Report: Pelicans’ Zion Williamson Has Lost 25 Pounds Since December

According to NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN, New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has lost 25 pounds since December. 

“I’ve got people in New Orleans telling me that since December, when the In-Season Tournament happened, that Zion Williamson has lost 25 or more pounds and his performance has been excellent,” Windhorst said. “He’s playing fewer minutes and I think that helps as well, but I’ve got people telling me he’s lost 25 pounds.”

The Pelicans are 41-26 on the season. They are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings and Williamson has been playing at a high level ever since New Orleans lost to the Los Angeles Lakers on December 7 in Las Vegas during the In-Season Tournament.

The 23-year-old Williamson is averaging 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists this season while shooting 58.2% from the field, 35.7% from beyond the arc and 69.6% from the free-throw line. The first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke has 10 double-doubles. 

During an interview with NBA reporter William Guillory of The Athletic, Williamson said “people don’t understand” how much he loves basketball. 

“People don’t understand how much I really love this s—,” Williamson said. “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.”

The Pelicans signed Williamson to a five-year, $197 million extension in July 2022. According to NBA reporter Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, the final three years of Williamson’s contract are not guaranteed since Williamson only played in 29 games last season. Williamson also missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.