Zion Williamson’s walking a tightrope—and yeah, it’s starting to look a lot like the early Embiid days. Except Embiid’s got an MVP to talk about. But Zion? Just jaw-dropping box scores and bursts of brute force when he’s actually on the court. Everything else? Derailed by an injury report. It’s tough to pile on the guy because he’s only 25, and time’s still on his side. Zanos can come around. But do the fans stop the hate-watching just yet? Nah. Not in this league. It’s not a walk in the park.
The NBA’s official account pulled up with birthday love for Zion—because, of course, they did. They’re just cute like that. “Join us in wishing @zionwilliamson of the @pelicansnba a HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY! #NBABDAY,” they wrote on Instagram, balloons practically implied. Did fans play along? Well, yes… and very much no. But we’re not here to celebrate the polite crowd. The no’s were brutal—relentless jabs about injuries, weight, and wasted potential. Not exactly the party vibe Zion was hoping for on his big day.
Let’s dive in, shall we? Grab your snorkel, because the comment section’s deeper than his draft hype. Fans weren’t holding back—some called him a “walking MRI scan,” others joked about his minutes being more limited than concert merch. There were hot takes, cold digs, and everything in between. And while some of it crossed the line, a lot of it hit a nerve because it wasn’t entirely wrong. That’s the double-edged sword of star power.
Zion Williamson faces the wrath of the fans in the comments
There’s no time to beat around the bush. “We all know he going out to eat for his birthday.” That’s harsh, but it comes from a deep sense of track record. For the past two years, Zion Williamson’s toughest opponent hasn’t worn a jersey—it’s been his own body. If that wasn’t rude, the charge doubled down to question his athleticism as one wrote, “How is he so big and athletic at the same time? ” His weight’s been the headline act, too. Back in college, he hovered around 285 lbs, but by the 2023–24 season, he’d ballooned past 300!
But the worst of the lot probably came from the lone Pels fan in the crowd saying “Hope you blew out the candles wish to stay healthy this season and please don’t eat the cake coming from a good place HBD Z MVP let’s go Pels .” Brutal. Cue the concerned uncles of basketball: Shaq and Barkley also didn’t sugarcoat their worries. But Zion responded with action—he hired a personal chef, dropped about 25–30 pounds, and slimmed down to 264 lbs, his leanest since going pro. Bonus? He hit his contract’s weight clause and started looking like a player ready to silence the doubters.
But the injury bug clearly didn’t get the memo. Zion missed the entire 2021–22 season with a foot issue, then only played 29 games the next year. The brutality didn’t stop there, though. That comments section? Looked like a cutscene from Mortal Kombat—straight-up fatalities. And as savage as they were, they weren’t just empty punches.
Those jabs carried weight. Frustration and expectation. The kind of truth that stings more than it trolls. “Dudes really been in the league 6 years and done a whole lotta nothin’.” Making sense? Might not. Things did click in 2023–24 as he played 70 games (a career high!) But wait. This passing season, another hamstring strain sidelined him for 27 games, and then a lower-back contusion wrapped his season early after just 30 games, despite putting up a very Zion-ish 24.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 5.3 APG.
The 2024–25 season kicked off with promise, but a familiar script followed. And just like that, one rolled, “Still ain’t done shi ” seems to fit it the best, right? Well, Zanos wasn’t the only one catching strays here. Whether it was bad luck or cosmic karma, Zion’s NBA debut lined up perfectly with the New Orleans Pelicans’ nosedive.
Two playoff appearances—both first-round exits. One Play-In cameo. The rest? Let’s just say the less said, the better. But the real gut punch? Zion’s logged just 214 games in five seasons. That’s the stat that hurts most. Not because he’s lazy or lacking—far from it. It just feels like the universe rolled the dice and came up with snake eyes.
Apr 12, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles around New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the fourth quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
There’s still hope—plenty of it. Zion Williamson’s just 25, still got prime years in the tank, and oh yeah, he was the No.1 pick. He’s also the brightest beacon New Orleans has had since AD left town. But here’s the catch—if this season crashes and burns too? The “what ifs” start turning into “what was.” At some point, the potential has an expiry date. And while the game’s not over yet, the clock’s ticking louder than ever in the Crescent City.
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