“His Future Totally Relies On…”: Chicago Bulls Legend Shares A Word of Caution to Zion Williamson

Beaming talent Zion Williamson celebrated his 20th birthday on July 6. The New Orleans Pelicans star can look back at his high-school and college career and take a lot of pride in what he has achieved. Williamson is definitely a player for the future. If he wants to stick around for several years, a six-time champion has some valuable advice for the young man. 

Though injuries have limited Zion’s ability to cement his status as the Rookie of the Year, the young forward has impressed a lot with the 19 games that he’s played. With the limited chances that he’s got so far, Zion has overtaken LeBron James as the teenager with the highest PPG in a minimum of ten games played. 

Zion’s average prior to the league’s suspension stood at 23.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. It is truly an incredible feat for a teenager, as he just turned twenty. But what should be his goal as he just exited his teenage days? He is now in the NBA and people expect a lot from him. 

Scottie Pippen has a few words of advice for Zion Williamson

When Scottie Pippen talks, you listen. Not just because of the fact that he won six-championships in his career. Scottie in his prime was one of the league’s best players. The Bulls legend dominated on both ends of the court. Zion would definitely want to maintain his consistency and further elevate his game. For that, Scottie’s words can help him sustain in the league over a longer period of time. 

Speaking to Brian Windhorst and Rachel Nichols on The Jump, Scottie Pippen expressed what should be the major goal in Zion’s mind as he turns 20. “For me, I think this young man has came out in 20 games and shown that he’s gonna be a star in this league. It is just a matter of time before we put an All-Star jersey on him,” Pippen said.

“But for me, his future totally relies on him really taking care of his body,” he continued. “I would say the most important thing that he really controls his diet and really continue to focus on getting stronger.”

“Not that he really needs it, but I think it all works hand in hand in terms of him really working on his conditioning going forward and just always staying in the best shape and never allowing himself to get out of shape,” Pippen further added. 

Well, Pip is absolutely spot on with his thoughts. Zion is one of the heaviest players in the league at the moment. But what he can do with the ball in his hand is beyond normal capabilities. Thus, if he continues to maintain the same physique while further upgrading his skill-set, he would be unstoppable.  The future looks bright for the NBA rookie and if he manages to keep himself in shape, he can assert himself as the face of the league.