Zion Williamson, Who Was Once Called “Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley’s Baby”, Has a Strange Clause in His Contract to Restrict His Weight

In 2019 the biggest talent since LeBron James came into the NBA. After a single dominant season at Duke, Zion Williamson marched into the NBA. However, despite his unique gifts, they have come to bite the New Orleans Pelicans All-Star. After missing out on an entire season due to injury, the Pelicans are making sure Williamson doesn’t slip up again. And they are doing so by adding a stipulation to his new contract.

After spending an entire season on the sidelines, major concerns hounded Williamson. Analysts grilled him for his weight and predicted a short NBA career ahead of him. Some even said the All-Star may never play again. However, the Pelicans seem to know his true value. Hence despite the noise, they gave him the max rookie extension of $193 million for five years. But Williamson can’t rest easy just yet.

To prevent him from becoming overweight again, New Orleans has added a weight clause to his contract. And his guaranteed money depends on it.

Zion Williamson under periodic weight checks

Williamson went through truckloads of criticism during his rehab journey. An injured toe kept the former number one pick out for the entire 2021-22 NBA season. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley was the most vocal of all in his ruthless strikes at Williamson. But now the 22-year-old is all set to return to the court.

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However, despite being healthy now, his weight is always going to be a big hurdle. Hence, the New Orleans Pelicans had to come up with something clever. Likewise, they did so by putting his guaranteed money on a string.

It isn’t a surprise that a healthy Zion Williamson can change the look of the New Orleans Pelicans. Before getting hurt, he was one of the leading scorers in the league averaging 27 points per game. However, now with the regular weigh-ins, he will have to be watchful.

Listed as 284 pounds, Williamson will need to work on his body immensely. While the contract seems strict, in the long run, it may be a gift for Zion. If he can utilize his talents on the court while being healthy, there’s no telling just how good the NBA All-Star could become in his prime moving forward.

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Do you think the New Orleans Pelicans are making the right move? Let us know your views in the comments below.