Zion Williamson hasn’t ‘felt like this since college’ after body transformation
Zion Williamson has committed to rewinding the tape on his amateur highlight reel. If he can pull it off, it’s a nightmare scenario for opposing teams.
The Pelicans forward spent his summer in an intense conditioning program and arrived at the team’s media day on Tuesday in strikingly good shape — a physique that’s eluded him since arriving at the NBA level.
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But it’s not just for show. He can feel the difference, too.
“I really felt a shift in my body,” he told reporters Tuesday, adding, “I haven’t felt like this since college, high school, just where I can walk into a gym and I feel good.”
After nursing a hamstring injury that limited him to just 30 games last season, Williamson embarked on a strict training regimen prescribed by trainer Daniel Bove, one aimed to address his fluctuating weight and consistent injuries.
The training consisted of boxing workouts and drills run on football fields.
Williamson, 25, reiterated his commitment to the program and his team, noting, “Whatever my team needs, that’s what I’ll do.”
He also detailed his strong relationships with the newly hired EVP of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, and SVP of basketball operations, Troy Weaver, who have encouraged Williamson — and held him accountable — throughout the process.
“[Dumars is] going to hold me accountable, and as he holds me accountable, he’s going to give me a lot of responsibility as well, which I’m excited for,” Williamson said. “I know he’s going to hold me to a really high standard, and if I slip up or anything, I know he’s going to be right there to make sure I get right back on the path.”
From a mixtape superstar at Spartanburg Day School to a five-star recruit at Duke, Williamson was one of the most explosive prospects of his time — a dominant force that bulldozed his way through opposing defenses and into the league as the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2019.
But that was a long time ago, and Williamson has yet to realize his full potential at the professional level.
Hampered by injuries and weight problems, Williamson has played in just 214 of a possible 472 games through his first six seasons (45.3 percent).
He’s eclipsed 30 games played in just two seasons — missing the 2021-22 campaign entirely — and has yet to appear in a playoff game, despite the Pelicans making the postseason twice during his tenure.
The five-year extension Williamson signed in 2022 even included a contract stipulation surrounding his playing weight and body fat percentage.
Still, Williamson has shown his ability to dominate when healthy. He boasts lofty career marks of 24.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game — hammering home the occasional highlight reel dunk he was once notorious for.
Williamson seems up for the challenge — but now it’s up to him to embody the superstar that New Orleans thought they were getting back in 2019.
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