Pelicans hilariously clap back at Stephen A. Smith over Zion Williamson ‘bust’ claim

The New Orleans Pelicans once made a video of Stephen A. Smith's "highlights." That clip was made in response to some of the criticisms that the ESPN host about Zion Williamson. Despite calling it a highlight video, it was a compilation of the host's sports fails.

This video ended up being nominated for the "best sports video" category at the 29th Annual Webby Awards. Something that the team announced to their fans as a counter-attack to Smith's latest criticism of Williamson.

The Pelicans shared the clip again on Tuesday, while also telling their fans to vote for it.

"Good day to announce that our Stephen A. Smith highlight video has been nominated for best sports social video in the @TheWebbyAwards,"

The post also contained the link to the webpage where people can vote.

This video was initially posted in February 2024, when Smith went on a tirade against Williamson.

Since then, the Pelicans have come to the defense of their star on social media. They constantly fired back at Smith through posts that mocked the ESPN analyst. Regardless, Smith has remained unfazed and has continued to be critical of Williamson.

The latest salvo from New Orleans came after Stephen A. used the word 'bust' to describe Williamson.

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What was Stephen A. Smith's latest criticism of Pelicans forward Zion Williamson?

On Monday, the New Orleans Pelicans announced that Zion Williamson will miss the rest of the season. This announcement came after Williamson had already missed five straight games due to a back injury.

In response, Smith went on "First Take" on Tuesday to rant about the 2019 No. 1 pick. The sports analyst talked about Williamson's availability, or lack thereof, and cited it as a reason for labeling him a bust.

"Zion Williamson is a star-caliber talent," Smith said. "When he is on the court and healthy, he's a monster. The problem is, he's rarely available and as great as he is, the word 'bust' comes to mind."

Williamson has struggled with his health since his rookie season, which has caused him to miss more than his fair share of games. Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, he played in just 184 regular season games. He missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a foot injury.

From his rookie season to last year, Williamson averaged 24.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He was named an All-Star in his second year in the league as well as in 2022-23. This year, he only played 30 out of a possible 82 games. He put up 24.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg and 5.3 apg.

While Williamson is producing superstar-like numbers when available, his absences have cost the Pelicans. They've only made the playoffs twice since he was drafted, and will miss the postseason again this year.