Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson has recovered himself connected the incorrect extremity of Charles Barkley's criticism, with the hoops fable declaring he's "really concerned" astir the New Orleans forward's weight.
Williamson, the 2019 No.1 draught pick, has yet to instrumentality to the tribunal this play and is inactive respective weeks distant from making his mode backmost owed to a ft injury.
But arsenic the 21-year-old inches person to a return, helium was seen moving retired connected the tribunal earlier a caller Pelicans match.
Listed astatine 198cm and weighing 129kg, Barkley took a changeable astatine Williamson for holding a spot much value than accustomed aft witnessing the caller imaginativeness of the Pelicans superstar connected the court.
"It looks similar maine and Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) had a baby," Barkley said.
In response, O'Neal burst retired successful laughter and added "I quit", earlier Barkley suggested that Williamson is "eating bully successful New Orleans".
READ MORE: Warne's withering spray for under-performing Aussies
READ MORE: Left-field solution to Ashes demons
Williamson, successful his abbreviated vocation to date, has regularly battled done injuries. He tore his meniscus conscionable weeks earlier making his NBA debut successful 2019.
After a speedy joke, Barkley took the treatment earnestly erstwhile helium conceded helium was disquieted astir Williamson's value and struggles with injuries.
The NBA fable and 11-time All-star recalled a communicative of erstwhile Moses Malone pulled him into enactment implicit his value aboriginal successful his career.
"I'm concerned," Barkley said. "I americium truly acrophobic astir … I archer this story, and I'm being critical, it is what it is."
"Moses Malone said to me, helium said I was abdominous and lazy... and I started to outcry a small bit.
"He's already hurt, you should not get wounded erstwhile you're young.
"He's already had surgeries connected his legs, present he's got a breached foot, he's going to person to learn, adjacent erstwhile you're hurt, you're gonna person to power your eating.
"When guys get wounded and they travel back, you're trying to get successful shape. And if you're putting connected that accent connected your knees and your feet, you're conscionable gonna support getting hurt.
"Somebody's got to beryllium a grown idiosyncratic down successful that narration [with New Orleans] and say, 'Yo, man, you got to get successful shape.'
"I cognize he's got a batch of powerfulness … but you're not going to triumph if he's ever hurt."
For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
English (US) ·