“We worked really hard during this rehab. The focus I had during this rehab was a bit more extreme. We found different ways to work and not just be stagnant” said Zion Williamson in a recent statement to ‘The Athletic’. The New Orleans Pelicans star returned to the NBA court about a week ago, after missing 2 months’ worth of games due to his left hamstring strain. As he continues getting back in the groove of things, the player’s weight may have risen as a concern during the rehab process. After all, any improvement to his physical appearance that had come in back in August 2024 seems to have gone amidst the recovery period. Fortunately, Williamson may receive some veteran help as his NBA run after a long hiatus continues.

Former New York Knicks player and 10x NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony recently hosted another segment of his podcast. When discussing players who may need the presence of ‘OGs’ to guide and mentor them, Anthony volunteered to be there for Zion Williamson. Especially when it came to handling his weight issue. This caused the former player to reveal “I’m giving him Grace. Because I’ve had multiple…. I’ve had conversations with people around him. I’ve helped him get to chefs, and get to Portland, and like settle down and get your fuc**ng mental right before anything. So, I know that he can do… I know that he can put the work in. It’s just, to your point it’s frustrating, right? That’s why you feel…. that’s what I feel like.”

If there is one thing that Zion Williamson gets called out for more than his constant injuries, it is his weight. It was only back in 2023 when Charles Barkley took a dig at Williamson’s performance by stating, “Somebody is got to get a hold of him…I don’t know if he has a Moses Malone who told me I was ‘fat and lazy’…He needs to get in shape.” The ‘Riot Comedy’ Parody page even went on to compare Williamson to Jabba the Hutt. Now, as he continues to play in the aftermath of a long recovery, deteriorating his health again is not a solution.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon and Bobby Marks wrote a few weeks ago that Williams is “on track” to satisfy the weigh-in criteria that guarantees 20 percent of his salary for the 2025-26 season. Therefore, any contribution that Carmelo Anthony could provide, in terms of advice or even practical manners, could help Williamson’s situation.

Carmelo Anthony and Zion Williamson were never on the same team. However, they did compete against each other for 3 years, before Melo retired in 2022. The NBA legend’s play left an impression on Williamson. When the 24-year-old was once about the best players he has guarded, he replied, “Carmelo Anthony and LeBron”. When images from back in August 2024 showed Zion having lost quite some weight and improved physically, Melo was still not fully impressed. Why?

In some ways, Carmelo Anthony is like a big brother to Zion Williamson. While he is there to help him, he is also there to reprimand him if the Pelicans star seems to have gone wrong as he’s just done.

Amid Zion Williamson igniting trade rumors, Carmelo Anthony calls out his carelessness: “You’re just pi**ing on the territory”

No sooner had Zion Williamson returned to the NBA court when he ended up receiving a one-game suspension! He was awarded the punishment after having instances of ‘repeated tardiness’. The last straw may have occurred when Williamson was reportedly late for Thursday’s team flight to Philadelphia. This pattern led several people to wonder whether the player was engaging in these actions on purpose. Stephen A. Smith even claimed that the suspension indicated a potential trade, since “Zion doesn’t want to be in New Orleans, he doesn’t want to be there. He wants to be in a major market like L.A., New York, or whatever, because he wants the marketability.” Even Paul Pierce has now come out to urge the Pelicans to trade Williamson to the Knicks. Amidst these trade rumors, Melo did not feel impressed.

In the same episode of ‘7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony’ the former player stated, “Being late to a bus is part of the game sometimes. But if you’re consistently showing up late, that’s a problem.” When asked if Williamson was doing these things on purpose to initiate a trade, Carmelo Anthony added “You don’t give a f**k or you’re just pi**ing on the territory and you’re just saying, ‘f**k it, yo this is my way of saying ‘get me out of here.’” Yikes!

If Zion Williamson is looking for a trade, then he may have upset the person who volunteered to assist him with his current woes. Therefore, if the Pelicans player comes across Melo’s words, he better make up for it.