In response to the coronavirus shutting down the NBA season for now, Zion Williamson announced last night that he'll cover the salaries of all Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days.
Taking to Instagram, Zion wrote: ”The people of New Orleans have been incredibly welcoming and supportive since I was Drafted by the Pels last June, and some of the most special people I have met are those who work at smoothie King Center," Williamson wrote. "These are the folks who make our games possible, creating the perfect environment for our fans and everyone involved in the organization. Unfortunately, many of them are still recovering from long term challenges created by Katrina, and now face the economic impact of the postponement of games because of the virus.”
Williamson said the donation was inspired by his mother, and is a small way to express his support and appreciation for their hard work.
“My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have, and so today I am pledging to cover the salaries for all of those Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days. This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis,” he wrote.
The Pelicans responded to Williamson's actions, tweeting out:
In addition to Zion, Giannis Antetekounmpo is also giving back to his Milwaukee family. He tweeted out that he and his family will donate $100,000 to those who work at Fiserv Forum, while Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love said on Instagram he was doing the same for those who work at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.