Heading into the 2019-20 season, Zion Williamson was supposed to one of the leagues main attractions. When the games began, however, the New Orleans Pelicans big man was sidelined with a knee problem; in total, he only played 24 games during a disappointing rookie campaign.
Zion Williamson, however, wasnt going to take those struggles lying down. During the 2020 offseason, the forward retooled his diet and workout plan in the hopes of bouncing back in a big way as an NBA sophomore.
RELATED: What Is Zion Williamsons Shoe Size and How Does It Stack Up Against the Rest of the NBA?
During the past two years, basketball fans have only been able to see Zion Williamson play in fits and starts. When hes on the court, however, its pretty clear that the big man has the talent required to be a legitimate star.
After making a name for himself in high school, Williamson took his talents to Duke. While an infamous shoe blow-out and his subsequent knee injury slowed down his freshman year, the big man still 22.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game; that was enough to make him the first-overall pick of the 2019 NBA draft.
With the Pelicans, Williamson, unfortunately, fell into somewhat of a pattern. He made his Summer League debut but promptly found himself on the sidelines after bruising his knee; he then returned to the court for the preseason but ended up needing knee surgery. By the time Zion made his regular-season debut, it was January 2020.
While it took him some time to make his professional debut, Williamson proved that he could hang with anyone at the NBA level. During his 24 games as a rookie, he averaged 22.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per appearance. Although its still early in the 2020-21 campaign, he seems to have picked up where he left off.
RELATED: What Are Zion Williamsons Height and Wingspan?
When Zion Williamson is able to take the floor, his talent is plain to see. Over the past year, however, some have been concerned that the forwards body simply wont hold up.
According to NBA.coms official draft profile, Williamson entered the league at 6 feet, 7 inches, and 284 pounds. While that frame played a role in his successZion is pretty nimble, but hes also strong enough to bang bodies in the paintit also raised a few eyebrows around the league.
While the NBA has seen plenty of big men over the years, most of them were conventional, back-to-the-basket centers; Williamson, however, plays an explosive, modern game. That reality caused some pundits to worry that the forward was too heavyand capable of generating too much force when he jumped and cutto have a legitimate basketball career.
Both Williamson and the Pelicans organization, however, have rejected that hypothesis. The forward has even gone on the record as saying that hes only concerned with what his inner circle thinks about his weight.
RELATED: Zion Williamson Fires a Warning Shot at the Entire NBA
Whether you believe Zion Williamsons weight will affect his long-term performance or not, one thing is clear: the forward changed up his diet and workout routine during the offseason in the hopes of a stronger sophomore campaign.
Although no one quite knows what Zion has been doing in the gym, Mens Health did get somewhat of an inside scoop. Beyond push-ups, sit-ups, and running, Williamson revealed that his daily exercise regimen also consisted of two sessions on the basketball court, plus flexibility, strength, and conditioning work away from the court with a trainer, Brett Williams explained.
Zions diet has also undergone a few changes in the hopes of keeping him in peak physical condition.
Meanwhile, his mother Sharonda Sampson took care of his diet by swapping out soul food standards for healthier options, Williams story explained. All the sauce, the bacon, that stuffhe cant have that, Sampson says. Instead, Williamson is sticking to salmon.
A few games into the 2020-21 season, those changes seem to be paying off; Zion reportedly lost at least 25 pounds during the offseason and has been moving better on the court.
No one doubts Zion Williamsons talent. With his new workout routine and diet, the forward may finally be able to prove that hes capable of staying healthy and becoming a legitimate NBA star.
Stats courtesy of Sports-Reference and Basketball-Reference
Originally posted here:
Zion Williamson Changed His Diet After a Disappointing Rookie Year: All the Sauce, the Bacon, That StuffHe Cant Have That - Sportscasting
