New Orleans Pelicans’ star Zion Williamson was caught off-guard and a bit annoyed by questions about Kendrick Lamar during the team’s Media Day.
On Monday, as Williamson answered questions about the upcoming season, the conversation shifted. A journalist asked Williamson what music had fueled his workouts over the summer. The 24-year-old mentioned a few of his favorite artists, name-dropping legends like Notorious B.I.G. and Nas, alongside modern stars Larry June and Curren$y.
It seemed like a standard answer until the reporter threw a curveball about why Kendrick Lamar hadn’t made the cut for his off-season soundtrack, particularly Drake’s disses “Euphoria” and “Not Like Us.” This question seemingly puzzled Williamson.
“I hear you. But you know, you’re entitled to your opinion,” he responded. “I’m entitled to mine, but saying that… c’mon, it’s Kendrick Lamar. Like, I really gotta sit up here and talk about how good of an artist he is?”
The NBA player’s tone was playful but firm. The insinuation that he needed to explain why Lamar was a top-tier artist seemed to confuse him, and Williamson walked off the stage before the conversation could go any further.
Williamson wasn’t the only NBA star facing offbeat moments during Media Day. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard also had his share of awkward questions. During his interview, a reporter asked about rapper GloRilla “shooting her shot” at him, a topic far removed from basketball. Lillard, who previously shot down anything that was going on between the two, once again had to dispel any rumors that he and Glo had a connection.
