New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson certainly looked the part at the team’s media day Tuesday, showing off a startling amount of weight loss.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Williamson has tantalized with his talent but also battled injuries and questions about his availability and commitment to staying in shape since entering the league six years ago.
Limited to 30 games played last season by a hamstring injury, Williamson arrived at Pelicans Media Day Tuesday looking noticeably more trim.
The two-time NBA All-Star attributes his new physique to a workout regimen put together by team trainer David Bove.
‘I really felt a shift’
Williamson told reporters his new routine consisted of a variety of different workouts and exercises designed to transform his body.
“We came up with a plan from boxing to working out on the football field a lot to just different random workouts,” Williamson said. “And during that timeframe last year, I really felt a shift in my body to where I would look at him and go, ‘Dude, it feels good to feel good.’
“I haven’t felt like this since college, high school, just where I can walk into a gym and I feel good.”
If that assessment is accurate, and Williamson can keep himself in that condition all season, it could signal big things for the Pelicans, who are coming off a 21-61 campaign after making the playoffs in two of the prior three seasons.
“I haven’t felt like this since college.”
Zion says he’s back to feeling like Duke Zion after boxing and football workouts this summer 💯🔥
(Via @PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/6l1K6s8VFH
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 23, 2025
Crunch time for Zion
A dunking dynamo in high school and a human highlight-reel in his only season at Duke, Williamson appeared in only 24 games as a rookie after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
The following season, 2020-21, Williamson played in 61 out of 72 contests and made the All-Star Game, averaging 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per night.
However, a Jones fracture in his foot kept him out of the entire 2021-22 campaign, and he has played in only 129 of a possible 246 regular season games since 2022-23.
With three years remaining on his current contract, the pressure is on for Williamson to begin delivering fully on his potential.
The team has faith
Williamson said he has the belief of the Pelicans’ front office, which includes NBA legend Joe Dumars, the newly hired EVP of basketball operations, as well as SVP of basketball operations, Troy Weaver.
“They embraced me and I just told them, ‘I’m not going to let y’all down,’” Williamson said. “It helped a lot that they really believed in me.”
The Pelicans will open the 2025-26 NBA season against the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 22.
