New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, the No 1 overall pick in last year’s NBA draft who’s been hailed as the best prospect since LeBron James, made his long-awaited professional debut on Wednesday night, a wait that had been made even longer by the team’s cautious approach to his rehabilitation from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.
The 19-year-old prodigy managed to deliver on the extraordinary hype that’s preceded him since high school, whipping the sold-out Smoothie King Center into chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” during an electric fourth-quarter stretch where he poured in 17 unanswered points on seven consecutive possessions over a three-minute span.
NBA
(@NBA)No. 1 overall draft pick @Zionwilliamson goes for 22 PTS (4-4 3PM), including 17 straight 4th quarter points, in his NBA debut for the @PelicansNBA! #NBARooks x #WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/WrcChMAWSe
But it was ESPN’s commentary team of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy who have came under fire for what’s been perceived as body-shaming of the 6ft 6in, 285lb combo forward.
Williamson was in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs but was subbed out after only four minutes, in keeping with the team’s prescription of “short, consecutive minutes” as he eases back into game shape after missing the first half of the season.
No sooner had the Duke product taken a seat on the bench after missing his lone attempt from the field did the conversation in the booth turn to Williamson’s fitness.
“Analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy did not take long to go there,” the New York Post wrote in their assessment. “The duo said it was clear that Williamson looked heavier than the last time they had seen him and that he needed to trim down after the 44-game absence to start his NBA career. They continued that they could not believe he had gained eight pounds in a week after resuming working out and questioned whether 285 pounds was even accurate.”
NBA Twitter, a community that helps shape the league’s narratives, was quick to call out the network, seizing on an on-screen graphic that informed the audience that Williamson is the third-heaviest player in the NBA this season.
Austin Griffin
(@AustinGriffin37)WOW. @espn really posted Zion’s weight like it’s a stat….. 🙄🙄🙄 pic.twitter.com/kJkjhvdfhC
The criticism of Jackson and Van Gundy, whose reputation for commentary that skews negative is well-documented, only extended from there.
Sam Vecenie
(@Sam_Vecenie)It would be great if announcers didn’t feel the need to call Zion fat 3 minutes into his career. Would make for a much better product, imo.
Charlie Eubank
(@grant_eubank)These two telling Zion he needs to lose weight is laughable. He’s 285 and has a 45 inch vert, ESPN is borderline unwatchable. pic.twitter.com/XWitkgQGS5
Meredith Minkow
(@murrminks)Should’ve let Doris do play-by-play for this game.
Mark Jackson and JVG gonna spend the next 3 quarters body-shaming Zion pic.twitter.com/pzoZ9w31E2
(@jtylerconway)How Zion Williamson looks vs how Mark Jackson thinks he looks pic.twitter.com/EV3NMz8I2w
Greg
(@gwiss)Why are ratings down, we ask as Mark Jackson complains about Zion’s body.
#RingerNBA
(@ringernba)Zion if you see this, don’t listen to Mark Jackson. We think you look just terrific. #BodyPositivity
Jonathan Wasserman
(@NBADraftWass)Zion has played 4 minutes and Mark Jackson has already called him out of shape and said he’d rather have Ja Morant
Williamson’s body type has been the object of scrutiny since he first rose to prominence as a McDonald’s All-American at South Carolina’s Spartanburg Day School, where grainy footage of highlight-reel slam dunks in high school gyms made him a YouTube sensation.
Many armchair physicians have posited whether his weight was to blame for his knee injury in the first place. But Williamson’s fourth-quarter explosion, if only for a night, managed to put those questions on hold.