The New Orleans Pelicans, and specifically their star forward Zion Williamson, have been a constant target of ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. On Friday, one of the team’s voices called out the face of First Take for comments that he believed crossed a line.
Earlier in the day, Smith took aim at Williamson’s weight and passion for basketball during Get Up. Williamson has been a frequent target of Smith and others during his NBA career.
“Zion Williamson, it’s not about his game,” Smith said. “It’s about how many burgers he’s eating and whether or not he is going to be in shape or if he’s going to keep eating McDonald’s and have chefs clamoring for him to come to their restaurants. That’s what he has to prove, that the chefs don’t love him any longer. That he’s committed to playing basketball and being in shape.”
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The comments did not sit well with Antonio Daniels, a TV analyst for the team and former 13-year NBA veteran. While on SiriusXM NBA radio hours after Smith’s comments, he called them “completely inappropriate and lazy.”
“If you have an issue, there’s a way to go about addressing that issue,” Daniels said. “The [Pelicans] have won eight of their last nine games, but then you wake up this morning and this right here is the topic? To me, it’s almost gotten to the point where it’s personal.
“When someone precedes a comment by saying, ‘I only want what’s best for this young man,’ but then proceed to berate that young man and beat him down. How do those two things go together? They don’t. And if you’ve been watching the Pelicans as of late, you would understand that this team has been playing well and this young man has been playing well. He’s been available. So if you have a beef… why are these conversations geared towards [Williamson]?”
Daniels went on to accuse Williamson’s critics of not watching the team’s recent games. During the nine-game stretch Daniels referenced (before Friday night’s loss to the Heat), Williamson averaged 32 minutes per game for New Orleans, scoring 25.1 points per game with 5.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds. He shot 57% from the floor in that run.
“What are we talking about? Burgers and all this other—the young man is doing his thing right now individually and the team is doing their thing collectively. They’re 12 games about .500. They’re in the fifth spot in the Western Conference, but this is what the conversation centers around? Tell me what I’m missing here. … Why is it this easy for people to go on national television and tear down the young man like this?”
The Pelicans social media team took its own swipe at Smith after his comments, posting a lowlights reel of Smith’s sports prowess, including his purported 1.5 points per game mark from his college career at Winston-Salem State. Smith has previously denied that number, saying that his career ended before he could play for the program due to a cracked kneecap.
“Can’t wait to see y’all in April. May and June? We won’t even go there! Good Luck! Tell my boys…Coach Green and CJ I’m always rooting for them,” Smith posted in response to the Pelicans’ video.
