The New Orleans Pelicans ‘big guy’. Power forward prodigy. One man with too many titles- Zion Williamson is a sensation on the court. Unfortunately, Williamson has been sidelined since November 6 due to a lingering left hamstring strain However, the injury isn’t stopping the 6’6″ forward from performing activities off the court. For example: getting a huge new back tattoo.

The Salisbury native surprised his fans with the latest addition of ink on his skin on Friday. Last year, Zion Williamson unveiled his “Mount Zion” tattoo across his shoulder. However, fans-turned-critics didn’t take too long to diss the Pelicans star boy. And their frustration finds its roots in the fact that Williamson has been absent for too long. Moreover, it isn’t the first time that he’s been away from court for a stretch.

But, the problem lies more in the fact that the fans and often the experts of the sport point out Williamson’s physique. You’ll often hear someone say “Zion looks bigger and taller than he is.” Well, it is what it is; he uses his unique build to intimidate the ops perfectly.

Analysts defend Zion Williamson against body-shaming jabs

FanDuel TV’s Run It Back hosts Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons, and Lou Williams took turns to understand the whole Zion Williamson situation. And things aren’t revolving around the 24-year-old power forward’s on-court absences. Things around his personal life and his appearance often go a bit too overboard. “This guy- he is an absolute load. He is explosive. We’ve never seen something quite like it,” Chandler Parsons complimented. But, in the fast-paced NBA world, what matters is availability and performance. Season after season, Zion has missed games because of his injuries.

So, Parsons also adds the question about how long the Pelicans are willing to invest in an injury-prone athlete. However, “He gets ran through the mud too media-wise. And then something like this with the tattoo comes up and it’s like, guys like he’s getting a tattoo,” the ex-NBA player expressed.

In the meantime, co-host Michelle Beadle pointed out that people body-shame him. She said, “He gets body-shamed more than anyone else.” He indeed needs to be healthy and everything. But the fact Zion Williamson feels too conscious to put out photos of himself without a shirt on is kind of sad.

“And as a person who’s had hamstring problems, you can rehab your hamstring while getting a back tattoo. You can do little curls. It’s actually probably time well spent,” Michelle Beadle further chimes in. Of course! Why should a hamstring injury stop Zion Williamson from getting inked? Meanwhile, some really concerning and upsetting news has surfaced regarding the New Orleans Pelicans forward.

Simply put, Zion Williamson isn’t returning to the court anytime soon.

NBA Insider’s reports on Zion is adding to the Pelicans’ ache

On Friday Shams Charania reported that Zion Williamson has undergone several medical treatments on the hamstring but hasn’t recovered enough to a point where he’s ready to play. The Pelicans expected him to miss 4-6 weeks of action, but the stint will surely be longer. Meanwhile, Brian Windhorst gave a deeper glimpse into the said treatment the 24YO has been under all this while.

Speaking on The Hoops Collective, Windy mentioned that Zion has taken two PRP injections since having his hamstring injury. “The second, which I think was scheduled for Friday. Generally, I’m not a doctor, but generally when you have PRP, then you have to shut it down for a while. So basically what Shams was saying is Zion’s not coming back anytime soon.” So, in a PRP treatment, the injured individual’s own blood is used for quicker recovery. “Everybody’s terrified to put any kind of timetable on Zion because you just don’t know,” the insider added.

While Zion Williamson has been away, the New Orleans Pelicans have been free-falling in the West. Simply put, with a 4-13 record this season, the team is far from finding their ground in the league this time. However, there might be positive news from Dejounte Murray’s end, as the hooper is ready to make his comeback for the Pelicans.

But, Zion? Only time will tell when he will be back on the court in full force adding to the action of the league.