Zion Williamson Is The NBA's Saddest Story 

I think Zion fell into the trap of his own hype. He was treated like a celebrity in Duke to the point that the president showed up to watch him. He likes the perks of being an NBA player more than actually being a player.

Seeing him walk up to the stage in the white suit vs. seeing him lumber up the floor this season is a crazy difference

Problem with Zion is with his playstyle these last 5 years should be his best. He’s so reliant on his athleticism and power and he’s wasting his prime years

Just think about this, this may actually be prime Zion. 😳

at this point, we can stop feeling sorry for him because he makes no effort to grow and improve...

Zion had the craziest hype. The Lebron comparisons, the Duke games, his shoes exploding, he was seriously a trending topic 5 years ago. But fast forward to now, he’s accomplished absolutely nothing in the NBA (maybe one all-star game if that??) and still gaining weight. He’s been told for YEARS to lose weight now. I see Zion as a “what if” story 5-10 years from now.. “what if I lost just 35 pounds when I was 20? I would’ve been unstoppable..” he needs to get his act together while he’s still young. Each season that passes, people care less and less about him. The league waits on no one.

There's still time for Zion to turn things around for himself. Of course, it's up to him and him alone. He can be dominant but clearly his 6'6" body can't handle that weight. Heck, even if he just lost a little weight and improved his rebounding, that alone would be a big improvement.

I don't claim to be a b-ball visionary, but I fully thought this was how things would go for him. 300 pounds at such a young age -- it seemed to me inevitable he'd break down over an 80-game. season. And so he has.

He did what Shawn Kemp did during the lockout in 99. He just started earlier

What's weird is that this is not something beyond his ability. He has slimmed down before, and he wasn't like this during his colleg career. He simply cannot control his diet, and the concurrent inujuries seem to compound his discipline in that regard. He's gotta find away to get hungry for things that aren't on the table. As Marvin Hagler once said: “It's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 a.m. when you've been sleeping in silk pajamas.”

“I’m sure some of you guys can relate” damn I didn’t expect to catch strays on this video 😂

It so sad that even LaMelo Ball has a better incomparable career trajectory than this aging Zion!

I was a freshman at Duke when Zion was there and that man was a literal God. Like every time he walked anywhere people would film him or take pictures of/with him. Every guy wanted to be his friend and most girls would probably want him given the chance. It was surreal.

Only person Zion can blame is himself he doesn't mentally have what it takes, it wasn't meant to be

There are a lot of factors here in regards to Zion. Himself, people around him and how people treats him. What I think he don’t realize yet is that he has a mold to copy. Charles Barkley, it’s possible to be a MVP caliber player with his body type and athleticism. He still has time and I hope it turns out well for him.

Kinda lose credibility when you lead off calling a meniscal tear a “ligament” injury.

Hey Andy, been watching you for years and I mean like quite a lot of them already haha Thank You for the years together, been at peace with your work and seems like will always be. It means a lot to have a safe space for myself after a hard day

Charles Barkley had an NBA legend sit him down in his rookie season and call him out for being Fat, He's always credited Moses Malone calling a spade a spade for his career success. While Chuck would always fight weight issues in the NBA, he never was as fat as he was in his rookie year, even to this day, decades after his career ended he's done a remarkable job keeping himself out of weight issues (for a dude who struggled with it as much as he did). Chuck got into better shape because of Malone calling him out, and it ignited a HOF career. Finally like defense, rebounding is a lot about effort. The fact Zion is a shit rebounder has a lot to do with his lack of effort on the defensive half of the floor.

Damn imagine if he had played football. That length, strength, and agility could be lethal at OT

Seeing that Zion hasn't progressed as much as expected at the time of the draft due to various reasons including injuries, it really highlights just how amazing LeBron is. He's lived up to my expectations at the time of the draft, and he's improved even more.

Zion’s got nobody to blame for his issues but himself. Hopefully he turns it around.

