Pelicans' Zion Williamson: Critics Don't Get 'How Much I Really Love This S--t'

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been heavily criticized throughout his NBA career.

Whether it's complaints about his injury history or his apparent lack of conditioning, Williamson is no stranger to harsh judgement. However, he doesn't let it get to him as he chases greatness.

"People don't understand how much I really love this s--t," Williamson told The Athletic's William Guillory. "I pour everything into doing my best for the team and for the people who support me in New Orleans. I get it. You can only go off the information that's in front of you. But that's the great thing about the opportunity we have the rest of the way. We get to write our own story."

Just a few months ago, Christian Clark of the Times-Picayune reported that the Pelicans "have repeatedly stressed to Williamson that his diet and conditioning need to improve." He added that the Duke product "doesn't listen" to the team's calls to get in shape.

More recently, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith made fun of Williamson's weight, making an insensitive remark about "how many burgers he's eating."

"It's not about his game. It's about how many burgers he's eating and whether or not he's going to be in shape or is he going to keep eating McDonald's and have chefs clamoring for him to come to their restaurants," Smith said. "That's what he has to prove, that the chefs don't love him any longer."

Smith's remarks led the Pelicans' social media team to fire back:

Sure, Williamson has struggled to stay healthy since going No. 1 overall in the 2019 draft, and maybe his conditioning isn't up to what the media believes is standard, but he at least cares to improve to better himself and the team.

The 23-year-old has also been mostly healthy this season, and having him on the floor has helped the Pelicans put themselves in a playoff position—currently sixth in the Western Conference with a 35-25 record.

Williamson's numbers could be better. He's averaging 22.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 49 games while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from deep.

However, just having him on the floor is an asset, and the more he plays, the more he'll continue to improve.