Zion Williamson Struggling to Stay Healthy (Again) - Doctor Explains

[EmpireFalls]

I think Zion has more of a Bo Jackson issue than people realize, and yeah his weight problem and fitness is an issue but not the main one.

Hes just so ridiculously explosive that he physically puts too much torque on himself. And his normal gait is slightly suboptimal. What this means is that his biomechanics work against him.

Like he can pull his hamstring if his jump isn’t 100% calibrated because of how forceful and powerful it is. In a way I feel bad for him. But at the same time he’s clearly done none of the preventative care or focused on flexibility, isometric strengthening, recovery, etc the way he should have.

Honestly his case is less unusual than you’d think.

bo jackson didn't have an issue; he wasn't fat and never injured himself as a result of being fat

Yeah I know genius, Bo was probably the most gifted athletic specimen of the entire 80s and 90s. An Adonis with the perfect physique.

Which is my exact point. How did he get injured? A rare hip injury that could only occur due to the sheer power and force of his running somehow popping his hip out of its socket.

A lot of Zion's injuries are the same sort of thing, just too much power for his own good. Remember that he got injured before all of the fat stuff, by blowing out his f-ing shoe with the sheer force of his cut.

Watch on YouTube

My point is that the human body didn't evolve to move with such explosive force, our ligaments, cartilage, and tendons weren't built to support 45 inch vertical leaps and 600 lb squats and such. Zion has immense gifts but they can also be a curse.

[Kingdibs19]

Doctor Explains: He’s fat

[Fencer reregistered]

What is there left to say at this point? Zion has been fat and overweight his whole life. He literally never worked out growing up because he was genetically gifted and didn't have to, and those habits haven't changed. He's the physical version of the type of kid who was smart enough to coast through HS never doing homework or studying just because he was naturally intelligent enough.

This is a good analogy.

Everyone in the NBA is a genetic outlier in the same manner that everyone admitted into MIT is a genetic outlier. Only a very small percentage of the population has the genetic makeup to make it into either institution. No matter how hard I worked out I wasn't making the NBA and no matter how hard I studied I wasn’t getting into MIT. That wasn't in the cards for me, and it probably wasn't in the cards for anyone reading this.

Usually, genetic gifts aren't sufficient for a person to make it into the NBA or into MIT because even if the gifts are very rare there are still far more qualified applicants than spots. Consequently, making it into the NBA or MIT requires an applicant to develop a strong work ethic to maximize their genetic potential.

Zion is an outlier among the outliers. In academic terms he is the hypothetical kid who could take the SAT cold and still nail a 1600. The problem for this hypothetical kid is that when he gets into MIT for the first time in his life, he isn't a total genetic outlier. Most of the people around him, even if less gifted than him, are very close. And there are people who match him in genetic makeup. At MIT his garbage work ethic will cost him.

The NBA exposed Zion’s work ethic. He can’t stay on the court due to lack of conditioning. NBA basketball is very physically demanding. Fans have attacked Chris Paul, Jokic, Melo and other players for their lack of muscle definition when their muscle definition is misleading. Zion isn’t similar to those players. He is very fat. Zion hasn’t developed his skill-set since he entered the NBA over a half decade ago. Almost all his draft peers have developed their skill-set during this time which allowed a lot of them to pass Zion by.

MIT is a lot less selective than the NBA.
I was admitted to MIT for grad school. However, I picked a nearby school instead, for a number of reasons.
My son in law has a couple of graduate degrees from MIT.

[Blue_and_Whte]

Doctor Explains: He’s fat

Damn.. beat me to it.

[druggas]

There's more "what ifs" now than ever before. For all the training, nutrition, and babying they do for theses athletes, there seems to be more injuries now than when players played all 82 games.

[God Squad]

I've given up hope we'd ever see Duke Zion years ago. He's a write off IMO.

[Ruma85]

There's more "what ifs" now than ever before. For all the training, nutrition, and babying they do for theses athletes, there seems to be more injuries now than when players played all 82 games.

Which to me it explains some of the injuries occurring.

[og15]

MaYbE hE sHoUlD tRy Ozempig

Seriously, how lazy can you be as a pro athlete to not take Ozempig (this ad is totally not sponsored)

Dude you do not want to take Ozempic if you’re seriously training for any sort of competitive sport

You could, but it would have to be at a specific time when you're not trying to do high intensity training.

That said, Ozempic also doesn't work for everyone, people have sort of fallen into the belief that it is the magical cure all for weight loss, but like everything else, different people's bodies react differently and some people don't get the appetite suppression, some gain weight, some have no effect, etc.

[ItsDanger]

We can only speculate but he likely has a muscle imbalance. Knees will always be a concern for him but hamstring injury on both legs now seems preventable. Long recovery could indicate his muscle strength there is just weak. He needs to get out of New Orleans and go to a new environment.

[Hoop Hunter]

MaYbE hE sHoUlD tRy Ozempig

Seriously, how lazy can you be as a pro athlete to not take Ozempig (this ad is totally not sponsored)

Dude you do not want to take Ozempic if you’re seriously training for any sort of competitive sport

You could, but it would have to be at a specific time when you're not trying to do high intensity training.

