Zion Williamson shows off dramatic weight loss at Pelicans media day

New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson showed off his weight loss at the team’s media day this week after an intense conditioning program over the summer. 

“I really felt a shift in my body,” Williamson told reporters. “I haven’t felt like this since college, high school, just where I can walk into a gym, and I feel good.”

He added that the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, Joe Dumars, who was hired in April, would hold the star accountable.

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“He’s going to hold me accountable, and as he holds me accountable, he’s going to give me a lot of responsibility as well, which I’m excited for,” Williamson said of Dumar. “I know he’s going to hold me to a really high standard, and if I slip up or anything, I know he’s going to be right there to make sure I get right back on the path.”

Zion Williamson takes part in media day at Ochsner Sports Performance Center.  (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)

Williamson, entering his seventh season with the Pelicans, has maintained a reputation of being one of the NBA’s more overweight players since coming into the league as the No. 1 overall pick out of Duke in 2019. He has also been one of the more injured players, missing 268 NBA games due to injury or other reasons over his career from 2019-20 to 2024-25. 

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Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball down court during the fourth quarter of a game against the Golden State Warriors at Smoothie King Center May 4, 2021, in New Orleans. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

The 6-foot-6 power forward’s trainer, Pelicans director of performance Daniel Bove, aimed to address his fluctuating weight and consistent injuries with the conditioning program this summer. 

The program included boxing workouts and drills run on football fields. 

“I really felt a shift in my body,” Williamson said of Bove’s program. “It feels good to feel good.”

NBA star Zion Williamson in 2022 vs. 2025 (Getty Images)

Pelicans coach Willie Green said the team has been encouraged by the regularity of Williamson’s presence at team headquarters this offseason.

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“I saw his work this summer, his attention to his body, his conditioning,” Green said. “He wants to be available for his teammates.”

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