It seems that Luka isn’t the only one hitting the gym right now! New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson shocked everyone during the media day after showing up in his best shape since joining the league. Fans and even haters were surprised to see a “fit” Zion. However, the notable change in his physique sparks debate online about how much weight he’s lost and how this can affect the team’s future.
A slim Zion showing up in front of the media isn’t part of everyone’s bingo card. Usually, the two-time NBA All-Star is being paraded as “out of shape”, but today, it’s a bit different. The former Duke standout showed up quite the opposite, flaunting his massive weight loss and telling everyone that it’s the “best he felt since college”.
Williamson came into the league as an undersized and somehow overweight power forward with insane athleticism and unparalleled strength. A 6-foot-6, 280-pound behemoth with 40-inch verticals became the most hyped basketball rising star since LeBron James. Unfortunately, his athleticism, matched with too much weight, became a catalyst for his recurring injuries, putting him on the sidelines most of the time.
Year after year, we’ve seen Zion grow even bigger. Some even say he went upwards to 300 pounds, which makes him the center of attraction (in a negative way). Jokes and memes became Zion’s new groove. But that would soon change in 2025, after seeing that he may just be locked in for next season.
How Much Weight Did Zion Williamson Really Lose?
Williamson entered the 2024-2025 season at 284, and part of his contract is that he should not go beyond 295 pounds, or else he loses 20% of his salary. Earlier this year, back in February, a rather slimmer than before Zion caught everyone’s attention. At the time, he was reportedly in his best form, clocking in at 264 pounds, which means he has lost at least 20 pounds in less than a year.
After the Pelicans’ media day, it seems that the former first overall pick has lost more weight. Although it wasn’t officially listed in league reports, some speculate he’s now sitting at 250 to 255 pounds. That would be fantastic for New Orleans, considering he has only been available 45% of the time or less than half of the games per season. Despite the issues regarding his availability, Williamson is still undeniably a one-of-a-kind athlete. In six seasons, Williamson has averaged 24.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while also shooting an efficient 58.9% from the field.
However, Zion being thinner doesn’t automatically make him better, nor does he make the Pelicans a contender in the West.
Williamson may have lost a lot of weight, which would help his longevity and health, but that would also mean his bully ball offense would be heavily affected. Not to mention, he makes most of his points under the basket. He was able to clear space due to his size, but we’d probably see some changes in that moving forward. It would, however, still benefit the organization since he’ll play more games and could push NOLA from being a Play-In team to a playoff contender.
As they say, availability is still the best ability. That being said, if Zion did work on his jump shot in the offseason and improved his health, then this is going to be a great year for the New Orleans Pelicans, fingers crossed.
