NBA News: Overweight Pelicans Star Draws Reality Check From Hoop Legend

The 2021-22 NBA has been going on for a while now, and there are notable absentees.

One of them is the highly-touted Zion Williamson, who currently nurses a broken foot.

However, the disturbing part of it all is that while he treats his injury, a leaked video shows him seriously overweight.

Retired NBA player Charles Barkley knows how important it is to stay in shape if a basketball player wants to stay longer and flourish in the pro ranks.

Barkley shared some laughs at the video of Williamson and even said that it looked like him and Shaq (Shaquille O’Neal) having a baby during the Inside the NBA show.

When things got serious, the 58-year-old admitted that he is concerned about the situation of Williamson.

The 1993 NBA MVP also pointed out how Williamson has already gone through several surgeries at only 21 years old.

“He’s already hurt, you should not get hurt when you’re young,” Barkley stated. “And he’s already had surgeries on his legs, now he’s got a broken foot, he gonna have to learn, even when you’re hurt, you’re gonna have to control your eating.”

Barkley went on to share an old experience he had when he was playing alongside the late Moses Malone.

“Moses Malone said to me, he said I was fat and lazy,” Barkley recalled. “And I started to cry a little bit.”

The “Round Mound” bared that this was the turning point of his career.

In a report from Jake Fischer of the Bleacher Report, there was growing concern on the 2019 top pick’s weight.

One source divulged that Williamson weighed over pounds, but he is officially listed at 284 pounds.

Former teammate JJ Reddick also aired his concern, stressing that Williamson needs to be in "better shape."

"Zion has to be in better shape," Redick said via Yahoo News. "That's not a secret. And he's gotta get healthy."

The latest update is Zion Williamson will be out for two to three more weeks.