It is very early. He has many seasons to play still. His stats have been good this season. He has been playing more games in general. He has a good group of players around him.

He's averaging 22 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4 assists a game this year. And that while being an off-ball player

Zion looked like he belonged in the NBA ever since HS because of that athleticism and size. His college years were like a buffer to that start and it seems like a structure in Duke is what he needed.

I can name about 20 sadder nba stories than Zion's

Are people drunk. THIS dude is a beast he literally is killing the game right now

Great vid. I hope he's able to get it together. I haven't seen too many athletes with weight issues able to remedy it if they gained it after getting drafted -Stanley Roberts, "Hot Plate" Williams, Oliver Miller, Kemp, Vin Baker, etc..

If Zion retire today, he is set for life . What sad story ? 70 % of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. That should be the sad story.

He is so exciting to watch, I hope we haven't seen the best of him.

5:48 calling most of his viewers fat. bravo.

Only thing I don’t like about Zion is that it seems like he can’t mentally lock in and accept what he has to do. I’ve been coaching HS sports for almost 10 years, and believe it or not his mindset is common among young athletes. A lot of them think talent alone will take them everywhere: they want the D1 scholarship, but don’t want the 5AM workouts, or the work you have to put in in the classroom. You’re starting to see some of that bleed over in to professional sports with a lot of young guys, where it’s like idk…they feel like they’ve made it so the work is done. I think Zion is a good kid and still has some growing up to do, but he really just has to accept that in order to stay in the league he’s gonna have to take care of his body.

As of right now December 28th, 2023 Zion Williamson is averaging 22PPG, 6.1 Rebounds and 4.4 Assists a game on 58% shooting from the FG and 33% from the 3PT line, he is playing great and he is on the best player on the team, let’s stop acting like he’s a disappointing or horrible player, still a nice video but let’s pump the brakes💯

This is so hard to watch as a Zion fan since his Highscool days. And it is hard too to accept that his prime was in his College days….💔. But we still love you Z

I remember being at the University of Kansas as a freshman in 2017. At the time Zion was touring all the big colleges and we were all chanting “We want Zion.” Crazy this is how we’re talking about him now…

Crazy seeing him on draft night and remembering that people used to say he needed to cut a bit of weight back then. Now he's WAY bigger..like a solid 50 lbs.

I think the problem is how effortlessly he was so good. Because when you play much less games in school/college, and the games you play, you blow away the competition, without adjusting anything. Now he gotta rehad properly before and after games

Zion is averaging 22.5pts this season, 6.1rebs and 4.6 assists - those are not bad stats. Could he do better? Sure, but the dude is living the life and getting paid to do it. That's definitely a W for him.

It’s bulk season every year for him. Beignet life.

I remember when this dude was getting scouted and being upset he signed with duke (uk fan here) but also thought it was cool to witness it given the hype around him. Same thing with Andrew Wiggins who I actually got to watch play in high school. Crazy seeing it all now.

Havent watched a single minute but I think im right in stating: Dudes scoring 22 ppg.. I dunno, I’m not a statistical genius or anything, but I think that makes him…. Way less sad than 99% of the league.

He’s not playing bad and he’s played the entire way through the season so far. The pelicans have a decent record.

The amount of natural ability he must possess to even get as far as he has despite being one of the lazier players is astounding.

personally i think the pistons losing 27 is more sad then this but yea

I am also kinda fat but I can't imagine how heavy of a eater Zion is. I mean he's an athlete, aside from working out he's constantly sweating while playing in practice and/or actual games. How the fuck he doesn't lose weight?

Just checking in a couple months later. How's everyone feeling now? 😂

Thumbnail had me dying just now 😂

That Herbet Jones lob leading to the discussion on Zion’s Jone’s fracture was way too funny😭

I'd say Lonzo Ball is the saddest story..

