Carmelo Anthony’s Advice to Zion Williamson: ‘You Have to Discipline Yourself’

"So, my message to Zion, is discipline. Do what you got to do, embrace, stop running from it, embrace the white hat"

The career and conditioning of New Orleans Pelicans’ star Zion Williamson has been the talk of sports reporters and fans alike over the past several years since the center was drafted as the first overall pick in 2019.

While playing collegiately at Duke, he was viewed as the strongest basketball player to enter the NBA and the most talked about since LeBron James was making noise during his high school days. Yet, the oft-injured center has not lived up to expectations, and many people have wondered why he hasn’t been the dominant player he was expected to be.

Now, a future Hall of Famer has given his views on what Williamson has to do to be successful in the NBA.

On the newly launched podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn featuring Carmelo Anthony and The Kid Mero, released Dec. 14, Melo gave his thoughts on why Williamson hasn’t met the expectations placed on him.

“I think from the beginning, there was so much put on Zion Williamson, like crazy, thrown at him,” he said.

Melo speaks from experience. He was a much-talked-about high school player who attended Syracuse, won the NCAA championship in his only year of college, and was quickly drafted by the Denver Nuggets.

But talent can only get you so far.

“He needs to be disciplined like, you got to be disciplined when you’re that,” Anthony continued. “We talk about wearing the white hat being disciplined and having longevity. You not going to have that longevity that we all talking about if you’re not disciplined. So, my message to Zion, is discipline. Do what you got to do, embrace, stop running from it, embrace the white hat. I am who I am; this is what I got to do to take that next step. But as a fan, he ain’t got that window right now.

“So you have to discipline yourself, you got to start putting the resources into your body like you are Zion Williamson, like you are supposed to be that guy you supposed to be,” he added. “The face of the NBA.”