Zion Williamson Responds to Weight Rumors, Speculation Ahead of Return from Injury

Heading into his fourth NBA season, Zion Williamson is ready to have people stop talking about his weight and focus on his play on the court.

In a profile by Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck, the New Orleans Pelicans star spoke about the ongoing speculation about his body as he prepares for the start of the 2022-23 regular season.

"And though he won’t divulge his weight, Williamson jokes that he wouldn’t mind that number leaking—as a counterpoint to the whispers of him once weighing 330 pounds," Beck wrote. "'When I step on the scale when we start training camp, I wonder if there’s gonna be any rumors about that!' he says, laughing."

Questions about Williamson's weight have persisted since he was a freshman sensation at Duke during the 2018-19 college basketball season.

In a February 2019 interview with GQ's Devin Gordon, Williamson said he put on 100 pounds between his freshman and junior year in high school.

"I didn’t pick up all this weight until junior year. Freshman year, I was small. I was 6-3, 175—like, I was small. And over the course of about two years, I picked up a hundred pounds. I mean, I wouldn’t look at myself and go, Wow, I’m 250! I wouldn’t know I was 250 until I stepped on the scale, and then I’m like, Oh. I’m 250? I don’t feel 250. I don’t feel slow. Like, with all that weight just came more athleticism and finding myself able to do new things. People always say you have to grow into your body, but for me, it wasn’t even growing into my body—the more weight came, it didn’t faze me. It made me faster, stronger. It helped me become a more versatile player."

Debate over Williamson's body again became a topic prior to the start of last season in the wake of Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin announcing in September the 22-year-old power forward had offseason surgery to repair a broken bone in his foot.

The Pelicans were initially optimistic Williamson would be able to play at some point during the 2021-22 campaign. He suffered setbacks in his recovery that prevented him from getting on the court.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon said in December on an episode of The Lowe Post podcast (h/t NBC Sports' Dan Feldman) that Williamson's weight was up to around 330 pounds. His current listed weight on NBA.com is 284 pounds.

The Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year max extension worth at least $193 million in July.

Per Christian Clark of NOLA.com, Williamson's contract contains a clause that requires him to undergo periodic weigh-ins to measure the combined total of his weight and body fat percentage, and it must stay below 295. The Pelicans have the right to lower his guaranteed money if he exceeds that amount.

For now, though, Williamson and the Pelicans are getting ready for the start of the 2022-23 regular season. They will begin the year on Oct. 19 against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.

New Orleans made the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference after defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament. It lost to the Phoenix Suns in the first round in six games.