6.2 rebounds, joint-career-low, and 4.5 assists. When dissecting Williamson’s issues on NBA on TNT, O’Neal remarked,
“He doesn’t demand the ball. He doesn’t have that ‘look’. Like, ‘I’m the greatest ever’.”
This year, Williamson is attempting only one fewer shot on average than last season. However, O’Neal claims Williamson should demand the ball, take control of his team’s offense, and drive them forward on the offensive end.
Charles Barkley also criticized the Pelicans star for his lack of desire. He noted that Williamson is often the most physically imposing player on court, but never uses that to his advantage. He said,
“A big guy that talented should never get less than 10 rebounds. He should be averaging 11-12 rebounds a game. But he doesn’t run the floor at all.”
Shaq even hinted at his Magic days to show how he dominated back in his days when he was criticized for being overweight. However, he said that he never gave an opportunity for people to talk about this with big 30-point games, unlike Williamson.
They imposed themselves on the court and won league MVP awards. Williamson has the talent to do the same, but four and a half years into his NBA career, he’s nowhere close to hitting the heights he was expected to.
