39-year-old LeBron James has left no stone unturned. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar continued to showcase his love and commitment to the game, even at this age. Tonight, at the 7th spot qualifier against the New Orleans Pelicans, James took a massive charge from Zion Williamson. The youngster, who carried a 284lbs body, ran aggressively to the rim for a dunk but received a hard stop from LBJ. Before this moment, James faced an embarrassing rejection near the rim. Nevertheless, he had the last laugh, despite falling hard.
In response to the brave act from James, fans swarmed the comments section praising the 4x NBA Champion. One user said, “Taking a charge from zion is a level of strength and bravery i could never understand.” Here are some more reactions from fans.
A fan in disbelief couldn’t believe his eyes! Despite the bravery in drawing a charge against Zion Williamson, a fan revealed that he hadn’t seen James take a hard fall like that before.
Another fan jokingly called for a ‘stretcher’, claiming had it not been LeBron, anyone his age would’ve needed it.
This fan also couldn’t believe Zion Williamson ‘trucking’ James onto the floor.
All in all, it was a lighthearted yet jaw-dropping reaction in the comments section. This season, the NBA world experienced playoff intensity much before the postseason. During the last few regular season games, teams put their bodies on the line to get a ticket to playoffs. Tonight, LeBron James‘ brave screen wasn’t any different. The Lakers have the opportunity to get to the seventh seed with a win against the Pelicans. Notably, the LA side defeated the Pels in their last regular season with a comfortable 108-124 win.
The pressure is on the Pelicans despite playing at their home. The winner of this game will face the defending champions Denver Nuggets in the playoff first round. While the Lakers have lost all their outings against the Nuggets, the Pelicans have a 2-1 record in the regular season.
Update: Unfortunately, the Pels couldn’t cross the line tonight and suffered a 110-106 loss. Williamson showed up tonight with 40 points and 11 rebounds making up for his underwhelming last outing. Nevertheless, it went in vain. The Pels have one last chance at the playoff spot against the winner of the 9th vs 10th seed clash.
How much does Zion Williamson weigh?
In the last few months, critics and media often dragged Zion Williamson into the weight conversation. As per the official record, the star weighs 284 lbs, however, several reports suggested that the star had gained up to 330 lbs while recovering from his hamstring injury.
Before setting his foot on the floor this season, star analysts like Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Shannon Sharpe criticized him for his lack of fitness and weight. While many felt that the 23-year-old would never return with that fitness, he bounced back, shedding his weight. Apart from losing weight, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the star has shredded 25 lbs throughout the regular season!
Importantly, the stats align with his fitness. Zion, in his four-season-long career, never completed a single season without an injury. However, this time, he has managed to play 70 games for the first time, missing only 12 games. The body transformation has helped the Pelicans star to improve his game and put his team in a better spot.
Update: However, just as we said this, the youngster exited the game with three minutes remaining. Shockingly, he suffered a left hamstring injury, as per Shams Charania. This is quite unfortunate considering he had such a good game. Test results are reportedly expected to come on Wednesday analysing the extent of his injury.
