Big Baby to Zion: "Being your size cost me my career!"

Glen Davis once warned Zion Williamson that playing at his weight might prematurely cost him his career. "Big Baby" was stopped by TMZ in 2019 and gave his thoughts on the outlook of Williamson's future if he doesn't drop weight.

"I broke my fifth metatarsal and my ankle because I played too big and too fast. The game is changing, and he's a naturally big guy, but at the same time, you have to adapt to the game. He's a big boy, he moves fast, he jumps high, so the wear and tear is going to start to kick in. That's where it has to start," he said .

That's one of the reasons I stopped playing, because of my weight. He has to get his weight under control, might have to lose some muscle mass, but other than that he should be OK," Davis added.

The criticism

Naturally, Zion is well aware of the weight concerns surrounding him since he was drafted as the number one overall pick in 2019. More alarmingly, following the signing of his five-year $231 maximum extension, reports surfaced that numerous clauses related to his playing weight and availability were intertwined into the deal.

To his credit, Williamson turned around his fortunes during this regular season, playing in a career-best 70 games and leading the New Orleans Pelicans to the postseason.

Unfortunately, just when it seemed like the injury bug was behind him, with three minutes left to play against the Los Angeles Lakers in their play-in game, despite having 40 points, Zion left the game early with a hamstring injury and did not return.

To make matters worse, the grade one strain left him sitting on the sidelines as the Pelicans drew the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, a series in which he could have made his mark as undoubtedly one of the best players on the floor.

On the right path?

All things considered, Williamson would be wise to listen to Davis, especially considering he also suffered similar criticism throughout his career. "Big Baby" was part of the 2008 Boston Celtics championship team, but it was clear that a lack of care and discipline cut his career short.

Given Zion's increasingly long injury history, it could be now or never for the 23-year-old. But based on his resurgence in the second part of this season and strong playoff performance, it looks right now that the former Blue Devil is on the right path.

Related: Pat Mcafee praises Zion Williamson's performance in his first post-season game: "He was everything that we dreamt would be"