After a summer apart, Fat Tiger has slimmed down to Randall's size.

For the 2025 NBA Inspirational Player of the Year, I definitely have to vote for Fat Tiger.

At the Pelicans’ media day for the new season, Zion, who had been absent from public view for a long time, finally made an appearance, and this reveal stunned many because he had genuinely slimmed down a great deal, even showing a jawline.

The first time you see Zion, you truly wouldn’t recognize him as the old Fat Tiger; some might even mistake him for Randall having joined the Pelicans. His previously round, chubby face now has sharp angles. The media shared side-by-side photos of Zion from last year’s media day and this year’s, and they look like two different people.

In fact, judging from a group photo Zion posted himself in August, he still had a noticeable belly then, which many fans mocked as him having given up. This was around the time the Pelicans converted his contract for the next season to guaranteed status in mid-July, so at least he didn’t have to worry about next season’s deal.

Honestly, I had lost hope about Zion’s weight loss, thinking this once highly anticipated number one pick might just be done. His talent is undeniable, but his lack of discipline and fragile body always left him disappointing.

Unexpectedly, after just over a month apart, Zion has achieved significant weight loss. There’s no exact figure yet, but judging by his face and physique, he must have worked very hard—he looks almost unrecognizable now. Speaking about his health for the new season, Zion said, “It feels great to be in good shape. I haven’t felt this way since college.”

From any perspective, Zion had every reason to lose weight. He played a career-high 70 games in the 2023-24 season, but last season, due to hamstring and back issues, he only appeared in 30 games. This was the fourth time in his six years since being drafted that he played fewer than 30 games in a single season.

Although he still averaged 28.6 minutes per game, scoring 24.6 points, grabbing 7.2 rebounds, dishing out 5.3 assists, and making 1.2 steals, if a player can’t even play half the games in a season, impressive stats mean little.

Zion’s attendance rate has exhausted everyone’s patience, and trade rumors have been rampant. When the Pelicans decided to keep Zion in July this year, fans were disappointed with the management’s choice.

After trading Ingram, the Pelicans still want to develop Zion as their core. At the same time, they probably gave him a strict ultimatum because the Pelicans have already traded away their 2026 first-round pick, which is unprotected, leaving no fallback for continued tanking.

From a future earnings perspective, Zion must slim down. Guaranteeing next season’s contract is the biggest concession the Pelicans could make. Last season, Zion only played 30 games, far below the contract requirements.

In 2022, Zion signed a five-year, $197 million max extension with the Pelicans, effective from the 2023-24 season. Because he only played 29 games in the 2022-23 season, certain protection clauses in the contract were triggered.

The Pelicans can terminate the contract early every year by paying a small penalty. The guaranteed salary each year depends directly on his game appearances: 41 games guarantee 40% of the salary; 51 games increase it to 60%; and 61 games unlock 80%.

After playing 61 games, the remaining 20% of the contract depends on Zion’s weight. The combined total of his weight and body fat percentage must be below 295. Assuming Zion weighs 280 pounds, his body fat must be under 15%. Last season, reports say he only barely met the weight requirement.

This means that for the 2026-27 season, only 20% of his contract is guaranteed. If the team is extremely disappointed and cuts him in 2026, they only owe 20% of the contract. So to avoid being cut and to secure the remaining 80% of next year’s contract, Zion must stay healthy—starting with losing weight.

All signs indicate that the Pelicans’ performance is directly tied to Zion’s availability. In 2023-24, Zion played 70 games and helped the Pelicans return to the playoffs, but he injured his hamstring in the play-in game against the Lakers, leading to a sweep. Last season, Zion’s sporadic play coincided with the Pelicans tanking.

A healthy Zion is an unstoppable beast with unmatched power. Some worry that losing weight might reduce his explosiveness, but it seems that even if some power is sacrificed, ensuring he can play is more important. The Pelicans hired a nutrition expert to monitor his diet, keeping him away from burgers and fries.

After his significant weight loss, Zion has become one of the players I’m most excited to watch next season. This once highly gifted prodigy is only 25 years old, and if he turns his life around, it would be a great comeback story.