Seeing a reportedly 25lbs slimmer Zion Williamson had the Pelicans fans over the moon. But it wasn’t just the ‘Zanos’ faithful who were thrilled. New Orleans management was excited as well. You couldn’t have forgotten that minefield of a contract Williamson signed, right? In the worst-case scenario, the Duke phenom that the Pelicans had invested in (and not just from a financial viewpoint) would have to be traded. But they know, as well as we do, that when healthy, the 24-year-old is a monster!

A sentiment that LeBron James wholeheartedly acknowledged in Netflix’s Starting 5. Although, he did have a different term for Williamson. “Zion is a beast!” James stated in Episode 10 of the series. “And I take nothing away from him. He’s a beast. You can’t stop him. You can just try to hope to contain him.”

That’s some major high praise coming from a guy that even Father Time can’t seem to contain! But James is never stingy with giving credit where it’s due. And in the case of Zion Williamson, the ‘Akron Hammer’ has seen what he is capable of. Up close. In fact, this is what James further said of facing Zion.

“A guy like Zion, who’s so athletic, so quick, so versatile, you just try to keep him off-balance by sometimes playing with physicality, sometimes playing with speed, sometimes playing with quickness, sometimes games just playing with the mind,” Bron added.

And if were to take an example, why don’t we go back in time?

Zion Williamson proves early career weight concerns were overstated

Since LeBron James‘ entry into the league, Williamson was arguably the most-hyped NBA player. And with good reason, too. Take, for instance, the numbers from his first 50 games – an average of 23.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists shooting 60.2%  from the field. And James? In 50 games, the Cleveland legend averaged 20.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game while shooting 40.5%.

Shocking, yes? But numbers don’t lie. And you don’t need us to tell you that this was way before he even jumped on the weight-loss bandwagon. Imagine what he can do having gotten in shape, effectively reducing the probability of injuries. Essentially, you get everything Zion Williamson and without having to worry about losing him mid-season!

Well, what are your thoughts on the matter? Do you agree with Bron’s opinion? Let us know in the comments.