"I meant it, I'm not stuttering" - Stephen A. Smith staunchly doubles down on his 'fat' Zion Williamson rant

NBA star Zion Williamson has been criticized for his lack of discipline when it comes to handling his weight. This has caused a discussion and debate from experts on how Williamson's weight has affected the New Orleans Pelicans' chances at contending for the title.

Stephen A. Smith is the latest analyst who has shared and given constructive criticism on the young star. On "The Stephen A. Smith Show," the host commented on Zion's weight and called him fat.

The Pelicans star responded by acknowledging the criticism. Williamson pointed out that he appreciates it if it comes from a standpoint where critics want him to achieve success in the NBA. Now, Smith reiterated his statements and explained how he wants the star to succeed.

"His stepdad called me this morning, and we had a good converstaion," Smith said. "I'm going to reiterate what I said. Over the weekend, on my podcast, the Stephen A. Smith Show and on First Take, I said that Zion Williamson looked fat. I meant it. I'm not stuttering.

"Zion, if you're listening, you're welcome. Cause you said, if somebody is saying it to you because they're rooting for you and it's coming from a good place because they want you to succeed, then thank you. It's exactly what I was doing.

"Your talent is great, not good. It's great. You're holding the championship aspirations of the New Orleans Pelicans in your hands... You have to do something about that [your weight]... Nobody is rooting against you. Nobody wants youto fail. We all want you to succeed."

The comments about the All-Star aren't new as that's been the point of emphasis for most experts. This resurfaced after Williamson's subpar performance in the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament against the LA Lakers.

You might also be interested in reading this: Zion Williamson promises Pelicans fans improvement after scoring season-high against Timberwolves: “I'm gonna do my best"

---

Zion Williamson thanked fans for their support amid weight issue

It hasn't been easy for Zion Williamson to deal with the criticism about his weight. However, it looks like Williamson has matured in his response to the comments hurled at him.

He thanked the fans for their support of him and promised to "do my best not to let y'all down." These comments came after their 121-107 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The former Duke star played incredibly well against the Wolves. He had 35 points, five rebounds and two assists in 33 minutes. That was their first game after their loss against the Lakers, where he only had 13 points and shot 16% from the free throw.

Williamson is slowly increasing his production and is averaging 22.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season.