Zion Williamson is one of the most popular players in the NBA today. He’s also among the most controversial NBA stars, largely due to the 24-year-old’s weight and body fat. Undoubtedly, the New Orleans Pelicans star is an incredible athlete, the likes of which few have ever seen. But there is also a big debate surrounding the question, is Zion Williamson fat?
Learn more about Zion Williamson’s size, weight, height, and injuries. How did he get to the size he is now? How big were his parents? And how did his size affect his life? Here’s everything we know about the young phenom.
Who Is Zion Williamson?
Zion Williamson is a professional American basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association (NBA) with the New Orleans Pelicans. He is the first NBA player born in the 2000s. His position on the NBA team is power forward.
After putting up stunning performances while playing for the Duke University basketball team, the Duke Blue Devils, Williamson was chosen first overall by the Pelicans as an amateur for the NBA Draft in 2019.
In July 2022, the Pelicans added a ‘weight and body fat percentage’ clause in Zion Williamson’s contract extension due to concerns over his increasing size. His five-year, $193 million deal stated, “The sum of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295. If it is not, the amount of guaranteed money in Williamson’s contract can be reduced.”
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Zion Williamson: Early Life And Background
Zion Lateef Williamson was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, on July 6, 2000. His mother, Sharonda Sampson, named him after the biblical Mount Zion. His father, Lateef Williamson, played football at Mayo High School in Darlington, where he was a defensive lineman. Lateef also played at Livingstone College in Salisbury, a black Christian college.
During grade school, Zion was a football quarterback and soccer player. However, his stepfather chose to train him in basketball, helping him develop point guard skills.
Meanwhile, Zion’s mother coached him to play in the Amateur Athletic Union circuit with the Sumter Falcons against opponents who were four years older than him. While attending Johnakin Middle School in South Carolina, he joined the basketball team and was again coached by his mother.
In high school, Zion earned a number 5 recruit ranking by 247Sports, the title of “South Carolina Mr. Basketball,” and the runner-up McDonald’s All-American “Mr. Basketball USA.” In his first season with Duke University, he was named the “ACC Rookie of the Year” and the “ACC Player of the Year.”
He was also the “Sporting News College Player of the Year” and “AP Player of the Year,” and he won the “Wayman Tisdale Award.” Needless to say, there was little criticism surrounding Zion Williamson’s weight gains during this time.
What Has Been Zion Willamson’s Weight?
Zion’s parents are both tall, with his dad at 6’4″ and his mom at 5’10”. When Zion was in 8th grade, he was already 5’9” tall. Between grades 8th and 9th, Zion grew six inches, and by the time he started high school, he was 6’3”. Throughout high school, Zion grew four more inches, so by the time he graduated, he was 6’7” tall.
According to the NBA’s official stats, Zion is 6’6”, which is not very tall by professional basketball standards—especially when you consider Zion Williamson’s weight, which is listed at 284 pounds. Most people have wingspans around two inches longer than their height or fairly close to their height. That’s where Zion stands out.
His arms are 6’10.5” from tip to toe, according to NBAdraft.net. In addition, Zion has a 40+ inch vertical and a silky smooth stroke that allows him to jam the ball from a free-throw line.
Is Zion Williamson Considered Overweight?
Zion has always been heavy, but his weight seems to have increased over the years. In the fall of 2017, at the U.S. junior basketball minicamp, he weighed 272 pounds, and as a freshman at Duke, he was listed at 285 pounds.
Despite his height and weight, Zion still had the physical tools to succeed. The star basketball player claimed First-Team All-American honors and College Player of the Year nationally, even before he entered the 2019 NBA draft.
The Pelicans stated that Williamson was 6’6” and weighed 284 pounds upon turning 20. Only two players in the NBA currently weigh more than that. At the start of the 2019-20 regular season, Zion had a torn meniscus that needed repairing. While Zion was expected to recover in six to eight weeks, it took him three months, missing the first 44 games.
During his recovery, Zion was bedridden for months and unable to do any cardio workouts. According to league sources and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Zion Williamson’s weight was said to be around 330 pounds, which puts him among some of the heaviest NBA players in history.
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Has Zion Williamson Ever Been Body Shamed?
Along with a meniscus repair, Williamson also had to undergo surgery to fix a fifth metatarsal fracture in September 2021, known as an acute Jones fracture. He failed to recover from the injury, leading him to miss the 2021-22 season.
According to a report by the New Orleans Times, Picayune, on February 16, 2022, Zion may require another procedure at some point to recover from foot surgery to address complications. This was the worst injury of Zion’s career, as the power forward had to miss the entire season.
The Pelicans power forward has been subjected to body-shaming comments throughout his NBA career. The NBA commentators and former stars often throw shade at Zion’s weight. In February 2024, the First Take host, Stephen A. Smith, criticized Zion over his weight and said, “Zion Williamson, it’s not about his game. It’s about how many burgers he’s eating.”
Smith added, “And whether or not he is 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. That what he has to prove, that the chefs don’t love him any longer, okay? That he’s committed to playing basketball and being in shape.”
Apart from him, NBA reporters, fans, and analysts, including Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley, also commented on his weight. However, the Pelicans power forward always responded with his game.
What’s Next For Zion Williamson?
Zion is a larger-than-life figure, both literally and figuratively. He has taken his NBA team by storm since being the first overall pick in 2019. But he’s also struggled through injuries while creating quite the stir over his 300 pounds. Hopefully, he’ll have healthier seasons ahead so we can watch this dominating force in action on the hard court.
After playing just 113 games in his first four NBA seasons, Zion appeared in 70 out of 82 matches for the Pelicans in the 2023-24 regular season. With an average of 22.9 points per game, Zion led the Pelicans in scoring last season and stood second in average rebounds and steals. Will Zion continue to improve? Or will injuries get the better of him? This will be answered as the season begins!