That said, Ozempic also doesn't work for everyone, people have sort of fallen into the belief that it is the magical cure all for weight loss, but like everything else, different people's bodies react differently and some people don't get the appetite suppression, some gain weight, some have no effect, etc.

You are 100% correct, It certainly isn't magic. I have a friend that gained weight on Ozempic.

[phanman]

What is there left to say at this point? Zion has been fat and overweight his whole life. He literally never worked out growing up because he was genetically gifted and didn't have to, and those habits haven't changed. He's the physical version of the type of kid who was smart enough to coast through HS never doing homework or studying just because he was naturally intelligent enough.

He hasn't been overweight his entire life man, pre-NBA he was athletic marvel. There is a reason why he was so hyped up prior to entering the league. To say he never worked out growing up is just ridiculous, even with the physical gifts he was born with he still put in the work to have that chiseled physique.

I think the main issue is the Pelicans were clearly the wrong organization for him to join. There was no veteran leadership to guide him and once he left Duke and the supervision of Coach K, all of the extra time and financial freedom he gained from making it to the league was his downfall. Even in that short 6 month duration from draft night to his first NBA game in January, you could already see the weight gain.

[wegotthabeet]

I've given up hope we'd ever see Duke Zion years ago. He's a write off IMO.

I never give up on a player until I see them flop on their 2nd team. If changing franchises early on doesn't work, then sure give up on them, but not until then.

[MrGoat]

Dude you do not want to take Ozempic if you’re seriously training for any sort of competitive sport

You could, but it would have to be at a specific time when you're not trying to do high intensity training.

That said, Ozempic also doesn't work for everyone, people have sort of fallen into the belief that it is the magical cure all for weight loss, but like everything else, different people's bodies react differently and some people don't get the appetite suppression, some gain weight, some have no effect, etc.

You are 100% correct, It certainly isn't magic. I have a friend that gained weight on Ozempic.

These replies mystify me. I was talking about Ozempig, not Ozempic. It's like people can't spot obvious sarcasm anymore

[DCasey91]

He should have never step foot in the gym. Some guys/gals are born with farmers strength

Went high intestines running, boxing and swimming then a heap of yoga and body mechanics work

Dude should be no where near heavy weights. He was a full time fridge carrier years before metering the league lol.

[NBA_is_cringe]

I think Zion has more of a Bo Jackson issue than people realize, and yeah his weight problem and fitness is an issue but not the main one.

Hes just so ridiculously explosive that he physically puts too much torque on himself. And his normal gait is slightly suboptimal. What this means is that his biomechanics work against him.

Like he can pull his hamstring if his jump isn’t 100% calibrated because of how forceful and powerful it is. In a way I feel bad for him. But at the same time he’s clearly done none of the preventative care or focused on flexibility, isometric strengthening, recovery, etc the way he should have.

Honestly his case is less unusual than you’d think.

bo jackson didn't have an issue; he wasn't fat and never injured himself as a result of being fat

Yeah I know genius, Bo was probably the most gifted athletic specimen of the entire 80s and 90s. An Adonis with the perfect physique.

Which is my exact point. How did he get injured?

he didn't, he had a great career. unlike zion.

[Capn'O]

I think Zion has more of a Bo Jackson issue than people realize, and yeah his weight problem and fitness is an issue but not the main one.

Hes just so ridiculously explosive that he physically puts too much torque on himself. And his normal gait is slightly suboptimal. What this means is that his biomechanics work against him.

Like he can pull his hamstring if his jump isn’t 100% calibrated because of how forceful and powerful it is. In a way I feel bad for him. But at the same time he’s clearly done none of the preventative care or focused on flexibility, isometric strengthening, recovery, etc the way he should have.

Honestly his case is less unusual than you’d think.

This is what I came in to say but you said it much better.

Guys like Antonio McDyess and Marcus Camby started out their career like this and McDyess in particular turned the corner by consciously becoming a more ground bound player. He kinda sandbagged his own athleticism for longevity and had a heck of a second act. I wonder if this is Zion's shot. He's already initiated that process in the pros but probably has to scale back even more.

Of course, unlike Zion, McDyess was a workhorse who treated his body like a temple.

[KyRo23]

There's more "what ifs" now than ever before. For all the training, nutrition, and babying they do for theses athletes, there seems to be more injuries now than when players played all 82 games.

The distance travelled by each player each game is exponentially higher. Back in the day you’d probably get more bumps and bruises, but they didn’t have to cover the ground these guys do today. It’s more strenuous for different reasons now

[Himothy Duncan]

Did anyone really expect anything else with this guy? I knew he would always be a fat **** since college and kept telling my friends he wouldn’t last and that Ja should go #1. It was as clear as day. Giving him a max contract is suicide.

[Mallie]

He should have never step foot in the gym. Some guys/gals are born with farmers strength

Went high intestines running, boxing and swimming then a heap of yoga and body mechanics work

Dude should be no where near heavy weights. He was a full time fridge carrier years before metering the league lol.

High intestines boxing sounds...intense.

[puny]

Do they ride bicycles back east? How are the shoulders on the roads?