NBA fans might see a transformed Zion Williamson on the court this upcoming season, with recent photos hinting at a leaner version of the New Orleans Pelicans star. Over the weekend, Williamson was photographed with children at his free basketball camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the images quickly sparked discussions about his noticeably slimmer appearance.
The photos circulated on social media, with one tweet proclaiming, “Zion looks like he’s in the best shape of his life.” While some fans expressed concern that his weight loss might affect the power that made him a sensation at Duke and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, other images and videos from the camp seemed to reassure them.
Williamson reportedly shared that he currently weighs 281 pounds, slightly less than his 285-pound frame at Duke. He plans to be at 272 pounds by the start of the NBA regular season. The 6-foot-6 forward was listed at 284 pounds last season, though many observers believed he was heavier and not in peak physical condition. This was particularly evident during the Pelicans’ lopsided 133–89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA in-season tournament, which drew sharp criticism from TNT’s Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
The public critique of his weight and conditioning seemed to have motivated Williamson to make significant changes. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, he lost over 25 pounds following that game. As a result, Williamson played a career-high 70 games last season, averaging 22.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. While his point and rebound totals were slightly lower, staying healthy was a crucial achievement for the fifth-year forward, who had previously missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury and played fewer than 30 games in two other seasons.
Reflecting on the public scrutiny, Williamson told reporter Christian Clark, “That was definitely a big moment for me. I didn’t look at anybody else. I looked at myself. I’ll take full blame for that. I wasn’t where I needed to be. I didn’t perform the way I needed to perform. I think it was one of those things I needed to experience because it definitely changed a lot for me during the season.”
As the Pelicans gear up for the 2024-25 season, which begins on October 23 with a home game against the Chicago Bulls, all eyes will be on Williamson to see how his new physique translates on the court. Training camp for the team kicks off on October 1 at Belmont University in Nashville, where fans and analysts alike will get their first glimpse of the leaner, more determined Zion.