Idk what’s wrong with the 95% of y’all but I don’t get how 22 points on 57% shooting is “falling off” 🤣🤣🤣

People say Wemby is the biggest hyped draft prospect since Lebron. Personally I think it was Zion. At least when I was highschool all of us would go insane jumping out of our chairs watching zions highschool highlights. Wemby was more of just a shock when you see his build and then how he’s able to utilize it.

If I had millions of dollars and lived in New Orleans, I’d gain a whole other person’s worth of weight myself.

Whats with duke bigman and expectations

Barkley had that hustle in him...he always played his heart out...has if it was his last game...talent will only get you so far...you gotta have heart amd desire to work on your game...Even Kobe was always the first to come to practice and last to leave...

There should be a minimum mandatory two years of college ball required in order to enter the NBA.

Zion is a much different player since college sad to say I feel like Zion peak was at Duke, he was explosive, strong. quick and played above the rim,, he’s literally a shell of himself. He went from MVP type player to All star level, Rasheed Wallace was asked about him and basically said same thing, how @ Duke he would fly around court now he has to take a lil hop just to get up and down up the court now, it’s really sad i hope he can lose weight and regain his explosiveness and that he hasn’t lost it forever

The Detroit Pistons are the NBA’s saddest story in losing streaks. Why don’t you make your video about them? Twenty-seven losses in a row is unfathomable.

Seeing the old clips really show how big he got.

As someone who also struggles with their weight, I have a lot of empathy for Zion and am rooting for his success.

He's an example of what sex addiction leads to = failure , loss of goodluck, financial issues. Guys practice SEMEN RETENTION

A guy being overweight and not being as good as people wanted him to be, but still good and still making millions is far from being the saddest story... Y'all are weird.

Ha! I didn't hear the Charles comparison and I uses that same example lol

5:51 Andy casually calling all of us fat 😂

I dont watch NBA but this story about Zion kinda reminds me of Brazilian Ronaldo in football. A freak of nature, too big and strong to be that fast and agile. He was the problem to defender even in his late teens. Then his knees couldnt hold up to his play style and body. Too eager to play and didnt treat his rehab properly, he ended up with even worse knee injury, his knee was the size of a small ball and most definitely his career ended there. But then he came back and won everything. Hope Zion could do the same

For his amount of money, I would eat literally anything they told me to with whatever workout. Only grass from the lawn I need to run and get? Done

Still one of my favourite player in the last 20 years

Every Bucks fan saw this coming. We remember the same story with Robert "Tractor" Trailer...

The game they just played against the Timberwolves might be Zion's response to this video. The Pels just skunked the #1 team like grown ups playing some kids. Zion just put Ant on his ass and paid no attention to big Rudy. Smoked those boys on the road too. 😎 My guys are gonna come a little heavy because New Orleans has the best food on the planet. Don't be too hard on Z. 😂

Zion is putting up all-star numbers every season and providing highlight dunks yet RU-vidrs make it sound like he's the biggest bust in NBA history...

DC and Kemp were Zion before Zion …. We’ve seen it all before and it’s not surprising 🙄

Zion reminds me of the super smart kid that underachieves at school because he can't be bothered to study. The guy is a gifted athlete without any doubts. But he was so gifted it's like he couldn't be bothered to do things like improve his fitness or diet. Now, at the highest level when there's more wear and tear, more impact, etc...his lack of diligence is biting him in the ass. I actually feel bad for him because I was that smart kid in school. I had a natural ability with math and never bothered reading books or showing my work until I hit trig. Then I actually had to focus, do more work and read a bit. When I hit Calculus, it was a whole different world. I had relearn all my study habits, work through each problem methodically and it was incredibly hard for me because I'd never learned to do those small things that lead to incremental but essential self-improvement. I think Zion can do what I did and adapt and overcome. I hope he does because he has sky high potential to be great.

