"He's not even working to be professional basketball player": Scottie Pippen makes feelings clear over Zion Williamson amid harsh criticism

Six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen went in on Zion Williamson, who is struggling to remain healthy and be the impactful player the New Orleans Pelicans and the rest of the NBA thought he would be. The former No. 1 overall pick has struggled to play more than 70 games in a season during his five-year career, leading people who vehemently supported him to lose hope of a comeback to the highest level.

Pippen joined the "PBD" podcast with Patrick Bet-David on Friday when he talked about the lack of toughness he's seeing in the current NBA. The former Chicago Bulls player talked about Williamson and said he doesn't see the forward turning things around and playing at a Hall of Fame level.

"I don't see it happening. I don't know how much longer he's going to be on the court. I think that the organization has bent over backwards to maintain some professionalism to the fact that the kid is not even on the court. He's not even working to be a professional basketball player," Pippen said.

Scottie compared Zion Williamson to a college kid sitting on the bench trying to figure out what will make him stand out over the competition. He talked about the diet, his support system and his health, warning about a potential situation in which Zion won't be able to return to the court.

"I don't know what to say about his career thus far because all indications show me that if there's a lockout, if there's a major injury to him, it's gonna take him out," Pippen added. (1:36:33 mark)

Zion Williamson's struggles started during his rookie season when he only managed to play 24 games. He played 61 the next one, but then only 29 after missing the full 2021-22 season. The 2023-24 season was the best in terms of availability, as he clocked in 70 matches, but this one, he's barely played 10 duels for the Pelicans.

Pelicans suspended Zion Williamson for being late to a team flight

To add to Zion Williamson's issues, the New Orleans Pelicans suspended him for one game on Jan. 10 for a violation of team policies. The forward was late for a team flight to Philadelphia ahead of a duel against the 76ers. The team's traveling party reportedly waited for an extended period, leading to the suspension.

More than that, head coach Willie Green said it wasn't the first time Zion incurred in these acts, revealing that several incidents prompted the team's decision.

He's played four games since returning from injury, with the Pelicans losing two against the Timberwolves and Celtics, respectively, before beating the Bulls and Jazz.