Stephen A. Smith went toe-to-toe with Zion Williamson again on Friday, but this time the Pelicans weren’t sitting idly by.
The well-known ESPN personality criticized the New Orleans star during a conversation with host Mike Greenberg at the end of Work Week’s “Get Up,” saying the former NBA All-Star entered the league in 2019. He said he has done the same thing many times since, citing Williamson’s weight. .
The Duke product had 27 points and nine assists in Thursday’s game against the Rockets, but Smith said Williamson is still not feeling well.
“Zion Williamson, it’s not about his game,” Smith said of the two-time NBA All-Star and 2019 No. 1 overall pick. “The question is how many burgers is he eating? Will he get fit or will he keep eating McDonald’s and the chefs will keep nagging him to come to their restaurants?
“He has to prove that the chefs don’t love him anymore,” Smith added. “That he’s focused on playing basketball and getting in shape.”
That’s when the Pelicans defended Williamson on social media on Friday, posting X on Smith’s college averages at Winston-Salem State University.
Smith immediately responded that a knee injury derailed his career.
“I can’t play because of a serious knee injury, but I can’t score.” Smith said in X. “That’s my fact. Now…what’s your excuse for not winning anything? I can’t wait to see you all in April. May and June? We’ll be there too.” No! Good luck!”
The Pelicans responded by posting a video montage they called “Stephen A. Smith Highlights,” which is exactly what they said. lowlight compilation It was meant to poke fun at critics, including a bad basketball shot and a terrible first pitch at Yankee Stadium.
The clip was played with the infamous audio of Smith calling Kwame Brown “a real scrub.”
Smith responded with a series of posts.
“I could have zeroed in, but I won’t do that!” he assured. “I happen to be a fan of some of the players, plus the coaches, and definitely of the city. You play. I’m watching. I’m not going anywhere! Good luck!”
He went on to say, “Oh, by the way…I think you guys already know that you can’t talk as much as I can. So…be my guest! 24/7… Open all year round!”
Williamson is averaging 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game this season, making 58.5 percent of his shots from the field heading into Friday night’s matchup with the Heat.
