Stephen A. reveals: Smith gave startling details about the Pelicans’ frustration with Zion Williamson’s “addiction.”

Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans is having a really good season despite the team’s overall record. Williamson recently spoke about his professional struggles with injuries and weight issues. Instead of giving props to the Pelicans star, Stephen A. Smith is a two-time All-Star.

On a recent episode of ESPN’s First Take, Smith shared details about Williamson’s eating habits in New Orleans. He even described the left-winger as a food addict and argued that people within the franchise are responsible for the details that come to light.

“What is Zion’s problem?” Smith said. “Foodie! Foodie! The joke was that everyone who cooked in New Orleans knew about Zion Williamson, and he knew them. They were on a first name basis because that brother ate a lot. You even had rumors that he was caught hiding food under his bed.”

Stephen A. added: Smith said that those people close to Zion Williamson encouraged people like him to go after the NBA star because of the things he was doing. Williamson’s injury history, weight and conditioning issues, and his personal love life have been making headlines over the past three years.

What did Zion Williamson say about his struggles?

Speaking to ESPN’s Malika Andrews after his 35-game streak ended, Zion Williamson spoke about his struggles. Williamson had difficulties dealing with criticism, especially during his third season when he missed it all with a foot problem.

“The hardest point was when I missed my third year with a broken foot,” Williamson said. “There’s been a lot of criticism about my weight and my interest in the game. I’m in Portland for rehab, and I don’t know if my foot is going to recover. … Every time I turned on the TV, or every time I checked my phone, it was negative criticism.”

Williamson is having a solid season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game. However, the Pelicans (19-43) are 13th in the AL West.

The Pelicans responded by firing Stephen A. Smith

Despite what Stephen A. Smith about people inside the New Orleans Pelicans franchise wanting to air dirty laundry on Zion Williamson, only to have their PR account on X respond to an eccentric ESPN analyst.

The account shared “highlights” of Smith playing sports, as well as a graph of his college basketball stats. They even insinuated that Smith was caught playing solitaire while watching an NBA game.

“Stick with Solitaire Steven,” the account tweeted.

It’s also not the first time the Pelicans have responded to Smith’s tirade about their franchise player. They did so in 2024 and uploaded a “highlight” clip.