The New Orleans Pelicans may not be among the NBA’s best teams, but they are not above engaging in internet trolling. More specifically, they have targeted Stephen A. Smith, though one NBA champion has urged them to stop because of the consequences.
Richard Jefferson Urges Pelicans to Stop Trolling Stephen A. Smith Over Zion Williamson Controversy
The situation began with Smith himself, who criticized Zion Williamson and went so far as to call him a “food addict.”
“You got people that are alcoholics, you got people that are drug addicts and stuff like that. What was Zion’s problem? Food! Food addict,” Smith said earlier this week.
The Pelicans later responded to Smith’s remarks, posting “highlights” of him playing different sports, and it turned into a back-and-forth between the two sides.
Amid the spat, Jefferson took to X to urge the team to stop trolling Smith, writing:
“🤦🏾@PelicansNBA🤬 yall. Please stop trolling @stephenasmith. I had to listen to a 5 min monologue about it 😂😂😂😂 including highlights of him shooting with @LethalShooter__😡😡😡😡😡😡😡.”
Jefferson was not wrong in noting that such exchanges can be exhausting. Even so, the Pelicans responded to his plea with humor.
Smith is one of the most prominent voices in NBA media, but his bold claims — such as those about Williamson — make him an easy target for criticism.
It has been a difficult season for the Pelicans, who hold one of the worst records in the NBA at 19-44. While that should give them strong odds in the 2026 NBA Draft, they do not control their pick.
New Orleans dealt its unprotected 2026 first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the 13th overall selection in 2025, which they used to draft center Derik Queen, who has experienced a roller-coaster rookie season in terms of both production and playing time.
Meanwhile, Williamson, who has been the focus of Smith’s criticism and has dealt with several off-court issues in addition to injuries, is putting together a productive campaign. He has appeared in 46 games, the third-highest total of his seven-year career, averaging 21.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.
Although the Pelicans do not own their pick, they still have building blocks for the future, including Williamson and Trey Murphy, who is averaging 22.0 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 38% from 3-point range.
The team also has promising rookies in Queen (12.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists per game) and Jeremiah Fears (13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game).
