Shaquille O’Neal Wants ‘big’ Zion Williamson Back, Doesn’t Care Too Much for 284-pound Version of Him

Zion Williamson and his weight have been a major topic of discourse in the NBA media.

With a new weight clause as part of his new contract, the issue gained more attention.

And after months of snooping, media day revealed a sleek, trimmed-down version of Zion to the world.

After all the noise about whether his knees can support his weight, Zion seems to have turned into a mound of muscle. Zion was the heaviest player in the league at one point except for Boban Marjanovic despite being several inches shorter than the John Wick star.

Also read: ‘Fat Zion Williamson’ 284-pound weight loss prompts NBA Twitter to question his health

Zanos was arguably the most hyped draft prospect since LeBron James. When he was in form, Williamson showed superstar potential and even made his All-Star debut in his only full season.

With Zion revealing that he’s in the best shape of his life, there’s plenty of reason to get excited. However, not everyone is having fun. Such is the life of an NBA superstar.

The criticism this time? Ironically, someone who was at the bottom of the “fitness” debate throughout her career: Shaquille O’Neal.

What did Shaquille O’Neal say about Zion Williamson’s weight loss?

Big Diesel, in the great podcast, was talking about Zion’s recent weight loss and the possible implications. Shaq, someone Zion frequently compares to due to his mastery in painting, was skeptical of Zion’s new avatar.

“He’s a big guy, did you see how he jumped and how he played? So now he looks good but he is Zion. So, they will bring that pain, they will bring that strength when they play against him, it will be hard fouls. I just hope his new little body can handle that.”

Shaq points out how, for Zion’s tough style of basketball, losing weight could be detrimental. With less of his body to throw at, Shaq thinks Zion could be on the receiving end of the intimidation instead of the one dishing out the pain.

Superman definitely dished out as much pain as possible during his time in the league. Shaq attributes it to having a big body and points to his success as proof of being big and successful.

“He looks good, I wish him well, but I liked him when he was the great Zion.”

Zion may not be able to please everyone, but is Shaq right? What would this mean for Zion’s playstyle?

Williamson threw flashes of a perimeter game and broke the internet in his league debut. Maybe we’ll see a different Williamson on a revamped Pelicans team.

A great season awaits for Zion’s “new little body”.

Also read: How a MasterChef aims to help 6’7” Zion Williamson weigh less than 295 pounds and be the next LeBron James