In an effort to support their players, the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team has begun to throw back comments at commentator Stephen A. Smith.
The Pelicans finally fought back against Stephen A. Smith's constant fat shaming of Zion Williamson. ⤵️https://t.co/hN9tugqdY0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 25, 2024
The ESPN sports commentator has been continuously calling out Zion Williamson, the star player of the Pelicans, for his weight since December.
But it has now reached a point where the Pelicans are standing up against this sort of body shaming.
Smith has spared no chance to highlight his concern about Zion’s weight in public forums.
On a recent episode of ‘Get Up,’ the ESPN host did not hesitate to point out Williamson’s supposed fondness for fast food, implying that it was affecting the player’s fitness and performance.
“Zion Williamson, 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 keep having 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. That he’s committed to playing basketball and being in shape.”
"Zion Williamson, it's not about his game. It's about how many burgers he's eating. Whether he is going to be in shape or keep eating McDonald's… That's what he has to prove, that the chefs don't love him any longer"
— Stephen A Smith on the pressure on Zion pic.twitter.com/ot0ejoeZTf
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) February 23, 2024
Reflecting similar sentiments made in December on The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he audaciously brought Williamson’s eating habits into the spotlight.
“His affliction is food. He can’t stop eating. How would I know this? Could it be because chefs in New Orleans love him? That could be one reason. That’s what I’ve heard,” Smith said on The Stephen A. Smith Show in December. “Could it be that New Orleans is one of the best cities in America if not the best city in America when it comes to restaurants and food? Sure. But the ultimate evidence was his belly.”
Fighting back against Stephen A. Smith’s allegations, the Pelicans chose to tweet a screenshot of Smith’s own performance facts.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 23, 2024
flock it, Stephen A. Smith highlights. pic.twitter.com/jWdaEBeTis
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 23, 2024
This subtly sarcastic move showed they were not pleased with his repetitively negative commentary about their star player.
Despite the skepticisms surrounding his weight, Zion Williamson’s game performance tells a different story.
He has played 45 out of the first 56 games of this season. He has been putting up impressive stats, averaging a team-leading 22.5 points on 58.5% shooting.
It is no secret that Williamson has had issues with injuries throughout his career. However, the way Smith continuously pairs these health discussions with jabs at Williamson’s weight is problematic.
Even though his weight and general health might still be a concern to some, Williamson’s sporting spirit remains untarnished.
Williamson has earned his second All-Star title and has led the Pelicans to the fifth spot in the Western Conference with a commendable 34-22 record.
