Zion Williamson is one of the most popular players in the NBA today. And he’s also one of the most controversial, thanks in large part to Zion Williamson’s weight and body fat. There’s no doubt that 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, body fat percentage and height. 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 “The New Orleans Pelicans”. His position on the NBA team is a power forward, and he is the first NBA player born in the 2000s.
After an awesome performance 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.
The Pelicans recently added a ‘weight and body fat percentage’ clause in Zion Williamson’s new contract extension due to concerns over his increasing size. His five-year, $193 million deal states that “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.”
Why does the entirety of his new deal weigh so heavily on his weight? Read on to find out.
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Early Years
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 located in Darlington, where he was a defensive lineman. Lateef also played at Livingstone College in Salisbury, which was a black Christian college.
During grade school, Zion was a football quarterback and was also a 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 coached once again by his mother.
In high school, Zion earned a number 5 recruit ranking by 247Sports, as well as the titles 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.
Zion Williamson Height Progression Over the Years
Zion’s parents are both tall, with his dad standing 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 official stats, Zion is 6’6”, which is not very tall by professional basketball standards — especially when you consider Zion Williamson’s weight is listed at 284 pounds.
Most people have wingspans that are 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, along with a silky smooth stroke that allows him to jam the ball from a free-throw line.
Is Zion Williamson Fat?
Zion has always been heavy, but his weight seems to be going up over the years. In the fall of 2017, at the U.S. junior basketball minicamp, he was at 272 pounds, then as a freshman at Duke, he was listed at 285 pounds.
Despite his height and weight, Zion still had the physical tools needed 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 Williamson was 6’6” and weighed 284 pounds upon turning 20. There are only three players currently in the NBA that weigh more than that.
At the start of the regular season, Zion found himself with a torn meniscus that needed repairing. While Zion was expected to recover in six to eight weeks, it took him three months.
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.
Weight Issues Result In Injury
Along with a meniscus repair, Williamson also had to undergo surgery to fix a fifth metatarsal fracture in the early summer, known as an acute Jones fracture. He still hasn’t fully recovered, but a grueling summer of extensive workouts might have him back on track for this upcoming NBA season.
According to a report by the New Orleans Times, Picayune on Feb. 16, 2022, Zion may require another procedure at some point to recover from foot surgery to address complications.
Zion Williamson’s Weight & More
Zion is a larger-than-life figure, both literally and figuratively. He has taken his NBA team by storm since being taken first overall in 2019. But he’s also struggled through injuries while creating quite the stir over his 300 pounds. Hopefully, he’ll have some healthier seasons ahead so that we can watch this dominating force in action on the hard court.
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