"Stop eating everything you see" : NFL legend Shannon Sharpe calls out Zion Williamson over 'embarrassing' eating habits

The New Orleans Pelicans suspended Zion Williamson for one game, a penalty he served on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. According to the Pelicans, the reason for the suspension is because Williamson had violated team policies, such as being late to practices or flights.

Sports analysts and hosts such as Shannon Sharpe and Stephen A. Smith have already criticized Williamson in the past. The latest development regarding the Pelicans star was no different as Sharpe went on a tirade against him on Monday's edition of "First Take."

Sharpe, who was a former professional athlete himself, did not mince his words in going after Williamson.

"Nobody wants to suspend their superstar player," Sharpe told Stephen A. "They normally don't have to, why? Because professional is a term that describes your occupation. Zion Williamson is a professional basketball player but he's not a pro, which means how he handles his business.

"Stephen A, you mentioned it, Zion needs a change of scenery. No, he needs a change of eatery. Stop going and eating everything that you see bro." (3:12-3:40)

Shannon Sharpe played in the NFL as a tight end. He played for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. He is an eight-time pro bowler and a three-time Super Bowl champ.

Zion Williamson's weight and conditioning have been a topic of discussion previously. Other analysts such as Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal have already criticized the Pelicans star for these things before.

In fact, his contract with the Pelicans has a "weight clause" included. This clause states that his combined weight and body fat percentage aren't to exceed 295.

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Zion Williamson comments about his suspension

Following his one-game suspension, Zion Williamson was back in action on Sunday against the Boston Celtics. Following the game, Williamson got a chance to speak to the media.

One member of the press asked Williamson what message the team was trying to send him through the suspension and what his response is.

"This is my job," Williamson said. "They were holding me accountable. All I can do is just be better. There are actions, there are consequences for actions. That was my consequence."

Zion Williamson scored 16 points, grabbed seven rebounds and came away with five steals against the Celtics. However, the Pelicans fell short, losing 120-119.

The Duke product has only been limited to eight games this season, mostly due to injuries. In these eight games, he has averaged 21.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.

His limited appearances have been somewhat of a disappointment as he played in a career number of games last season. In 2023-24, he played in 70 games for the first time in his entire career.

Prior to last season's campaign, Williamson had only played in a combined 114 contests, 24 in his rookie year (2019-20), 61 as a sophomore (2020-21) and 29 in year number three (2022-23). He missed the entirety of the 2021-22 campaign due to injury.

Ahead of this season, Williamson turned heads with his weight loss. He said that he was down to 281 pounds from his listed weight of 284 from last year. He was reportedly targeting 272 pounds as his weight for this season.