Zion Williamson Explains Summer League Absence Following Injury

BYAlexander Cole2.3K Views
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Zion Williamson
The Pelicans don't want to risk the health of the first overall pick.

Zion Williamson got to make his Summer League debut on Friday night against the New York Knicks. The first overall pick made some impressive dunks, including a steal on Kevin Knox. Despite these great plays, the Pelicans were -15 with Zion on the court and at times, he seemed to struggle on defense. In the second quarter, Zion had a knee on knee collision with a player on the Knicks and ended up sitting out the rest of the game. It was later revealed that he wouldn't be playing any more Summer League games as the team wanted to make sure his health was up to par.

Last night, the Pelicans played the Chicago Bulls and won the game 109-72. Williamson was on the sideline cheering on his team and even got to speak about how he's feeling after the injury.

"It was more precautionary," Williamson told ESPN about his absence. "I'm a competitor. Whenever I can play, I just want to play."

Some people have criticized Williamson for coming into the Summer out of shape as he currently weighs 284 pounds. Zion doesn't want to get too specific on what his goals are but he is in the midst of trying to get back into the proper game shape.

"I'll let the trainers help me with that," he explained.

With Williamson out of Summer League, the next time we will see him on the court is in preseason NBA action.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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