Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the semi-final game of the NBA In-Season Tournament. Many showed respect for the Pelicans’ efforts in the tournament, but Stephen A. Smith was very critical of Williamson when speaking about the squad.
During his show, Smith spoke about Williamson's physique: “Zion Williamson, who is more than five years younger but 40 pounds heavier, went to the free throw line. Ladies and gentlemen, I saw a belly. A belly. Like, when he took a deep breath, his belly bounced. That kind of belly. I mean, damn. Damn. What’s up, Zion?”
Smith then doubled down on his point, saying, “It’s bad enough you got your ass kicked, losing by 44 points in the semifinals. Did nothing to lead and galvanize your team.”
The show host called out Zion, saying he looked like he “just ate a buffet.” He continued, “Not something from the buffet, I said the buffet. Like you ate the damn table. I wasn’t going to touch on this because I was embarrassed for him. But then Sports Illustrated wrote about it, and the New Orleans Times-Picayune, local newspaper, wrote about it. So it’s public information. He’s fat.” Watch above.
