“You fat and you lazy” – Charles Barkley WARNS Zion Williamson to stop eating his way out of NBA

“The Round Mound of Rebound” Charles Barkley had some career advice for Zion Williamson, who is “eating” his way out of the NBA.

“You fat and you lazy” – Charles Barkley WARNS Zion Williamson to stop eating his way out of NBA

Zion Williamson and Charles Barkley

NBA legend Charles Barkley and young phenom Zion Williamson have a lot in common in terms of their weight issues. While Williamson and Barkley might not have had a similar career trajectory so far, Barkley relates to the youngin. There’s one thing Barkley, and everyone else knows about Williamson, his uncontrollable weight is a huge problem. While Williamson doesn’t seem to be acting on it, Barkley suggests doing the same before it gets too late.

Charles Barkley spoke about his own struggles while drawing a parallel to Williamson during the NBA’s Sirius XM Podcast. Barkley started off by saying, ” You see what’s going on down in New Orleans with Zion. I wish Zion had a vet on the team or like a coach who could say, ‘Yo, man, you gotta get in shape. You can’t play basketball at your weight.“

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pHa7grsarA&pp=ygUTemlvbiB3aWxsaWFtc29uIGZhdA%3D%3D

Barkley then drew a parallel with his own career as he said, “I was so blessed and fortunate that Moses (Malone) told me, ‘Chuck, son, you fat and you lazy.’” He added, “And I did what any grown man would do, I went to my condo and cried like a little woman … and then Moses said, ‘If you want to get in shape, I’ll help you get in shape.’ And he helped me lose 50 pounds.”

Charles Barkley then spoke about several NBA players “eating their way out of the league,” highlighting how big of an issue weight is. He then said, “When these guys are young, they gon’ have so much power. Zion got so much power. Same thing with this fool down in Memphis, Ja Morant. The coaches are afraid of them instead of telling them to grow up and get your crap together.”

Barkley finally advised Zion Williamson to lose weight and signaled that he cared for the player. He said, “I wish I could sit down with Zion and say, ‘Yo, man, you got so much talent, but you gon’ have to lose some weight and get in shape because unless you get in shape, you can’t play basketball.’”

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Zion Williamson’s struggles with weight and injury, as pointed out by Charles Barkley

Zio Williamson in action for the New Orleans Pelicans
Zio Williamson in action for the New Orleans Pelicans

Zion Williamson was one of the most hyped-up players during the time of his draft. Even before the player stepped foot on the court, he was compared to the likes of Magic Johnson and LeBron James. It’s fit to say Williamson is far-far away from what fans and analysts expected of him. The reason for this majorly has been his struggle with injuries, the root cause for which has been his weight.

Williamson faced significant challenges with injuries throughout the Pelicans’ recent season, limiting his ability to make a substantial impact. Unfortunately, he was unable to participate in 53 games, hindering his overall contribution to the team. The player was also out the entirety of the previous season due to another one of his injuries.

While it is no doubt that Williamson can’t control most of these things, a career marred with injuries is something that no one wants to see. Fans can only hope that Williamson will bring a change in his lifestyle and mentality. Therefore being back on the court, fitter than ever.

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