Honestly although Zion is disappointing in the NBA he's a winner in life dude has more money then he could dream of so either way dude's fine. Just sad that the pelicans invested their future in Zion and this is what's happening

When he first got drafted as a little kid I was so excited to watch him. Now I realize he is just the 2nd coming of Blake Griffin who will always have leg injuries due to the insane athletic ability and with him being 300+ pounds now

This is definitely sad, as he seems like an overall likable guy with problems many of us can relate to like overeating.

He needs to trim down to limit injuries but to say he’s falling off is crazy. He’s averaging 23 points a game. Not exactly a slouch.

Zion is a great player when he can stay consistently healthy and it’s sad bc he has the tools to succeed and be a great player in the league also maybe a future face of the league But the last three years not guaranteed should be motivation for Zion I hope

I really thought that with the announcement of Ja's 25 game suspension at the end of last season, that Zion would really lock in and take advantage of Ja's absence this season. But now that Ja's back and has picked up right where he left off at MIP level, and all you continue to hear about Zion is weight concerns it's not looking good for him especially if the Pelicans are really considering voiding his contract extension in 2024. What makes this worse is that we know Zion was the most hyped prospect since LeBron in '03, now we have Victor Wembamyama who has even more hype than Zion exactly 20 years after LeBron, and with Victor being drafted the Spurs you know Greg Popovich is going to instill the fundamentals in Victor going forward and to keep him away from the outside noise. Zion is on the past to getting left behind twice.

None of these kids from the USA have the love of the game that the greats used to have. They'll do the easy work, shooting around and lifting weights, but won't put in the mental effort to be truly great.

hes back now tho🔥

He should just keep eating and go play Defensive tackle in the NFL

Dude avg 22-25 pts a night on 30 min play. Hardly a bust

For me Zion can already be called a bust, he isn't like Greg Oden who had the Ethic and Game but injuries devastated him, he wants all the perks of hard work but without working at all, if he was willing to become a better player he would've already changed his diet, improved his game and shown any real evolution

To be a large man, that boy can fly above the rim and ball. I'm glad i got to see him play in the nba.

Most power forwards would love to have Zion’s stats. The individuals posting negative comments about him must not be watching basketball this year. He has played in 50 games and is averaging 22 ppg, 6 rpg, and 5 apg on 57% fg shooting. It is amazing how many haters’ there are out there.

He’s already made plenty of money

Can’t believe Anthony Davis called it and wanted out!! Maybe he saw something or heard something where he knew he couldn’t win with him and decided to just go win with an already all time great player!

I mean, I felt pretty damn sad watching him play in that Grizzlies game last night... 😭

Heard countless of athletes out of their primes talk about the things they could do in their early 20s compared to the major physical drop off in their late 30s. Unless you’re LeBron of course lol. But with Zion’s explosive style mixed with his already developing knee problems, his size and eating habits he’s in his prime now. He’s got 5 good years left at this rate in my eyes.

He needs a mentor.

Damn Andy I didn't wake up wanting to catch strays about MY EATING habits.

Really sad, and another reminder that at the end of the day, we are all people with our own problems. Plenty of individuals loose their way and stop caring, forget what drives them etc. Its just Zion's life is publicised for all of us to see. None of us are perfect.

JaMarcus "Zion" Russell

Probably the most disappointing player I’ve ever seen. He can be as good as any superstar before him but his mentality and laziness is what really annoys me about him.

It may be time to start discussing a tear down of the Pelicans roster. Hopefully in that case we could see Zion traded to a veteran led team with structure, as many of the comments I’ve seen have said.

Sometimes your best is not good enough and that a real damn shame.

I just want him to be healthy and at peace no matter how his career goes or the role he plays

Look Zion DOESN'T WANNA BE IN NEW ORLEANS 🙄 Period!!!!!!!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Whats Zions avg this season?

Bro is as big as godzilla 💀

Can you imagine if the Miami Heat had drafted Zion? He would probably lived up to the hype.

There's still plenty of time for Zion to fulfill his goal of franchise cornerstone of the Pelicans.