Zion Williamson is back and the New Orleans Pelicans couldn’t be more excited.
Williamson hasn’t played for the team in more than a year as a foot injury sidelined him and the rehabilitation from it took longer than expected.
After a lot of speculation and rumors, Williamson is indeed back in the Big Easy and ready to make up for the lost time.
Zion's transformation is incredible 😳 pic.twitter.com/nIMFMxJ2WQ
— ESPN (@espn) September 27, 2022
There has been tons of talk about Williamson’s physicality and weight since he left the team.
Some have said that he gained a lot of weight and was not ready to play in a regular NBA season again.
But Williamson is looking much better than expected, toned and fit and in great shape.
Comparing him to how he looked just one season ago shows a positive progression.
Williamson’s Weight Put To Rest
During his time off the court, Williamson got a little chunky, to put it lightly.
The big man couldn’t move around because of injury and obviously wasn’t able to hit the gym as much as he’d like.
Plus, he knew he wasn’t going to be back in the NBA for some time so you can understand why he might have let himself go a little bit.
This led some people to assume that Williamson was trying to get out of his contract with the Pelicans or would perhaps never play professional ball again.
But that was all a bunch of hogwash apparently because Williamson got back in shape when it mattered and is now poised to be in better shape than ever before.
Now, that doesn’t mean his first season back will be an incredible one – it could take Williamson some time to get back in the swing of things and feel comfortable on the court again.
But one thing is clear: Williamson’s body is ready for the game.
NEXT: The Pelicans Show Off What Fans Hope Is A Contending Squad