Stephen A. Smith called Zion Williamson a 'food addict,' is now feuding with the Pelicans on social

ESPN personality Stephen A.Smith hurled criticism at the New Orleans Pelicans organization and rattled off many of his own accomplishments during a monologue that lasted more than nine minutes on Wednesday’s episode of “First Take.”It occurred a day after Smith called New Orleans star Zion Williamson a “food addict” on air and the Pelicans social media team responded with a video montage of seemingly embarrassing clips of Smith from the 58-year-old broadcaster’s many years in the spotlight.Here’s how we got to this point.Williamson has been listed as 6-foot-6, 284 pounds since New Orleans selected him out of Duke with the No.

1 overall pick in the 2019 draft.His weight and fitness level have been regularly criticized, and the amount of time Williamson has missed because of injuries hasn’t helped (including all of the 2021-22 season following offseason right foot surgery).

After playing only 30 games last season because of a left hamstring strain and a lower back injury, Williamson reported for 2025-26 looking trim and in shape.He told reporters that he and Pelicans trainer Daniel Bove had come up with a strategy to address his fitness while rehabbing his hamstring and that he stuck to it.

Lakers LeBron James continued his feud with Stephen A.Smith on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ comparing him to Taylor Swift, while Smith said he would’ve ‘swung on’ James had the Laker ‘put his hands on’ him.

“I haven’t felt like this since college, high school,” Williamson said at the time, “where I can walk in the gym and I’m like just, ‘I feel good.’”Williamson has played in 46 of the Pelicans’ 63 games this season, already the third-most games he has played in his seven NBA seasons.In a recent interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Williamson addressed how the past criticism affected him mentally.“I would say the most difficult point was when I missed my third year with a broken foot, and there was a lot of criticism on my weight,...