Zion Williamson Explodes Over Question About Kendrick Lamar

Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans appeared to walk out of an interview with reporters during the NBA’s preseason media day event after a conversation about music turned from a gingerly exchange into a brief interrogation.

The Pelicans star found himself enthralled into a touchy conversation after a reporter questioned his music choices for the off-season. He appeared to initially show his love of Hip-Hop by citing a diverse range of rappers spanning multiple decades after he was asked about the artists who soundtracked his summer workouts as he prepared for the upcoming season. To start, Williamson rattled off names such as The Notorious B.I.G., Curren$y and Larry June.

“Notorious B.I.G. [Ready to Die], that’s always in the mix,” Zion Williamson said. “[Illmatic] by Nas, gotta throw Larry June up there. A lot of Curren$y.”

Williamson continued, “Especially when I started training seriously, I feel like Curren$y was heavy in the mix.”

The conversation seemed to be going smoothly until the reporter threw in a curveball, asking why Kendrick Lamar didn’t make the cut.

“Geez, Christ,” he exclaimed in response. “What makes you—wait, before we go to the first part of the question, what made you ask that second question?” Williamson shot back, visibly taken aback by the unexpected jab. The reporter, trying to make his point, mentioned that he thought Kendrick Lamar had some “good songs” that would’ve been perfect for his gym playlist, specifically citing “euphoria” and “Not Like Us.”

In response, Williamson wasn’t having it turned the conversation on the reporter with loaded rhetorical questions as the back-and-forth grew a little more heated.

“Man, I hear you. You entitled to your opinion. I’m entitled to mine,” Williamson aid, standing his ground. “But saying that, come on, it’s Kendrick Lamar. I really gotta sit up here and talk about how good of an artist he is?”

After providing his response, Williamson was seemingly fed up behind the dust-up and walked out of the interview without warning.

View this post on Instagram
A post shared by AllHipHop (@allhiphopcom)

Though the interaction was brief, it highlighted how much scrutiny athletes face, even when it comes to something as personal as their music choices. Former Bulls bucket-getter DeMar DeRozan, who was recently traded to the Sacramento Kings, faced major criticism earlier this summer after appearing in the video for “Not Like Us” alongside Kendrick Lamar.

In a new interview with The Sacramento Bee, DeRozan explained that Kendrick is “basically family” and says they would do anything for each other. “When he did the song, he asked me to be a part of it,” he added. “Whatever it is he’s doing, I’m going to be a part of it without a thought. That’s kind of always been our relationship.”

However, DeRozan insisted his ties to Kendrick Lamar don’t affect his relationship with Drake.

“Drake’s still my man, still my man, none of it changed,” DeRozan said. “It’s so easy to get overlooked and look at it for what it looks like, but at the end of the day it’s music, entertainment. Two of the biggest rappers in the world went at it from a competitive standpoint and they battled it out.”

Check out the post above to see clips from Zion Williamson’s interviews.