With the new NBA season approaching, New Orleans Pelicans fans have plenty of reasons for optimism. Chief among them is Zion Williamson’s weight loss and improved conditioning, as the star forward appears noticeably leaner and fitter heading into training camp.
But not everyone is impressed with Williamson’s timing. Former Milwaukee Bucks champion and All-Star Jeff Teague voiced harsh criticism on his Club 520 podcast, questioning why Williamson waited until a contract year to fully commit to his fitness.
“This is probably the dumbest press conference I’ve heard in my life,” Teague said. “All of this is because of you. You choose to eat, be out of shape, all that. Now, all of a sudden, it’s a contract year, probably looking for an extension. All of a sudden, he is in shape, and he said they believe in me”.
Teague also stressed that Williamson is being paid a massive salary to stay in shape, adding that the very least expected of him is to maintain proper conditioning.
“Fool, they gave you a max deal. They’ve been believing in you. They had to put a lot of options in his contract because you didn’t believe in you. That’s dumb as hell, that press conference is dumb. You get paid damn near $40 million a year to be in shape. I just like you do a press conference and say, ‘I feel the best I ever felt since college.’ You chose to feel that way. You could have been like this for three years,” Teague added.
Pelicans hoping for breakthrough season
The Pelicans are aiming to take the next step this year and reach the conference finals for the first time in franchise history. Williamson’s physical transformation is fueling optimism, but so are the team’s offseason moves.
New Orleans re-signed defensive anchor Herbert Jones to a three-year deal and added Saddiq Bey to bolster the rotation. They also brought in two former Golden State Warriors champions—Kevon Looney and Jordan Poole—hoping to add veteran experience and championship pedigree.
For his part, Williamson has sent a warning to opponents, insisting he hasn’t felt this good physically since his college days. “Yo, this feels good. This feels good. I haven’t felt like this since college, high school—just where I can walk in the gym and I’m like, ‘I feel good,’” Williamson said at Pelicans media day.