Lakers Legend Slams Zion Williamson After Making NBA History

Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal slams New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson after making NBA history

Feb 25, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) reacts to a play against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Pelicans entered the 2024-25 season with high expectations, as they added former Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray in the offseason and looked to improve upon their prior season's first-round exit. While health was going to be a major factor in their success, Pelicans fans surely couldn't have expected it to go this south.

The Pelicans currently hold the second-worst record in the Western Conference this season and are nearing complete elimination from the NBA playoffs. However, they've hurt their lottery odds recently with five wins in their last 10 games, in large part due to the play of Zion Williamson. Even with a triple-double in their win over the Los Angeles Clippers, Lakers legend Shaquille O'Neal wasn't impressed.

Shaq slams Zion’s 22-10-12 performance

"You giving him props for that? I need more. Anybody can get 20 points now. That's not good enough. I'm not impressed by that"😅

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24 ) pic.twitter.com/oJENda9hH5

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 12, 2025

"You giving him props for that? I need more," O'Neal shared on NBA On TNT. "I need 26, 27, I demand from my franchise player...Anybody can get 20 points now. Happy is good, but lower your voice when you talk about that. That's not good enough...I'm not impressed by that."

Williamson has been on fire in his last six games, posting averages of 25.0 points, 7.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds as he's showing why he was once such a highly-touted prospect. His triple-double against the Clippers made NBA history as the only player to record his stat line in under 32 minutes of action.

Mar 8, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) defends against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

While O'Neal has been under fire for some other comments as well in the media, it's clear that Williamson has some more work to do before he wins the media back over. He'll look to extend his strong streak of play on Thursday when the Pelicans host the Orlando Magic.

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